Alex Haley: The Man Who Traced America's Roots: His Life, His Works [Paperback]

Alex Haley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 27, 2007

Alex Haley: The Man Who Traced America's Roots is a collection of articles the Pulitzer Prize-winning author wrote for Reader's Digest from 1954 to 1991. Haley's stories are timeless, as powerful and relevant today as when they were first written.

In 1966, Alex Haley, a contributing writer for Reader's Digest, wanted to tell his family's "story-history." For ten years, Reader's Digest financed Haley's research and travel. The result of this historic collaboration was Roots, the Pulitzer-winning book.

Alex Haley: The Man Who Traced America's Roots is a celebration of the 30th anniversary of that epic classic and a recognition of a lifetime of writings that changed the nation. In this 176-page paperback book, Haley shares stories of triumph and resilience, of race and inequality, and the search that led to the groundbreaking book and TV miniseries, Roots. The collection includes an excerpt from Roots and the candid article "Aboard the African Star," in which Haley reveals his struggles as a professional writer and as a man. This edition also features an introduction from Lawrence Otis Graham, one of the nation's leading experts on race, politics and class in America.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Alexander Murray Palmer Haley (1921-1992) was an African American writer who was best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Roots. A writer of distinction and a contributing editor for Reader’s Digest, Haley's first major work was The Autobiography of Malcolm X, published in 1965. Growing up, Haley had heard stories about his African ancestor, Kunta Kinte, and became interested in tracing his family to its deepest roots. It was Lila Acheson Wallace, cofounder of The Digest, who commissioned Haley to do the research that would create a groundbreaking article in the magazine. When Reader's Digest published the first excerpts from Roots in the May and June 1974 issues, they said it was an epic work, "destined to become a classic of American literature." That has proved to be an understatement. In just five months after the book hit stores in 1976, more than one million hardcover copies were purchased. Since then, Roots has taken its place among the greatest bestsellers of all time as the number of copies has grown to over six million worldwide. Its impact on television was also historic: Some 130 million Americans watched at least part of the 12-hour drama, making it the highest-rated miniseries ever. Roots changed the way we think about race in this country and profoundly affected the lives of many people, especially African Americans.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Reader's Digest Association (June 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762109165
• ISBN-13: 978-0762109166
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #587,109 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars (RAW Rating: 4.5) - An amazing collection, February 2, 2008

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alex Haley: The Man Who Traced America's Roots: His Life, His Works (Paperback)

With an introduction by Lawrence Otis Graham, ALEX HALEY: The Man Who Traced America's ROOTS celebrates the 30-year anniversary of Roots. The book focuses on Haley and some of his greatest acomplishments, how he started writing, and obstacles he faced and witnessed of others. It features four major areas: Stories of Triumph, Race and Resilence, The Search Begins, and The Legacy, and each story is more inspiring than the one before it.

I had many favorites from the book, but among those which will stick with me is George Haley's preservance during his time at the University of Arkansas School of Law, in spite of the racial slurs, hate mail, being segregated from the white students, and his secluded basement room. It saddened me to read what he endured, but the end brought about a sense of pride at his accomplishments. I also enjoyed reading about how Roots came to be and the extra steps taken by Haley to simulate the hardship of the characters in the book. It was interesting to read about his search for his roots and how the book became to mean so much to not only him, but to his family.

ALEX HALEY: The Man Who Traced America's ROOTS is an amazing collection of the original works of Alex Haley and should be considered a major asset to the library of booklovers everywhere. Many people have heard of Roots and the impact it had on race relations, but this book goes so much further. It emphasizes more of Haley's thoughts on many issues such as family, race, status, and also his own personal highs and lows. The DVD included with actual portions of his speeches and interviews makes this a great gift and collector's item.

Reviewed by Tee C. Royal
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reviewed by John D. Merrill, August 23, 2007

By 

Front Street Reviews www.frontstreetreviews.com - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alex Haley: The Man Who Traced America's Roots: His Life, His Works (Paperback)

As a historian I have always been interested in the big question: Why? Alex Haley has been the cornerstone writer for African-American Literature with his books Roots and Malcolm X. This book, compiled by Reader's Digest, provides the inspiration for his work. The reasoning behind his work is illuminated by the stories that inspired him and hence, the "why" is found.

The book begins with a concise collection of the stories that inspires with its accounts of accomplishment and tribulations of the African-American communities. These short tales of Singers and Athletes which proved that color of your skin matters little to any gifts humans can posses. These stories, from the 1960's and 70's from Reader's Digest that Alex Haley wrote, show the accomplishments of a truly American community.

Mid twentieth century America was by far the most trying in the fight for civil rights. The center section of the book covers Haley's Reader's Digest stories on issues of ethnicity. In this section he writes on the Nation of Islam (the beginning of his work on Malcolm X) and the struggles of African-Americans who are trying to integrate into a segregated society. He focuses on both education and work opportunities. His words inspire hope and plea for understanding in a trying and divided world. The section on the Nation of Islam is especially captivating with its message of understanding and integration to avoid raciest and violent groups.

The book then moves on to Haley's stories of the slave trade: what happened, who was involved, and his own family's struggle. These stories from the 70's, 80's, and 90's show the actual base stories for his work on ROOTS.

Going back to my question of why- his short story "My Search for Roots" follows his trek back to the Dark Continent where he has the emotional experience of what his ancestor's went through. This trip was clearly his catalyst, and his continuation from there was the book ROOTS.

This brings us to the last couple of stories in this collection. This section contains The Reader's Digest version of ROOTS and Haley's own reflection on the story and the meaning it has brought to him and countless others. Most people simply read books because the back cover sounds good, but for those few who care about where the author and his style is coming from will truly enjoy this collection by Alex Haley.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timely and informative, February 15, 2010

By 

Jacqueline Richardson "JRMCRICH" (Little Rock, AR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Alex Hailey: The Man Who Traced America's Roots - His Life, His Works (with DVD) (Paperback)

I was very impressed with the manner in which the book is written. Very detailed and thorough in giving details of events as they unfolded, all from his imagination. I felt the intensity and pain as MR. Hailey shared experiences, both personal and those of his ancestors. The most intriguing part is the revelation of his path that led him to the most profound documentary I have ever viewed. The book accompanied me on a trip and was just enough for me to read during my flight. However, I did feel that I could have used a bit more after completing the book.
Great Work!