Rating: 
Summary: "Interesting Premise"
Review: "Caravans" by James A. Michener, is a story that I found very appealing...one that supplies the reader an inside look into Afghani Culture and History, "Caravans" is also a poignant romantic tale about a Jewish Yale graduate that marries a 17-year-old tribeswoman during a very turbulant time in history (right after W.W.II).The characters are colorful and quite believable, the dialogue proper for the time period, and the plot interesting. A book I know you will find most enjoyable. John Savoy
Savoy International
Motion Pictures Inc.
Rating:
Summary: Timeless splendor, fascinating book
Review: "Caravans" is one of James Michener's often-overlooked masterpieces. It deserves a wider audience, and not only because of the current war in Afghanistan.
The book is deceptively simple. Deceptive, because it can be read on several different levels. On the most surface level, it is an adventure story of a young American diplomat who travels in one of the world's last exotic places and describes people and scenery almost unimaginably foreign. On another level it is a deeply poignant love story of Mark Miller, the Jewish Yale grad, and Mira, the 17-year-old tribeswoman, that alone would justify the price of the book.
The underlying theme is the struggle between modernity vs. timelessness. The book is not a techno-thriller that moves at breakneck speed; it travels at a slow, deliberate pace that evokes the camel caravans of the centuries. American, Soviet, German, and native engineers may dot the landscape with paved roads, dams, and bridges, but these monuments are never far from cities and archaelogical sites that were old when Alexander the Great ruled Afghanistan, ancient when Muhammad was born.
Did the book help me understand the Afghan people and culture? I can't say. If anything, I think I realize that few Westerners will ever comprehend the Afghan people and culture. One senses that the Taliban may destroy the ancient Buddhas of Bamian and B-52s may level Kabul and Qandahar, Islam itself may be swept from the scene; no matter. The land remains, and the caravans move on.
Rating:
Summary: A Tale of Islam in Afghanistan
Review: "Caravans" is the story of how Afghanistan's Islamic culture affects an American female student and a U.S. embassy male staffer. Afghanistan's Islamic culture has desert roots. Desert survival requires a strong leader. This requirement has made Islam a patriarchal culture. Michener describes how Islamic culture fits the harsh desert environment. He outlines how an American woman and an American man adapt to Afghanistan's Islamic culture. "Caravans" is an excellent novel. Michener's characters are well-developed. Michener lived in Afghanistan. He understands its people, its culture, and its environment. I recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Timeless splendor, fascinating book
Review: "Caravans" is one of James Michener's often-overlooked masterpieces. It deserves a wider audience, and not only because of the current war in Afghanistan.
The book is deceptively simple. Deceptive, because it can be read on several different levels. On the most surface level, it is an adventure story of a young American diplomat who travels in one of the world's last exotic places and describes people and scenery almost unimaginably foreign. On another level it is a deeply poignant love story of Mark Miller, the Jewish Yale grad, and Mira, the 17-year-old tribeswoman, that alone would justify the price of the book.
The underlying theme is the struggle between modernity vs. timelessness. The book is not a techno-thriller that moves at breakneck speed; it travels at a slow, deliberate pace that evokes the camel caravans of the centuries. American, Soviet, German, and native engineers may dot the landscape with paved roads, dams, and bridges, but these monuments are never far from cities and archaelogical sites that were old when Alexander the Great ruled Afghanistan, ancient when Muhammad was born.
Did the book help me understand the Afghan people and culture? I can't say. If anything, I think I realize that few Westerners will ever comprehend the Afghan people and culture. One senses that the Taliban may destroy the ancient Buddhas of Bamian and B-52s may level Kabul and Qandahar, Islam itself may be swept from the scene; no matter. The land remains, and the caravans move on.
Rating:
Summary: A Tale of Islam in Afghanistan
Review: "Caravans" is the story of how Afghanistan's Islamic culture affects an American female student and a U.S. embassy male staffer. Afghanistan's Islamic culture has desert roots. Desert survival requires a strong leader. This requirement has made Islam a patriarchal culture. Michener describes how Islamic culture fits the harsh desert environment. He outlines how an American woman and an American man adapt to Afghanistan's Islamic culture. "Caravans" is an excellent novel. Michener's characters are well-developed. Michener lived in Afghanistan. He understands its people, its culture, and its environment. I recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: A great way to get some informations about Afganistan
Review: A book for all who wants to learn something about Afganistan true a really good story. I highly recomend it to all who likes adventures and wants to learn something about other nation customes, culture, civilization, ... better.
Rating: 
Summary: Caravans, Rediscovered
Review: A friend reccommended I re-read this novel set in Afganistan in late 1940's. Rich with geographical detail, it chronicals the difficulty of a country that continues to repeart its history.
Rating:
Summary: ONE OF THE BEST EVER!
Review: A must read to get an understanding of the cultural history of Afghanistan- reads as easily today as it did when written almost 50 years ago. COmpellingly told as the narrarator journeys back in time through this ancient land struggling to be as warring factions try to carve it up. The brutality of life in the Islam villages is eye opening. The reality is that not much has changed. I love the quote from the engineer travelling with the narrarator- he says " we will reach a point where we have made some progress toward modernization and then someone will bomb us back to the stoneage- either the Russians or maybe the Americans." Amazing when you consider both countries did just that. And neither has conquered this rugged land- we are only visitors.
Rating: 
Summary: CARAVANING THROUGH AFGHANISTAN, LOOKING FOR A SPOILED GIRL
Review: A young woman is missing in 1946 Afghanistan. Mark Miller of the State Department is dispatched to locate her and rescue her. Meanwhile, Michener takes the opportunity to guide us through the Afghan culture. Topics include crime and punishment; debauchery; irrigation; brutality; untamed land; the low status of women; dessert dangers; lack of medicine; and Genghis Kahn.
About half way through the book, Miller finds the girl, Ellen Jaspar, who is not so much lost as she is aimless, traveling with a tribe of nomads. A selfish girl, bored with her life in middle America, she impulsively married an Afghan student and moved with him back to Afghanistan. Growing bored with him she joined the nomads who wander as aimlessly as she.
Written in the 1960's it's clear Ellen was to represent the wayward youth of that era, caught up in the quest for freedom; getting back to basics; and rejecting any kind of modernization to a region stuck in the stone age. Ellen is willing to spread her legs for anyone she thinks can benefit her. Ultimately, Ellen is ejected from Afghanistan, unable to stop the progress her "free" Afghanis crave.
By Michener standards, this is a short book. Clearly one of his early works before cramming encyclopedias of knowledge into each tomb. Worth a read to gain some insight into the Afghan psyche.
Rating:
Summary: Gestaldt
Review: After reading this book, I feel like I have a much better grasp of everything that I read about Afghanistan in the press today than I had before reading the book. Michener takes the reader on a journey through the wilds of the nation of Afghanistan, while also providing him with some remarkable insights into the making of the modern nation of Afghanistan. Though this is not a new book, it does not feel dated. In fact, this reader wondered how much has changed in the lives of many Afghanis since the time that Michener wrote it. This review should probably include the confession that I did find bits of the story to be a bit implausible. However, that which I gained in understanding about Afghanistan far outweighed that which I struggled with regarding the plot. In addition, I found myself hungry for a bit more historical 'meat' at the end of the novel, though I recognize that Michener does not intend to write textbooks. Caravans is classic Michener--a fun read with several jewels of understanding along the way.
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