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The Source

A Novel

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The Source

Written by: James A. Michener
Narrated by: Larry McKeever
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Summary
 In the grand storytelling style that is his signature, James Michener sweeps us back through time to the very beginnings of the Jewish faith, thousands of years ago. Through the predecessors of four modern men and women, we experience the entire colorful history of the Jews, including the life of the early Hebrews and their persecutions, the impact of Christianity, the Crusades, and the Spanish Inquisition, all the way to the founding of present-day Israel and the Middle-East conflict.
"A sweeping chronology filled with excitement."
THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER Middle East Africa Imperialism Refugee Middle Ages Ancient History Crusade
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What the critics say

“Fascinating . . . stunning . . . [a] wonderful rampage through history . . . Biblical history, as seen through the eyes of a professor who is puzzled, appalled, delighted, enriched and impoverished by the spectacle of a land where all men are archeologists.”—The New York Times

“A sweeping [novel] filled with excitement—pagan ritual, the clash of armies, ancient and modern: the evolving drama of man’s faith.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer

“Magnificent . . . a superlative piece of writing both in scope and technique . . . one of the great books of this generation.”—San Francisco Call Bulletin
All stars
Most Relevant
I couldn't relate to this story and got lost in the story line. But I like the narrator and the effort he made for all correct pronunciation...

Too long and too complex

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Just to get the only sort-of negative out of the way: the performance sounds a bit like a 1950s sermon at times. Also, given recent developments in present-day Isreal, the perspective on that nation seems to be missing something.

With that out of the way, this book… I tell you, it’s got it all! It’s like “Sapiens”, but much better. The history of the western/middle-eastern world in a nutshell. It’s not “the story of the Jewish people”, although that is part of it. It’s the story of behind the entire western world, at least, the Abrahamic-influenced world (so, Jewish-Christian-Muslim/European-Semitic). The whole thing! And told with so many different stories with characters you can really dig into and this allows a much deeper connection with the ancient stories that still affect us in the west today. I have listened to this almost 10x and I will be grabbing a hard copy to try as well.

Really, really good!

Really, really good

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True enough story of how we got here and why things are as they are. Very enlightening.

Excellent

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The narrator is superb. Some editing would have helped as it would in most of Mr. Mitchners books but that does not detract from the overall genius of the novel. Entertaining and educational, what more could one ask.

Excellent Narration. Brilliant Novel.

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Found the reading a bit annoying. Too long pauses between sentences disturbed the rhythm of the narrative. The story is gripping in
many ways both historical a d the personal stories of the characters. A long haul, but worth it!

A New Life

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