Customer Reviews (13)

Interesting story of a peculier situation
Ethnic novels really are not my thing. But this one had me interested after seeing pictures in a book on the civil war titled 'Slave Children of New Orleans' featuring mostly mixed race children of near caucasion appearence I became curious about them. Having read a great deal of the civil war there really isn't that much.So when I found this book I quickly took to reading it.

The main character is what is called 'A child of the plantation', the offspring of a slave owner and a slave woman the product not of love but of exploitation who are so casually discarded as to be a disgrace. In the beginning, she is very naive and optimistic. Regrettably, life doesn't treat her that well.

An interesting story. Admittedly I would have done things different but since this one is based on fact I can't rightly complain. I liked reading about the main character and how she was treated by all parties. Certainly I do not like that she was mistreated by many. Her ability to move among white circles was interesting only when her heritage is revealed do things get bad which disgusts me.

Overall, I take people at face value and wish everyone else would do the same. People should be judged by their behavior rather than by pseudo scientific nonsence.

Excellent!
This is one of the best books I've read in my life.Alex Haley was such a skilled writer."Queen" deals with many harsh facts of the antebellum South without becoming vulgar.It is also an inspiring tale of an American family.

One of my complaint with "Queen" is the blatant misuse and fabrication of facts by David Stephens, who finished Alex Haley's posthumus masterpiece.The writing of Mr. Stephens also doesn't measure up to that of Haley.While it is a great book as it stands,I wish I could see what this book would be if Haley had been alive to complete it.

The parts written by Alex Haley are good.
This book is a travesty. The guy who wrote it isn't even American. He plays fast and loose with historical facts. The potato famine is in the wrong century. Napoleon invades Ireland before he even rose to power. There are at least two chapters that are totallly irrelevant. Why does he feel the need to give us a history lesson on Andrew Jackson and the Indian removal? Does he think the Indian removal and slavery are the same issue?
On the other hand, the parts written by Alex Haley are exceptional. It is very easy to pick out which parts Alex Haley wrote. They are well-written and historically based. It is just such a shame that Mr. Stevens was allowed to add to Alex's work. Mr. Stevens cannot not write anything but cheap, historical romance. He should be writing for Harlequin, instead of, ruining the work of a great American writer.

A triumphant story of hope and glory.
Alex Haley & Dave Stevens' QUEEN is a rare gem---the story of an american family that touches many lives. Queen is the main focus of the book but her story spans past & future generations from Ireland to America. Some of the characters are tragic but all have hope for a better tomorrow. The heartbreak of Easter's love for her "master", Queen being taught to read by her grandpa and the Haley family's quest to get a better education for their youngest son are just some of the heartbreaking stories in this novel. I enjoyed the book very much and I now hope to finally read ROOTS.

Come Up With Serene Responses to Today's Suttle Racism
I just finished reading this book, this morning.And, I read "Roots," 2 weeks ago.In both of these books, I was able to vicariously be there, and emotionally travel with each person in these stories.

And it gave me a sense of peace that I had not had before about being African-American.It helped me to come up with the most empowering responses to not only suttle racism from Euro-Americans, but also suttle responses to African-Americans who seem to be bound by expecting to just get by (who also believe that empowered African-Americans somehow owe them endless worthiness).

To me, even though this book is titled "Queen," it has many stories:politics; narcissism; racism; boys growing into manhood; belonging; the price of not having someone to verbalize your pains to; and, how whites turned their outrage over their motherland into what drove them to do the same to blacks, in this country.

During the entire time that I was reading these 2 books, as I conducted my day to day responsibilities, I felt like I had a secret weapon against being held back.And I saw things that I might not have seen before in what I could do to turn suttle racism into my opportunity to expect mutual respect between myself and my interlocutor.

I recommend this book, and "Roots" to any who is looking for a means to grow beyond your wildest expectations.You will cry with these stories, laugh, and feel every possible emotion, knowing that you are breathing new life into your life. ... Read more

Amazon.com
In The Autobiography of Malcolm X and Roots, Alex Haley showed a masterful talent for dramatizing the triumphs and tragedies of African Americans and their families. This book--the basis for a 1998 CBS miniseries--was "cowritten" by David Stevens after Haley's death in 1992, telling the story of Flora, a black girl born to a sharecropping family in Mississippi who later moves to Memphis, Tennessee, where her husband, Booker, is killed by white landowners. Her son, Willie, moves to Chicago, fights in World War II, and marries, while Flora adopts her niece, Ruthauna, who later goes to college.

Those events in Mama Flora's life span the gap between 1912 and the modern era, and along the way, Haley depicts the Civil Rights-Black Power paradigm that caused disagreements in many black families. But, ultimately what Haley shows through Flora is the undying Afro-American belief in moral justice, and an ancestral drive for freedom that, in the case of Mama Flora's family, is strong enough even to withstand the ravages of drug abuse plaguing contemporary American families. --Eugene Holley Jr.Book Description
She vowed to find a better world for her children.  Even if she had to make it herself.

A sweeping epic of contemporary history by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alex Haley, this magnificent novel weaves an unforgettable story of one family, three generations, and their search for the American dream....

She is the heart and soul of her family who, through faith and courage, drives herself, her children, and her grandchildren onward, determined to propel them to a better place. Mama Flora, born to poor sharecroppers in Tennessee, is forced to raise her children alone after the murder of her husband. But it will not be Willie, her son, who fulfills her ambitions, but Ruthana, the niece she raises as her own. Inspired by her love for the radical poet Ben, Ruthana seeks her soul in Africa even as Willie's son and daughter embrace Black Power and drugs in their embattled coming-of-age. Throughout all the seasons of their lives, it is Mama Flora who prevails, whose quiet determination and love bring them back, as she leads her own quest for justice in tumultuous times. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A Very Moving, Poignant Multigenerational Epic!
At the center of Mama Flora's Family is the indomitable spirit of Mama Flora, the matriarch of an extraordinary family of destitute Tennessee sharecroppers. The characters are so real and believable it made this reader feel that I was right there with them experiencing all their trials andtribulations, as well as the joys. This book is much more than a poignant, hard-to-put-down story of a Mama Flora and her descendants from1920 to the late 1990s. It, for the most part, effectively weaves into the plot much of what has transpired in American/African-American history during this time period (e.g., life for African-Americans in the South, the rise of the Civil Rights movement, the Black Panthers, the Nation of Islam, the Viet Nam war, political repression under Idi Amin, etc). Mama Flora's Family is a rich, resonant family novel that cuts across the barriers that divide us to touch the hearts of people of all races and backgrounds. I highly recommend this excellent, emotionally-packed posthumous novel written by David Stevens based on Alex Haley's notes and research.

An inspirational story
This novel is one of the best I have read.Alex Haley and Stevens express a kind of compassion from a grandmother/mother that no one could do better.It's a very emotional book, and touches everyone that has ever experienced a good book.Once you start it, you can't put it down!

Like a warm blanket!
Reading this book is like cozying up with a warm blanket.The authors provide so much detail that you feel like YOUR grandmother is sitting in front of you, recounting the tales.The book spans the decades, from theearly 1900s to the late 1970s and throws in a bit of history/current eventsto place the family's hostory in context.Great book!

A Great Story
This book made you feel apart of it. I loved it! I loved the history, the story, the emotions and how it wove a story of a loving family working their way through life. This is a must read.

Great book-one of Haley's best
Pretend that there is a really good review here.I loved reading this novel. It is one that is vary hard to put down because youcan't help wondering what is going to happen next. ... Read more

Book Description
This is a very special novel that sparkles with the same memorable writing that made ROOTS an American classic.

This is the story of  Fletcher Randall, a nineteen-year-old from North Carolina whose politically powerful father is a plantation owner, and, of course, a slave owner. The time is 1855, and all Fletcher Randall knows and believes about slavery he's learned from his father.

But Fletcher goes to school up North, and one or two of his Princeton classmates talk about how wrong slavery is until Fletcher begins to think for himself
--and he becomes a traitor to his background, to his family, by conspiring to aid in a mass escape of slaves on the Underground Railroad. His partner in this plan is a black slave by the name of Harpin' John, a man who plays the harmonica so sweetly it could make a grown man cry. Christmas Eve is the secret date set for the escape.

How these two men of such incredibly opposing backgrounds join together to achieve the goal of freedom makes
A Different Kind of Christmas soar with unforgettable inspiration. This is a timeless tale of spiritual regeneration, moral courage, and powerful humanness, meaningful and memorable to readers of all faiths and all ages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

you will finish it in one day!
i normally have about three books i'm reading at any given time...but this one,very good,i just couldnt put it down. I t is 8 chapters loaded with exciting tidbits about the Underground Railroad,life in the South, and life at college.All that lead expertly to an exciting conclusion,but more importantly, leaves the reader soul searching in a very positive way. Sort of like an uplifting Sunday morning sermon.

A Little Treasure
"A Different Kind of Christmas" is the tale of a white southern born and bred college student (Fletcher) during the mid 1800's.Fletcher is the only son of a wealthy slave owning senator who believes a northern education is excellent preparation for his son's eventual ownership of the plantation.After being befriended by Quaker classmates, Fletcher's education is broadened to include the abolitionist doctrines upheld by the Quakers.As Fletcher integrates this new knowledge into his worldview, he is moved to join the Underground Rail Road system and is assigned the task of freeing slaves from his hometown in North Carolina.

Fletcher is joined by a slave from his hometown, Harpin' John, who is also a part of the UGRR.Together they plan the escape of twelve slaves.The story takes a turn when the escape plans are discovered.Suddenly, Fletcher and Harpin' John are fleeing from sure execution at the hands of the slave patrol.

This little tale is filled with information on the abolitionist movement while at the same time delivers a fable like story that appeals to children and adults.This is an excellent read for children. As an ongoing bedtime story or independent read the novel portrays an integral part of American history in an easily readable format.This will make a nice addition to children's libraries.

A powerhouse of a book
I never read Haley until now and I am sorry it has taken so long.The story starts off like an after school special but, suddenly picks up speed and turns into an amazing novel.Haley has a way of just giving enough to spark your imagination. I thought about this book for a long time. I guess what I got out of it was how each of us can over come our percieved ideas and become better people.

A little book with a big impact!
When Fletcher Randall returned home to Ashe County, North Carolina fromthe College of New Jersey (Princeton) and suggested that the family have a"truly different Christmas celebration," his parents, wealthy plantationowners and slaveholders, had no idea how different it would be.

They knowof his "stormy relationship with the Yankee students" and his"incompatibility with his Southern classmates."However, Fletcher had nottold them that he had become "friends" with "Friends" - better known as"Quakers whom his father deplored for their strong anti- slavery views." That friendship was the beginning of a transformation in the thinking ofthe heir to the plantation and his father's political position. He learnedthat the best and most important education does not come from books,lectures, library, nor the family.Instead, it comes from the ability tothink for oneself and the courage to follow one's conscience - even if itmeans risking everything.

Alex Haley skillfully tells a story of a youngman and his struggle between doing what his parents, background, andculture instilled in him and what he came to realize was right.It is alsothe story of the Underground Railroad - its history, how it operated, thedangers faced by escaping slaves and "conductors" alike, and how a simplewoodland noise or an innocent question from a stranger could mean thedifference between life and death.

This is a simple story, and the readerknows from the beginning the choices Fletcher will make.However, wantingto know how and when they will be made and who will be involved makes youread on and on.

This book joins the list of others, which I will read atChristmas time year after year.It should become a Christmas classic. ... Read more

Book Description
This monumental Pulitzer Prize-winning saga and iconicbestseller is available for the first time on audio.Roots beginswith a birth in an African village in 1750, and ends two centuries later ata funeral in Arkansas.In that time span, an unforgettable cast of men,women, and children come to life, many of them based on the people fromAlex Haley's own family tree.

Presented abridged on 12 CDs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (166)

Roots: The Saga of an American Family
Book is in perfect condition as described by seller and arrived in the time stated. I recommend ordering from this seller.

A Great Read
Almost finshed with book I also bought DVDS but wanted to read first. About 900 pages seems too much, but I am relly suprised that I am just about through. I would recommend this book

ROOTS...great again
I loved the printed book and the mini-series and now I love the unabridged book on CD.The readers voice is deep and rich and sounds a lot like Alex Haley himself.It has been years since I first discovered ROOTS and it brought back memories of watching the mini-series with my Mom, who has since died.Many parts of the book I had not remembered.What a trip into his past this was for Alex Haley.I was quite enjoyable to listen to the book at my leisure.

Roots 30th Anniversary Edition - WELL worth reading
This is how the most famous African-American saga begins:

"Early in the spring of 1750, in the village of Juffure, four days upriver from the coast of The Gambia, West Africa, a man-child was born to Omoro and Binte Kunte...It was the hour before the first crowing of the cocks, and along with Nyo Boto and Grandma Yaisa's chatterings, the first sound the child heard was the muted, rhythmic bomp-a-bomp-a-bomp of wooden pestles as the other women of the village pounded couscous grain in their mortars, preparing the traditional breakfast of porridge that was cooked in earthen pots over a fire built among three rocks.

"The thin blue smoke went curling up pungent and pleasant, over the small dusty village of round mud huts as the nasal wailing of Kajali Demba, the village alimamo, began, calling men to the first of the five daily prayers that had been offered up to Allah for as long as anyone could remember. Hastening from their beds of bamboo cane and cured hides into the rough cotton tunics, the men of the village filed briskly to the praying place, where the alimamo led the worship:

"Allahu, Akbar, Ashadu an lailahailala" (God is great! I bear witness that there is only one God!")

"It was after this, as the men were returning toward their home compounds for breakfast, that Omoro rushed among them, beaming and excited, to tell them of his firstborn son. Congratulating him, all of the men echoed the omens of good fortune."

So begins Roots, this beautifully told story of author Alex Haley's main character, Kunta Kinte, supposedly based on Haley's family history. In Roots, Kunta Kinte is a young man, who, in 1767 in The Gambia (West Africa), was in the forest chopping wood, when he was beaten, chained, and placed aboard a slave ship bound for America.

Haley spent nearly 12 years of research and a half million miles of travel to uncover the cultural roots of his ancestors. Haley claimed to be a seventh generation descendant of Kunta Kinte, though historians and genealogists have disputed Haley's story as true, and have claimed the story to be fiction rather than genealogical fact.

At the heart of the controversy is author Harold Courlander who sued Haley for plagiarism, charging that Haley plagiarized several dozen paragraphs from his novel, The African. Courlander was paid $650, 000 in an out-of-court settlement.

Regardless of the controversy that surrounded Roots in the years after its 1976 publication, the story is told in beautiful prose and with a strong voice; Roots, more than any other book since the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin, ignited the African - American soul and opened up serious discussion many topics, including the darkest period of American history - the slave trade.

Because of the original publication of Roots, millions of African - Americans began to look for their genealogical and cultural roots, and they began to take African names as part of the African-American's search for their collective psychological and cultural identity.

The impact of Roots is deep and far reaching, as the reader is reminded in the introduction to the 30th Anniversary Edition. Michael Eric Dyson, in his introduction, tells us that "Black History Week" was extended into "Black History Month" the same year Roots first appeared.

Dyson writes: "Haley's quest for his roots changed the way Black folk thought about themselves and how white America viewed them. No longer were we genealogical nomads with little hope of learning the names and identities of the people from whose loins and cultures we sprang. Haley wrote black folk into the book of American heritage and gave us the confidence to believe we could find our forebears even as he shared his own. Kunta and Kizzy - and Chicken George too - became members of our black American family. That is why no flaw or shortcoming in Haley's tome could dim the brilliant light he shed on the black soul."

Dyson was a 17-year-old boarding school student when Roots was first published. Roots sold more than 1 million copies during its first year of publication; the TV miniseries Roots attracted 130 million viewers. The book, Roots won the National Book award and the Pulitzer Prize; it was eventually translated into 37 languages.

That cultural dialogue that began with the original publication of Roots has now been renewed with Roots: The 30th Anniversary Edition, The Saga of an American Family.

A hearty thumbs up.

* **

An important story...
...even if the specifics of Haley's geneology aren't true.It's obvious while reading the book that Haley fictionalizes much of the account of Kunte Kinte's life in Africa, his journey to America, and his subsequent life as a slave, since--as Haley himself later makes clear--he couldn't possibly have had such detailed knowledge about these events.

Roots is not really Kunte Kinte's story, but the story of countless unnamed slaves.And, perhaps even more importantly, it is the story of the indomitable human spirit, refusing to be crushed no matter what evil is visited upon it by others. ... Read more

Product Description
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.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

(RAW Rating: 4.5) - An amazing collection
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

Reviewed by John D. Merrill
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.

Roots Fan
My only comment is, more, there should have been more. Alex Haley wrote about his family and there will never be another story to top that, but I wish there was more to the story of how, when, why and where Mr. Haley put the story on paper, the actual research into the search would also make for fascinating reading. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Malcolm X's searing memoir belongs on the small shelf of great autobiographies. The reasons are many: the blistering honesty with which he recounts his transformation from a bitter, self-destructive petty criminal into an articulate political activist, the continued relevance of his militant analysis of white racism, and his emphasis on self-respect and self-help for African Americans. And there's the vividness with which he depicts black popular culture--try as he might to criticize those lindy hops at Boston's Roseland dance hall from the perspective of his Muslim faith, he can't help but make them sound pretty wonderful. These are but a few examples. The Autobiography of Malcolm X limns an archetypal journey from ignorance and despair to knowledge and spiritual awakening. When Malcolm tells coauthor Alex Haley, "People don't realize how a man's whole life can be changed by one book," he voices the central belief underpinning every attempt to set down a personal story as an example for others. Although many believe his ethic was directly opposed to Martin Luther King Jr.'s during the civil rights struggle of the '60s, the two were not so different. Malcolm may have displayed a most un-Christian distaste for loving his enemies, but he understood with King that love of God and love of self are the necessary first steps on the road to freedom. --Wendy Smith Book Description
If there was any one man who articulated the anger, the struggle, and the beliefs of African Americans in the 1960s, that man was Malxolm X. His AUTOBIOGRAPHY is now an established classic of modern America, a book that expresses like none other the crucial truth about our times.
"Extraordinary. A brilliant, painful, important book."
TEH NEW YORKTIMES ... Read more

Customer Reviews (290)

This is not the Malcom X depicted in our American history books.
Without question The Autobiography of Malcom X as told to Alex Haley is an amazing educational experience and one of the best books I have ever read.I quickly became engrossed in this life story of such a strong, intelligent, and influential man--truly a person to be admired and celebrated for his ability to rise above his "past life", as well as his commitment to a better future for the people of our country.How lucky we are to have the opportunity to meet Malcom on a very personal level through his own words and to reassess our perceptions of him and his work.

Excellent
Not only one of the best autobiographies I have ever read, but one of the best books also. Malcolm X had a phenomenal life story to tell and we are lucky that he got it down before he died.

It is NOT boring!
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X, as told to Alex Haley, is not boring. That's the unspoken fear that keeps some people from reading it. If you think of yourself as an enlightened whitey, as I do, you still might think the man's going to preach at you and put you to sleep. Not at all. We have a great novelist and at least one great storyteller at work here, both unflinchingly honest, and the result is compelling, not just "important." Start reading it in a bookstore or a library, and you'll decide to take it home before you finish the first chapter. You will be correct to do so. I've seen Spike Lee's take on Malcolm X, which impressed me greatly, but this book is the other side of that story. And lemme tip my hat to the young Alex Haley, before ROOTS, for remaining true to Malcolm X's voice, uncensored. And you WILL love Alex's epilogue.

The most powerful book I ever read
I've read quite a few good books, but this is the most POWERFUL book I've ever read. You could tell from the book that Malcolm X was very outspoken and dedicated to the well-being of the blacks. Harley certainly did an excellent job of putting down what Malcolm X wanted to say. I think the only weak part in the book is the Foreword by his daughter. I would suggest skipping it.

Interesting But I Didn't Always Agree
My sixth grade teacher assigned this book for homework, and we had a field trip to go see the Spike Lee movie when it came out. When a freelance writer and I had a discussion about Black leaders, she suggested that this book should be required reading, and I'd forgotten so much besides the most standout things that I picked up the book again. There are things that I don't agree with, such as Malcolm Little's ideas on how women should be checked and physically put in their place. There are things that I didn't agree with in Muslim religion, such as calling people White Devils. I understood where he was coming from, but after awhile, that just got old and I wanted the book to move on...quickly.

However, as with the movie, I was very interested and admired Malcolm X a great deal when he started paying attention to the world around him. It was interesting to watch the transformations he went through before he was unfortunately called to death way too soon. I'd be very interested in seeing his early notes, watching him go from not being able to tell what a verb was to writing the last word in the dictionary. Out of all of the things I respect about Malcolm X in this book and from other historical lessons I've learned is that no matter what the subject, if he wanted to talk about something or get it done, he didn't sit around waiting on someone else to do it. Every single event in this book was something he either played a part in organizing or made sure to get the ultimate results.

Favorite Quote of His: I've never been one for inaction. Everything I've ever felt strongly about, I've done something about it. ... Read more

Product Description
brick red cardboard with gold lettering and gilt, mint like new condition, comes with original insert for ordering ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An important story...
...even if the specifics of Haley's geneology aren't true. It's obvious while reading the book that Haley fictionalizes much of the account of Kunte Kinte's life in Africa, his journey to America, and his subsequent life as a slave, since--as Haley himself later makes clear--he couldn't possibly have had such detailed knowledge about these events.

Roots is not really Kunte Kinte's story, but the story of countless unnamed slaves. And, perhaps even more importantly, it is the story of the indomitable human spirit, refusing to be crushed no matter what evil is visited upon it by others. ... Read more

Book Description

Term paper due tomorrow? Need to cram for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?

Turn to "Novels for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by Thomson Gale--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: plot summary; character analysis; author biography; an overview of the novel's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.

Why choose "Novels For Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: Thomson Gale--and "Novels for Students."Download Description

Term paper due tomorrow? Need to bone up for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?

Turn to "Novels for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by the Gale Group--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: plot summary; character analysis; author biography; an overview of the novel's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.

Why choose "Novels For Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: The Gale Group--and "Novels for Students." ... Read more

Book Description
Everyone knows Alex Haley as the world-renowned author of the international bestseller ROOTS, and as the writer who collaborated with Malcolm X on his historic autobiography. What many people don't know is that Alex Haley began his professional writing career as a journalist. It was his experience in this arena that earned him the plum assignment as Playboy's first -- and foremost -- interviewer.
Witness Haley's work with the pre-Ali Cassius Clay, in which the posture of the young rebel fell away and a sensitive, intelligent young man emerged. He lured Malcolm X beyond his scathing Black Muslim rhetoric to reveal the agile, perceptive mind of a charismatic leader. With Johnny Carson, Haley revealed the man behind the mask of a charming television raconteur. And, in a devasting interview with George Lincoln Rockwell, the self-appointed fuhrer of the American Nazi Party, Haley deftly exposed the frightening heart and soul of the twisted man and his racist ideology.
A fascinating slice of recent history, an extraordinarily candid collection of celebrity interviews and personal reminiscences, ALEX HALEY: THE PLAYBOY INTERVIEWS anthologizes for the first time a gifted writer's finest work at its controversial and informative best. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An extremely valuable document.
Alex Haley is rather unappreciated these days, as his reputation is unjustly tarnished by issues surrounding the veracity of "Roots." But this collection of his pioneering interviews for Playboy should leaveno doubt that this was a fine journalist.

The interviews with individualsthen prominent on the African-American scene -- Miles Davis, Martin LutherKing, Malcolm X, Sammy Davis Jr., Jim Brown -- are very insightful. Foranyone who happens to be a journalist, or aspires to be one, the bookserves as a textbook of a kind. With Miles Davis and Brown -- the ultimate"hip" individuals -- Haley comes off as something of a square,but nonetheless asks questions that elicit thoughtful and candid responses.

His interview with Johnny Carson is another highlight. Carson, then inonly his fifth season as host of "The Tonight Show," alreadyappears, thanks to Haley's prodding, to be an embittered showbiz veteran,an intelligent man who fully realizes the relative unimportance of what hedoes for a living.

The conversation with neo-Nazi leader George LincolnRockwell is a masterpiece. Without losing his own cool, Haley is able toallow Rockwell to expose himself as a complete buffoon, if a dangerousone.

Toward the end of the book, you'll find Haley's account of the prosand cons of being the author of "Roots." He doesn't ask forsympathy, but he is realistic about the experience.

I'm sorry to see thatit's out of print, but if you have any interest in the U.S. during the1960s, you should make the effort to find this book. You won't regret it. ... Read more