“I’m not a very good writer,
but I am an excellent rewriter.”
–James Michener
James Michener, the Historian Who Called Mount Bonnell Home
James Michener (1907-1997) once called Mount Bonnell in Austin his home, and that is why it is our stop for this part of the Texas Author Adventures Trail, though numerous other places in Texas are justified to include on the trail for the author and researcher of the bestselling book, Texas (1985).
He was the author of many bestselling historical books, but Texas is one of his standouts. (Others included Centennial, Chesapeake and Hawaii, to name a few.) If you want to tackle the challenge of reading a long book about places with rich histories, a story that spellbound millions of readers, then a Michener book would definitely be an excellent choice.
A complete list of Michener’s books can be found here: https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/james-a-michener.
Mount Bonnell in Austin
Mount Bonnell is one of the oldest tourist attractions in Austin. According to https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/mount-bonnell: “The steps leading to the summit are located at 3800 Mount Bonnell Road, and the summit (at 30°19′ N, 97°46′ W) is approximately 775 feet above sea level. The city park atop Mount Bonnell contains 5.36 acres and was named Covert Park in honor of Frank M. Covert, Sr., who originally promised to donate acreage in the 1930s. In 1939 his sons, Clarence Covert and F. M. Covert, Jr., deeded the property in his memory to the people of Travis County. This land was eventually deeded to the city of Austin in 1972.”
You can also read information about James Michener in our Colorado, Pennsylvania and New York sections.
Mount Bonnell is the sixth stop on Part One of our Texas Author Adventures Trail.
Patricia Smart
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