Some of the criticism results from whether Roots is fact or fiction and whether Alex Haley confused these two issues, a subject he addresses directly in the book. Over the years, both Roots and Alex Haley have attracted controversy, which comes with the territory for trailblazing, iconic books, particularly on the topic of race. Roots opened up the minds of Americans of all colors and faiths to one of the darkest and most painful parts of America’s past. It also won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. The book sold over one million copies in the first year, and the miniseries was watched by an astonishing 130 million people. Most of the novel is either unsupported or contradicted by the available evidence.Įdward Kosner, reviewing the volume Alex Haley by Robert J.One of the most important books and television series ever to appear, Roots, galvanized the nation, and created an extraordinary political, racial, social and cultural dialogue that hadn’t been seen since the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. However, historians and genealogists found critical errors in his research. Haley spent the last chapter of the book describing his research in archives and libraries to support his family's oral tradition with written records. The book was originally described as "fiction," yet sold in the non-fiction section of bookstores.
It stimulated interest in genealogy and appreciation for African-American history. The last seven chapters of the novel were later adapted in the form of a second miniseries, Roots: The Next Generations (1979). The novel spent forty-six weeks on The New York Times Best Seller List, including twenty-two weeks at number one. The release of the novel, combined with its hugely popular television adaptation, Roots (1977), led to a cultural sensation in the United States, and it is considered to be one of the most important U.S.
It tells the story of Kunta Kinte, an 18th-century African, captured as an adolescent, sold into slavery in Africa, transported to North America following his life and the lives of his descendants in the United States down to Haley.
Roots: The Saga of an American Family is a novel written by Alex Haley and first published in 1976. Copyright 1976 Doubleday & Company publishers, New York hardbound in sunset tan and ebony boards with gilt lettering on spine book in very good condition, appears unread dust jacket has a few small tears.
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