Roots-Thirtieth Anniversary Edition: The Saga of an American FamilyOne 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. The book sold over one million copies in the first year, and the miniseries was watched by an astonishing 130 million people. It also won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. 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. 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. 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. There is also the fact that Haley was sued for plagiarism when it was discovered that several dozen paragraphs in Roots were taken directly from a novel, The African, by Harold Courlander, who ultimately received a substantial financial settlement at the end of the case. But none of the controversy affects the basic issue. Roots fostered a remarkable dialogue about not just the past, but the then present day 1970s and how America had fared since the days portrayed in Roots. Vanguard Press feels that it is important to publish Roots: The 30th Anniversary Edition to remind the generation that originally read it that there are issues that still need to be discussed and debated, and to introduce to a new and younger generation, a book that will help them understand, perhaps for the first time, the reality of what took place during the time of Roots. |
Contents
CHAPTER 1 | 1 |
CHAPTER 2 | 5 |
CHAPTER 3 | 9 |
CHAPTER 4 | 13 |
CHAPTER 5 | 17 |
CHAPTER 6 | 21 |
CHAPTER 7 | 25 |
CHAPTER 8 | 28 |
CHAPTER 62 | 392 |
CHAPTER 63 | 398 |
CHAPTER 64 | 402 |
CHAPTER 65 | 416 |
CHAPTER 66 | 421 |
CHAPTER 67 | 427 |
CHAPTER 68 | 432 |
CHAPTER 69 | 443 |
CHAPTER 9 | 31 |
CHAPTER 10 | 35 |
CHAPTER 11 | 41 |
CHAPTER 12 | 46 |
CHAPTER 13 | 52 |
CHAPTER 14 | 57 |
CHAPTER 15 | 62 |
CHAPTER 16 | 68 |
CHAPTER 17 | 79 |
CHAPTER 18 | 86 |
CHAPTER 19 | 92 |
CHAPTER 20 | 97 |
CHAPTER 21 | 106 |
CHAPTER 22 | 111 |
CHAPTER 23 | 119 |
CHAPTER 24 | 130 |
CHAPTER 25 | 138 |
CHAPTER 26 | 144 |
CHAPTER 27 | 150 |
CHAPTER 28 | 154 |
CHAPTER 29 | 159 |
CHAPTER 30 | 166 |
CHAPTER 31 | 176 |
CHAPTER 32 | 183 |
CHAPTER 33 | 190 |
CHAPTER 34 | 194 |
CHAPTER 35 | 201 |
CHAPTER 36 | 206 |
CHAPTER 37 | 216 |
CHAPTER 38 | 224 |
CHAPTER 39 | 234 |
CHAPTER 40 | 245 |
CHAPTER 41 | 253 |
CHAPTER 42 | 259 |
CHAPTER 43 | 267 |
CHAPTER 44 | 273 |
CHAPTER 45 | 281 |
CHAPTER 46 | 286 |
CHAPTER 47 | 295 |
CHAPTER 48 | 302 |
CHAPTER 49 | 306 |
CHAPTER 50 | 314 |
CHAPTER 51 | 321 |
CHAPTER 52 | 332 |
CHAPTER 53 | 337 |
CHAPTER 54 | 343 |
CHAPTER 55 | 348 |
CHAPTER 56 | 353 |
CHAPTER 57 | 364 |
CHAPTER 58 | 371 |
CHAPTER 59 | 377 |
CHAPTER 60 | 381 |
CHAPTER 61 | 388 |
CHAPTER 70 | 448 |
CHAPTER 71 | 455 |
CHAPTER 72 | 460 |
CHAPTER 73 | 469 |
CHAPTER 74 | 478 |
CHAPTER 75 | 485 |
CHAPTER 77 | 495 |
CHAPTER 78 | 501 |
CHAPTER 79 | 509 |
CHAPTER 80 | 518 |
CHAPTER 81 | 523 |
CHAPTER 82 | 531 |
CHAPTER 83 | 536 |
CHAPTER 84 | 547 |
CHAPTER 85 | 556 |
CHAPTER 86 | 561 |
CHAPTER 87 | 570 |
CHAPTER 88 | 573 |
CHAPTER 89 | 584 |
CHAPTER 90 | 602 |
CHAPTER 91 | 608 |
CHAPTER 92 | 619 |
CHAPTER 93 | 633 |
CHAPTER 94 | 645 |
CHAPTER 95 | 650 |
CHAPTER 96 | 662 |
CHAPTER 97 | 666 |
CHAPTER 98 | 673 |
CHAPTER 99 | 682 |
CHAPTER 100 | 689 |
CHAPTER 101 | 697 |
CHAPTER 102 | 703 |
CHAPTER 103 | 716 |
CHAPTER 104 | 736 |
CHAPTER 105 | 750 |
CHAPTER 106 | 758 |
CHAPTER 107 | 769 |
CHAPTER 108 | 779 |
CHAPTER 109 | 789 |
CHAPTER 110 | 800 |
CHAPTER 111 | 808 |
CHAPTER 112 | 822 |
CHAPTER 113 | 826 |
CHAPTER 114 | 833 |
CHAPTER 115 | 840 |
CHAPTER 116 | 845 |
CHAPTER 117 | 849 |
CHAPTER 118 | 854 |
CHAPTER 119 | 864 |
CHAPTER 120 | 866 |
ALEX HALEY19211992 | 889 |
ALEX HALEY ONTHE WRITING OF ROOTS | 893 |
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Common terms and phrases
African ain’t arms asked baby began Bell better Binta birds bout brother cabin called Chicken George close dere door eyes face father feel felt fiddler fields fight finally gwine half hands happened hard head hear heard hold Juffure keep Kizzy knew Kunta Lamin later learned leave lived looked mammy Massa Lea Matilda mind Miss Malizy Missy morning moving never niggers night Omoro once passed plantation quickly rains returned seemed seen shouting side Sister slave soon sound stopped talk tell things thought told took toubob tree trying turned Uncle Mingo village wagon walked watched white folks woman women y’all young