Making Roots: A Nation Captivated

by Matthew F. Delmont

Overview

When Alex Haley’s book Roots was published by Doubleday in 1976 it became an immediate bestseller. The television series, broadcast by ABC in 1977, became the most popular miniseries of all time, captivating over a hundred million Americans. For the first time, Americans saw slavery as an integral part of the nation’s history. With a remake of the series in 2016 by A&E Networks, Roots has again entered the national conversation. In Making “Roots,” Matthew F. Delmont looks at the importance, contradictions, and limitations of mass culture and examines how Roots pushed the boundaries of history. Delmont investigates the decisions that led Alex Haley, Doubleday, and ABC to invest in the story of Kunta Kinte, uncovering how Haley’s original, modest book proposal developed into an unprecedented cultural phenomenon.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780520291324
Publisher:	University of California Press
Publication date:	08/02/2016
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Matthew F. Delmont is Professor of History at Arizona State University and the author of Why Busing Failed: Race, Media, and the National Resistance to School Desegregation and The Nicest Kids in Town: American Bandstand, Rock ’n’ Roll, and the Struggle for Civil Rights in 1950s Philadelphia, both published by UC Press.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations vii

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction 1

1 Before This Anger 11

2 The Gambia 37

3 Speaking Roots 53

4 Writing Roots 79

5 Producing Roots 103

6 Reading Roots 131

7 Watching Roots 153

8 A Troublesome Property 181

Conclusion 199

Notes 209

Bibliographic Essay 241

Index 247

Editorial Reviews

06/27/2016
Delmont (Why Busing Failed), an associate history professor at Arizona State University, presents the first book-length study of Roots, Alex Haley’s bestselling 1976 novel. After a brief biographical sketch of Haley’s life and career, Delmont focuses on the book’s evolution over more than 10 years, from Haley’s initial conception of a story of African-American life in the 1930s South to the final century-spanning epic and its adaptation into a record-breaking TV miniseries. This is followed by the popular and critical success of both book and show, and finally by plagiarism lawsuits and claims of fabrication that marred Haley’s achievement. Drawing on his scholarly background, Delmont builds his narrative from extensive archival research. His ability to describe these findings in an engaging style keeps the pages turning. Dramatic episodes come alive, such as the rush to finish the book to meet the TV program’s filming schedule, and excerpts from letters written in response to the book and movie are expertly chosen. Delmont adds depth and complexity to the popular understanding of Roots through his critical exploration of all aspects of the book and original miniseries (a second version released in 2016 isn’t covered here), engaging with both its successes and controversies. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly