Michener's South Pacific

Michener's South Pacific PDF Author: Stephen J. May
Publisher: University Press of Florida
ISBN: 0813037867
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, James A. Michener was an obscure textbook editor working in New York. Within three years, he was a naval officer stationed in the South Pacific. By the end of the decade, he was an accomplished author, well on the way to worldwide fame. Michener’s first novel, Tales of the South Pacific, won the Pulitzer Prize. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein used it as the basis for the Broadway musical South Pacific, which also won the Pulitzer. How this all came to be is the subject of Stephen May’s Michener’s South Pacific. An award-winning biographer of Michener, May was a featured interviewee on the fiftieth-anniversary DVD release of the film version of the musical. During taping, he realized there was much he didn’t know about how Michener’s experiences in the South Pacific shaped the man and led to his early work. May delves deeply into this formative and turbulent period in Michener’s life and career, using letters, journal entries, and naval records to examine how a reserved, middle-aged lieutenant known as "Prof" to his fellow officers became one of the most successful writers of the twentieth century.

Michener's South Pacific

Michener's South Pacific PDF Author: Stephen J. May
Publisher: University Press of Florida
ISBN: 0813037867
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 280

Get Book

Book Description
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, James A. Michener was an obscure textbook editor working in New York. Within three years, he was a naval officer stationed in the South Pacific. By the end of the decade, he was an accomplished author, well on the way to worldwide fame. Michener’s first novel, Tales of the South Pacific, won the Pulitzer Prize. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein used it as the basis for the Broadway musical South Pacific, which also won the Pulitzer. How this all came to be is the subject of Stephen May’s Michener’s South Pacific. An award-winning biographer of Michener, May was a featured interviewee on the fiftieth-anniversary DVD release of the film version of the musical. During taping, he realized there was much he didn’t know about how Michener’s experiences in the South Pacific shaped the man and led to his early work. May delves deeply into this formative and turbulent period in Michener’s life and career, using letters, journal entries, and naval records to examine how a reserved, middle-aged lieutenant known as "Prof" to his fellow officers became one of the most successful writers of the twentieth century.

Tales of the Pacific

Tales of the Pacific PDF Author: Jack London
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0140183582
Category : Adventure stories
Languages : en
Pages : 248

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Book Description
Stories deal with injustice, greed, brutality, materialism, the unconscious, and the harshness of nature.

The Pacific and Other Stories

The Pacific and Other Stories PDF Author: Mark Helprin
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101644338
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 385

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Book Description
A dazzling collection of short stories by Mark Helprin, bestselling author of Winter's Tale, which is now a major motion picture starring Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Russell Crowe, William Hurt, and Jennifer Connelly The Pacific and Other Stories is a collection of sixteen stories that display the remarkable scope, incomparable wit, and deft prose that have come to be Mark Helprin's signature. A British paratrooper jumps into occupied territory; the 1958 New York Yankees gain an unexpected teammate in a puny, teenaged Hasidic Jew; a September 11th widow receives an astonishing gift from the contractor working on her new apartment—these and other stories exhibit the constantly changing variety of the ocean itself, the peaks and troughs of life. Lighthearted, glittering fables are met with starker tales that sound the depths of sacrifice and duty. The Pacific and Other Stories is a resplendent, powerful collection of lasting substance and emotional import.

South Pacific Tales - Legends and Myths from Tonga, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Easter Island (Folklore History Series)

South Pacific Tales - Legends and Myths from Tonga, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Easter Island (Folklore History Series) PDF Author: Various
Publisher: Read Books Ltd
ISBN: 1446549518
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 118

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Book Description
The island nations of the South Pacific have an incredible oral history, their folklore and myths past down through the generations. This book is a fantastic collection of stories from such a vast area as the south pacific but share a common heritage. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900's and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

30 Days in the South Pacific

30 Days in the South Pacific PDF Author: Sean O'Reilly
Publisher: Travelers' Tales
ISBN: 9781932361261
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 300

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Book Description
Few can resist the lure of pristine beaches, endless coral reefs, and blazing tropical suns. The South Pacific is still largely unspoiled for travelers willing to stray a little off the beaten path. This reference gives readers a bird's-eye view of the many island groups that make up the area.

Tales of the Tikongs

Tales of the Tikongs PDF Author: Epeli Hau‘ofa
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
ISBN: 9780824815943
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 108

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Book Description
In this lively satire of contemporary South Pacific life, we meet a familiar cast of characters: multinational experts, religious fanatics, con men, "simple" villagers, corrupt politicians. In writing about this tiny world of flawed personalities, Hau‘ofa displays his wit and range of comic resource, amply exercising what one reviewer called his “gift of seeing absurdity clearly."

Pacific Island Legends

Pacific Island Legends PDF Author: Bo Flood
Publisher: Bess Press
ISBN: 9781573060783
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 284

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Book Description
Collects forty-three historical or traditional stories from the Pacific Islands, including creation myths and stories of gods, heroes, and ordinary people. --amazon.com.

First Fish, First People

First Fish, First People PDF Author: Judith Roche
Publisher: UBC Press
ISBN: 9780774806862
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Book Description
This collection brings together writers from two continents and four countries whose traditional cultures are based on Pacific wild salmon. 72 duotone photos. Line drawings. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Tales of the South Pacific

Tales of the South Pacific PDF Author: James A. Michener
Publisher: Dial Press Trade Paperback
ISBN: 0812986350
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 386

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Book Description
Tales of the South Pacific is the iconic, Pulitzer Prize–winning masterpiece that inspired a Broadway classic and launched the career of James A. Michener, one of America’s most beloved storytellers. This thrilling work invites the reader to enter the exotic world of the South Pacific and luxuriate in the endless ocean, the coconut palms, the waves breaking into spray against the reefs, the full moon rising behind the volcanoes. And yet here also are the men and women caught up in the heady drama of World War II: the young Marine who falls for a beautiful Tonkinese girl; the Navy nurse whose prejudices are challenged by a French aristocrat; and all the soldiers and sailors preparing for war against the seemingly peaceful backdrop of a tropical paradise. Praise for James A. Michener and Tales of the South Pacific “Truly one of the most remarkable books to come out of [World War II] . . . Michener is a born storyteller.”—The New York Times “Riveting and emotional . . . Ever since James Michener wrote Tales of the South Pacific, the dreamers among us have been searching for our own Bali Ha’i.”—The Washington Post “Atmospheric . . . [Tales of the South Pacific marks] the beginning of Michener’s long exploration of what happens when cultures connect, or fail to.”—Los Angeles Times “Few writers changed the face of American fiction as profoundly as did James Michener.”—San Francisco Chronicle

Return to Paradise

Return to Paradise PDF Author: James A. Michener
Publisher: Dial Press
ISBN: 0804151466
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 450

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Book Description
James A. Michener, the master of historical fiction, revisits the scenes of his first great work, Tales of the South Pacific, the Pulitzer Prize winner that brought him international acclaim. In this sequel collection, Michener once again evokes the magic of the extraordinary isles in the Pacific—from Fiji and Gaudalcanal to New Zealand and Papua New Guinea—through stories that burst with adventure, charm, and local color. For Michener’s many fans around the globe, Return to Paradise is a precious second look at a land of enchantment by one of the most gifted storytellers of the twentieth century. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from James A. Michener's Hawaii. Praise for Return to Paradise “A brilliant book and a worthy successor to Tales of the South Pacific.”—The Atlanta Constitution “This is a book that should be read by everyone. . . . All who have seen the South Pacific will find on every page the odors of frangipani, copra, blood, and beer.”—The New York Times “There’s drama and pathos and adventure and humanity . . . and a very high degree of excellence. Michener can write.”—Kirkus Reviews