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The Covenant cover art

The Covenant

Written by: James A. Michener
Narrated by: Larry McKeever
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Publisher's Summary

James A. Michener's masterly chronicle of South Africa is an epic tale of adventurers, scoundrels, and ministers, the best and worst of two continents, who carve an empire out of a vast wilderness.

From the Java-born Van Doorn family tree springs two great branches: one nurtures lush vineyards, the other settles the interior to become the first Trekboers and Afrikaners. The Nxumalos, inhabitants of a peaceful village unchanged for centuries, unite warrior tribes into the powerful Zulu nation. And the wealthy Saltwoods are missionaries and settlers who join the masses to influence the wars and politics that ravage a nation.

Rivalries and passions spill across the land of The Covenant, a story of courage and heroism, love and loyalty, and cruelty and betrayal, as generations fight to forge a new world.

©1980 James A. Michener (P)2015 Random House Audio

What the critics say

"A prodigious endeavor.... Nowhere else could an American reader unfamiliar with South Africa get so full an understanding of its problems in so engaging a form." ( The New York Times Book Review)

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informative and entertaining.

michner captured the essence of south African history using a myriad of characters a great read

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    3 out of 5 stars
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The performance leaves much to be desired

Perhaps a person/ narrator who could pronounce the words correctly would have been a better person for the job. It makes me cringe -

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Great book

Strange combination of facts and fiction. I usually prefer non fiction but this was an interesting way to tell a story considering there would be little or no written history. Good history of South Africa from before European settlement until mid apartheid

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Great glimpse of history

So worth the 50+ hours of listening if you are into hearing about different points of view about the evolution of South Africa!

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