Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind: A Bestseller's Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood presents the first comprehensive overview of how this iconic novel became an international phenomenon that has managed to sustain the public's interest for 75 years. Various Mitchell biographies and several compilations of her letters tell part of the story, but, until now, no single source has revealed the full saga. This entertaining account of a literary and pop culture phenomenon tells how Mitchell's book was developed, marketed, distributed, and otherwise groomed for success in the 1930s and the savvy measures taken since then by the author, her publisher, and her estate to ensure its longevity.
Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the landmark film, this volume charts Mitchell's course from unpublished author to enduring, international success. Brown, a rare book dealer, and Wiley, who has for 25 years published a quarterly Gone With the Wind newsletter, set aside exegesis in favor of the lesser-known "insider" look at one of publishing's benchmark phenomenon, the book industry during the '30s and '40s, the toll that fame exacted upon Mitchell and her husband John Marsh, as well as the challenges of building and preserving a legacy. Featuring key players in Mitchell's story—including her brother and lawyer Stephen Mitchell, friends Lois Cole and Allan Taylor, Macmillan editors, producer David O. Selznick, and others—the authors expertly turn even the most technical subjects into an adventure. Whether contending with onerous contracts, copyright infringements, unauthorized editions, betrayals, and other problems stemming from sudden acclaim, Mitchell remained grounded in principles, responding with grace and a firm insistence on accuracy. She is revealed here as a most humane figure in a sobering, affective examination of celebrity that is also a testament to perseverance. Photos. (Feb.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review
Oh my goodness what a beautiful book! I started reading and couldn’t put it down last night, turned off the light close to 1am. A real winner. (Executive Producer of Georgia Public Broadcasting's documentary, Margaret Mitchell: American Rebel)
In a narrative as engaging and well-paced as that of Gone With the Wind itself, Brown and Wiley chronicle the journey of the story that captured the world’s imagination and the woman whose tireless efforts changed the way books are made, sold, and read. This is a celebration of the unique power great books have to shelter, heal, and unite us and it is a must-read for anyone who has wondered what life is like for the artists whose work changes our lives. (Rebecca Joines Schinsky The Book Lady's Blog)
History is one of my loves and any book that delves into the hidden, behind-the-scenes stories of great events fascinates me. Ellen Brown and John Wiley have written just such a book, explaining the untold story of Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind. This is a must read for any aficionado of this classic in American literature. (Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author)
Who would have thought that reading a book about the writing of Gone With the Wind could be almost as riveting as the real thing? In this deep examination of the life and times of GWTW, Brown and Wiley have inked a masterwork of their own. Booklovers of all stripes—not just those who bleed scarlet when pricked—will be enthralled by this story of one of the great literary successes of modern times. (Dean King, author of Skeletons on the Zahara and Unbound)
...[T]he story behind the story is the riveting equivalent of a literary thriller. (Style Weekly)
Entertaining and thoroughly researched, Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind provides fascinating new insights into the woman who created one of the world's most famous and enduring couples. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Amazingly, Brown and Wiley have written a book about a novel that...reads like a novel. (Boomer Magazine)
With such comprehensive research and dynamic writing, this book is certain to appeal to a wide audience of literary, history, and film buffs. (Fine Books & Collections)
...[R]eads like an intriguing international mystery. Granted unprecedented access to records and correspondence about the book’s publishing, movie that followed and legacy that remains, the authors reveal the whole saga—worthy of a fainting spell from Scarlett herself. (Deep South Magazine)
[Brown and Wiley] tell a new version of events and give a fuller picture of the phenomenon than anyone before. (River City Fiction blog)
A must-read for aficionados, Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind is engaging history—and a powerful testament to the plucky Georgian who birthed her fictional baby and then, with dignity and grace, protected that child from tasteless, dishonest and unworthy assaults. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
...[T]he authors expertly turn even the most technical subjects into an adventure. (Publishers Weekly)
Immaculately researched and addictively readable...a fascinating read for both casual and fervent fans alike. (Gone With the Wind Scrapbook)
Who would image that a book about the publication history of a novel would be so fascinating? (Author Magazine)
A beat up manuscript that was viewed as unfinished quickly became a cultural icon. Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind: A Bestseller's Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood tells the story of both Gone with the Wind and its author Margaret Mitchell. An enigma of her contemporaries, people for years have wondered how the novel came into being and how it cached on so hotly, as well as what was the intent of the author during the story's dramatic almost cliffhanger ending. A fascinating exploration of literature, culture, and film, Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind: A Bestseller's Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood is a fine read and highly recommended. (Midwest Book Review)
Fans of GWTW will surely enjoy this new book, but anyone with an interest in writing, publishing, or bookselling will find something to appreciate in this look inside the industry. Mitchell's book had quite a life of its own and reading about it from conception to publishing phenomenon to international copyright horror is endlessly fascinating. Margaret Mitchell alone imbues the book with such a charming and vivacious spirit I felt I couldn't get enough of her. (Cavalier House Books, Denham Springs, LA)
...[W]ill fascinate not only fans of the book and movie, but anyone interested in literary/filmmaking development. (Las Vegas Review Journal)
Learning more about how this fascinating book came into being and how it still stands up to today's reading demands is a captivating subject, and Brown and Wiley do an admirable job shining light on the process. (Ventura County Star)
[W]ill enthrall the general reader as well as the wannabe author. (StarNews)
A fascinating exploration of literature, culture, and film, 'Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind: A Bestseller's Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood' is a fine read and highly recommended. (Midwest Book Review)
People with an interest in Gone With the Wind and the publishing business in general will find much to fascinate in this captivating history of the Gone With the Wind empire. Highly recommended. (Devourer of Books blog)
Brown and Wiley give Mitchell’s monumental novel its due here. Drawing on meticulous research and unprecedented access to private papers, they follow Gone With the Wind from the glimmer of an idea to explosion as a global bestseller, hugely popular film, and subject of heated copyright battles. This is a vivid, highly readable account of the life of a story—and, incidentally, of its spirited, scrappy author. It is also a remarkable contribution to publishing history and literary studies. (Susann Cokal, Author of Mirabilis and Breath and Bones)
Any novice writer who aspires to pen a phenomenally successful novel will come away wide-eyed from this detailed and well-documented account of the creation, publication, and ongoing product management of Margaret Mitchell’s famous novel of the Civil War South, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. Freelance author Brown and Gone With the Wind collector Wiley take readers on the journey from Mitchell’s typewriter to Hollywood, showing how much care is required to maintain legal rights when it comes to publication, movie production, and merchandising, not to mention the 1930s price wars between drugstore book racks and traditional bookstores. The authors show the genesis of the novel itself, which Mitchell started as a way to fill time as she recuperated from an ankle injury. Once she completed the manuscript, prepublication interest grew. Before long, she found herself coping with fan mail and autograph seekers. The book concludes with current efforts by Mitchell’s estate to uphold the copyright, which expires in 2031. VERDICT This will appeal to all fans of the book or the film, as well as popular literary history buffs and writers. (Library Journal)
[A] fascinating perspective on the life of a tremendously successful book...
In a narrative as engaging and well-paced as that of Gone With the Wind itself, Brown and Wiley chronicle the journey of the story that captured the world’s imagination and the woman whose tireless efforts changed the way books are made, sold, and read. This is a celebration of the unique power great books have to shelter, heal, and unite us and it is a must-read for anyone who has wondered what life is like for the artists whose work changes our lives. (Rebecca Joines Schinsky The Book Lady's Blog)
History is one of my loves and any book that delves into the hidden, behind-the-scenes stories of great events fascinates me. Ellen Brown and John Wiley have written just such a book, explaining the untold story of Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind. This is a must read for any aficionado of this classic in American literature. (Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author)
Who would have thought that reading a book about the writing of Gone With the Wind could be almost as riveting as the real thing? In this deep examination of the life and times of GWTW, Brown and Wiley have inked a masterwork of their own. Booklovers of all stripes—not just those who bleed scarlet when pricked—will be enthralled by this story of one of the great literary successes of modern times. (Dean King, author of Skeletons on the Zahara and Unbound)
...[T]he story behind the story is the riveting equivalent of a literary thriller. (Style Weekly)
Entertaining and thoroughly researched, Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind provides fascinating new insights into the woman who created one of the world's most famous and enduring couples. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Amazingly, Brown and Wiley have written a book about a novel that...reads like a novel. (Boomer Magazine)
With such comprehensive research and dynamic writing, this book is certain to appeal to a wide audience of literary, history, and film buffs. (Fine Books & Collections)
...[R]eads like an intriguing international mystery. Granted unprecedented access to records and correspondence about the book’s publishing, movie that followed and legacy that remains, the authors reveal the whole saga—worthy of a fainting spell from Scarlett herself. (Deep South Magazine)
[Brown and Wiley] tell a new version of events and give a fuller picture of the phenomenon than anyone before. (River City Fiction blog)
A must-read for aficionados, Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind is engaging history—and a powerful testament to the plucky Georgian who birthed her fictional baby and then, with dignity and grace, protected that child from tasteless, dishonest and unworthy assaults. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
...[T]he authors expertly turn even the most technical subjects into an adventure. (Publishers Weekly)
Immaculately researched and addictively readable...a fascinating read for both casual and fervent fans alike. (Gone With the Wind Scrapbook)
Who would image that a book about the publication history of a novel would be so fascinating? (Author Magazine)
A beat up manuscript that was viewed as unfinished quickly became a cultural icon. Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind: A Bestseller's Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood tells the story of both Gone with the Wind and its author Margaret Mitchell. An enigma of her contemporaries, people for years have wondered how the novel came into being and how it cached on so hotly, as well as what was the intent of the author during the story's dramatic almost cliffhanger ending. A fascinating exploration of literature, culture, and film, Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind: A Bestseller's Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood is a fine read and highly recommended. (Midwest Book Review)
Fans of GWTW will surely enjoy this new book, but anyone with an interest in writing, publishing, or bookselling will find something to appreciate in this look inside the industry. Mitchell's book had quite a life of its own and reading about it from conception to publishing phenomenon to international copyright horror is endlessly fascinating. Margaret Mitchell alone imbues the book with such a charming and vivacious spirit I felt I couldn't get enough of her. (Cavalier House Books, Denham Springs, LA)
...[W]ill fascinate not only fans of the book and movie, but anyone interested in literary/filmmaking development. (Las Vegas Review Journal)
Learning more about how this fascinating book came into being and how it still stands up to today's reading demands is a captivating subject, and Brown and Wiley do an admirable job shining light on the process. (Ventura County Star)
[W]ill enthrall the general reader as well as the wannabe author. (StarNews)
A fascinating exploration of literature, culture, and film, 'Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind: A Bestseller's Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood' is a fine read and highly recommended. (Midwest Book Review)
People with an interest in Gone With the Wind and the publishing business in general will find much to fascinate in this captivating history of the Gone With the Wind empire. Highly recommended. (Devourer of Books blog)
Brown and Wiley give Mitchell’s monumental novel its due here. Drawing on meticulous research and unprecedented access to private papers, they follow Gone With the Wind from the glimmer of an idea to explosion as a global bestseller, hugely popular film, and subject of heated copyright battles. This is a vivid, highly readable account of the life of a story—and, incidentally, of its spirited, scrappy author. It is also a remarkable contribution to publishing history and literary studies. (Susann Cokal, Author of Mirabilis and Breath and Bones)
Any novice writer who aspires to pen a phenomenally successful novel will come away wide-eyed from this detailed and well-documented account of the creation, publication, and ongoing product management of Margaret Mitchell’s famous novel of the Civil War South, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. Freelance author Brown and Gone With the Wind collector Wiley take readers on the journey from Mitchell’s typewriter to Hollywood, showing how much care is required to maintain legal rights when it comes to publication, movie production, and merchandising, not to mention the 1930s price wars between drugstore book racks and traditional bookstores. The authors show the genesis of the novel itself, which Mitchell started as a way to fill time as she recuperated from an ankle injury. Once she completed the manuscript, prepublication interest grew. Before long, she found herself coping with fan mail and autograph seekers. The book concludes with current efforts by Mitchell’s estate to uphold the copyright, which expires in 2031. VERDICT This will appeal to all fans of the book or the film, as well as popular literary history buffs and writers. (Library Journal)
[A] fascinating perspective on the life of a tremendously successful book...
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful
By R. P. Ewing
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I am not a hardcore GWTW fan, nor a lover of biographies or history for that matter. That being said, Bestseller's Odyssey was a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the life and times of Margaret Mitchell's great work. I received an advance copy of Bestseller's Odyssey with few preconceptions and so was not surprised to discover how little I understood of the publishing industry. What I was not expecting was to be so intrigued by the nature and number of legal hurdles which Mitchell and her work overcame. Extending far beyond its initial print publication, this book details all those who shaped the ultimate path of Gone with the Wind.
Despite my original ambivalence (apologies all) towards GWTW, I found myself rooting for Mitchell as she struggled to protect her work and maintain her principled stance. My appreciation for Mitchell deepened reading how she overcame each successive challenge as she shepherded the book along its way. I chuckled reading the frequent excerpts from Mitchell's genteel yet fierce correspondence. The depth and breadth of this book was impressive and left me rueful for simpler, more civil times.
Despite my original ambivalence (apologies all) towards GWTW, I found myself rooting for Mitchell as she struggled to protect her work and maintain her principled stance. My appreciation for Mitchell deepened reading how she overcame each successive challenge as she shepherded the book along its way. I chuckled reading the frequent excerpts from Mitchell's genteel yet fierce correspondence. The depth and breadth of this book was impressive and left me rueful for simpler, more civil times.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Co-authors Ellen F Brown and John Wiley have produced an incredibly well-researched and well-written book about Margaret Mitchell and her one amazing book, "Gone With The Wind". Brown and Wiley concentrate more on Margaret Mitchell, her husband John Marsh, and other members of her "team" after the book was written than of the actual writing itself. The writing of the book, hereafter referred to as "GWTW", was just the beginning of the story.
Getting the manuscript - which was in bits and pieces in envelopes scattered throughout the Marshes' apartment in Atlanta - to Macmillan Publishers in NYC and then into print in 1935 and 1936 took the efforts of author, publisher, friends, and family members. The most important members of Mitchell's "team" were her father and brother, both Atlanta lawyers. Margaret's brother, Stephens Mitchell, acted as her adviser on all legal matters from her initial dealings with Macmillan, through to movie contracts with David Selznick, and then foreign rights. Stephens, an older brother, survived Margaret who died after being struck by a car on Peachtree Street in 1949. Mitchell's husband was also an important assistant to her in her business dealings.
Because, basically, after the book was written, what followed after "creativity" were "business matters". Publishing rights both domestic and foreign, movie rights, and the all-important "sequel" rights. And, of course, the work of "selling" the book was also "business". Margaret Mitchell, a basically shy woman, did not want to do very much publicity for her book. She was polite to her adoring fans, answering all letters, but she would not "sign" books. She wouldn't speak to groups about her book and she wouldn't be interviewed, either.
But the MOST important thing that Margaret Mitchell would NEVER do was to write a sequel. She was adamant that the story spoke for itself and she refused to entertain any idea of continuing the story of Scarlett and Rhett beyond that final scene at the door. The trustees who managed her estate after her and John Marsh's deaths, did allow a couple of sequels to be written, but neither of them were particularly large sellers or critical successes.
Brown and Wiley are very smooth, competent writers. Their book was a pleasure to read. The text also included many family pictures of the Mitchells and Marshes, as well as of the agents and publishers and film makers who had helped to make both the book and the movie such world-wide successes. A very good book.
Getting the manuscript - which was in bits and pieces in envelopes scattered throughout the Marshes' apartment in Atlanta - to Macmillan Publishers in NYC and then into print in 1935 and 1936 took the efforts of author, publisher, friends, and family members. The most important members of Mitchell's "team" were her father and brother, both Atlanta lawyers. Margaret's brother, Stephens Mitchell, acted as her adviser on all legal matters from her initial dealings with Macmillan, through to movie contracts with David Selznick, and then foreign rights. Stephens, an older brother, survived Margaret who died after being struck by a car on Peachtree Street in 1949. Mitchell's husband was also an important assistant to her in her business dealings.
Because, basically, after the book was written, what followed after "creativity" were "business matters". Publishing rights both domestic and foreign, movie rights, and the all-important "sequel" rights. And, of course, the work of "selling" the book was also "business". Margaret Mitchell, a basically shy woman, did not want to do very much publicity for her book. She was polite to her adoring fans, answering all letters, but she would not "sign" books. She wouldn't speak to groups about her book and she wouldn't be interviewed, either.
But the MOST important thing that Margaret Mitchell would NEVER do was to write a sequel. She was adamant that the story spoke for itself and she refused to entertain any idea of continuing the story of Scarlett and Rhett beyond that final scene at the door. The trustees who managed her estate after her and John Marsh's deaths, did allow a couple of sequels to be written, but neither of them were particularly large sellers or critical successes.
Brown and Wiley are very smooth, competent writers. Their book was a pleasure to read. The text also included many family pictures of the Mitchells and Marshes, as well as of the agents and publishers and film makers who had helped to make both the book and the movie such world-wide successes. A very good book.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By Joslin
Format:Hardcover
While the whole book was phenomenal and informative, the last 3 chapters would make a riveting story in and of themselves. The ongoing saga of legal rights, responsibilities, and the struggle faced by her husband, brother, and later the trusts involved in handling her book and movie rights blew me away. All of this due to the unbelievable novel, Gone With the Wind!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent story.
New info on Margaret Mittchell's struggle with the writing of Gone With the Wind. All Gone With the Wind fans will appreciate the story.
Published 22 days ago by Mary Jane Kelly
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointed
I thought I was ordering the book since the headline read "Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell" but was terribly disappointed that it was only about the background of... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Dorothy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing story of a bestselling icon
This book was amazing! I wished I wouldn't have waited so long to read it. This is the engrossing story of how a national bestseller was made. Read more
Published 2 months ago by mandymarie20
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Fascinating Account Of How The Book Came to Be Written
A very detailed book about what goes on behind the scenes at a book publishing company. Margaret Mitchell is one of the greatest authors who ever lived. Read more
Published 4 months ago by J. Polerstock
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book!
I am a super fan of Gone With the Wind. I like to know more about the novel and the author. This book give me the information much more than what I want. A very interested book. Read more
Published 6 months ago by sunny
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Biography of Gone With the Wind
I am a huge fan of Gone With the Wind (hereinafter referred to as "GWTW") and that is putting it lightly. Once I heard about this book I knew that I had to read it. Read more
Published 6 months ago by dpappas
1.0 out of 5 stars
Insipid Effort - Plowing The Same Old Fields
Apparanetly, anyone can publish a book nowadays. Paid 99 cents for this book at a yard sale, read it, and then threw it out with the trash last Friday. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Classic Movie Buff
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Biography of a Book
A biography of a book? Absolutely. Ellen Brown and John Wiley Jr have written a fast-paced, totally intriguing, full-of-life tome on the birth and life of Margaret Mitchell's GONE... Read more
Published 10 months ago by IsolaBlue
3.0 out of 5 stars
OK but...
I skimmed over this book in a library years ago. When I saw it on Amazon I ordered it. The book itself is well made, hard back with a great cover jacket. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Alex
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fascinating look behind the writing of GWTW
If you are looking for the story behind Rhett, Scarlett, and the rest of the characters in "Gone With The Wind" or a biography of Margaret Mitchell, you won't find it in this book. Read more
Published 18 months ago by D. R. Warnock
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