James Michener

James A. Michener (1907–1997) was an American novelist celebrated for sweeping, research-driven historical fiction. Born in New York City and raised in Pennsylvania, he studied at Swarthmore College and later taught English. During World War II he served in the U.S. Navy, experiences that informed his debut, *Tales of the South Pacific* (1947), which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Michener went on to write expansive bestsellers including *Hawaii* (1959), *The Source* (1965), and *Centennial* (1974), often tracing generations across cultures and landscapes. He also wrote nonfiction and was known for extensive travel and philanthropy.