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Adam Henig
Author
Alex Haley’s Roots: An Author’s Odyssey
Adam Henig, author

Adult; History & Military; (Market)

In 1977, when the New York Times declared that the television mini-series Roots was the “most significant civil rights event since the Selma-to-Montgomery march of 1965,” its author, Alex Haley, became America’s newest “folk hero. ” His book was on the Times' Best Seller's list for months, and won the Pulitzer Prize. His story had captivated a nation and then the world. From Idaho to Israel, it seemed everyone was caught-up in “Rootsmania.” Alex Haley was on his way to becoming the most successful author in the history of publishing. That's when his troubles began. Within a decade and a half following the publication of Roots, Haley managed to alienate most of his fellow writers and at the same time squander most of his wealth. When he died at the age of 70, his estate was auctioned off and his iconic book went out of print. What happened? Based on interviews of Haley's contemporaries, personal correspondence, legal documents, newspaper accounts, Adam Henig investigates the unraveling of one of America’s most successful yet enigmatic authors.
Reviews
Henig tracks the life of Alex Haley after the publication of his path breaking book, Roots, offering a sad reminder of the potential downsides to achieving one’s dreams. He begins by offering some social context on the TV premiere of the mini-series based on Haley’s book, Roots: The Saga of an American Family, which detailed his family’s history from Gambia, through slavery, to the present. The amazing response to the story made Haley an overnight sensation. Everywhere he went, he was mobbed. “In Philadelphia, a dozen guards were needed to protect the author.” The saga opened the eyes of millions around the world to the nature of the African-American experience and spawned a craze for genealogy. But Haley’s stardom was marred by an ill-conceived lawsuit against his publisher, Doubleday, as well as scholarly questions about his research methods and accusations of plagiarism. Adding to these problems, Henig discusses Haley’s womanizing, which cost him three marriages, and his inability to handle money responsibly. Henig recounts the highs and lows of Haley’s life with sympathy, addressing the critiques honestly. (BookLife)
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Every once in a while you stumble on a book that challenges everything you thought you knew about someone. Alex Haley’s Roots is one such book. I admit I was more familiar with his most famous works such as The Autobiography of Malcolm X and Roots than I was with the author of these phenomenal titles.

The little I thought I knew about him was what I gleaned from the latter book and the subsequent miniseries. Adam Henig, the author, presents a succinct and orderly narrative capturing the author’s odyssey conveniently beginning at the threshold of Haley’s fame and success.

That is shortly after the publication of Roots and serialisation of the book into a miniseries. It carries us through his meteoric rise into stardom hobnobbing with his friend Warren Beatty.

Henig recounts Haley’s impressive list of accomplishments and the accolades he garnered on his journey to fame. It is littered with anecdotes and snapshots of impressive scenes Haley encountered in the public eye.

Henig breaks down the records Roots, the book and the miniseries, set and the pandemonium that followed the success of Haley’s work.

Henig states, “Four months after its debut, Roots sold more than eight hundred thousand copies, unheard of for such a short period of time.”

That is still impressive by todays standard. “Roots was a cultural (and financial) phenomenon. It was the first time that many white Americans had read a book from a black perspective.” That was not all.

“Roots most poignant contribution may have been to the study of genealogy.”Haley contributed immensely to American culture. His influence extended beyond the fields of publishing.

Roots was translated into many foreign languages and Haley flew the American flag internationally. His achievements were immense as Henig illustrated:

“Alex Haley had achieved fame and wealth. Hollywood celebrities, foreign dignitaries and the nation’s most powerful leaders lined up to meet him.” He rubbed shoulders with Queen Farah of Iran, President Carter, Marlon Brando, Liz Taylor, etcHe was the “most wanted man in the nation.”

At the peak of his fame, Haley seemed to have it all and nothing could go wrong.

But it did as Henig chronicles. It happened sensationally. Haley sued his publisher and it all went downhill from there on. A reporter for the London Sunday Times embarked on a travel assignment in the Gambia, the country where Haley’s ancestor, Kunta Kinte, was allegedly captured.

The travel assignment evolved into an exposé highlighting flaws in Haley’s research.

Henig documents in detail the subsequent lawsuits that dogged Haley for plagiarism leading to his fall from grace. He captures Haley’s eccentricities and shortfalls in his personal, public and private life. Apart from the lawsuits, Henig covers Haley’s womanising, strained relationships with his family, his extravagance with his money and all those who manipulated his generosity.

This is the kind of stuff that could well work as a screenplay of Haley’s life.

An Author’s Odyssey is like a missing piece to a jigsaw puzzle. It completes the missing pieces to Alex Haley’s autobiography, i.e., the chapters that were not covered in the main Roots book and miniseries.

Henig’s well researched and referenced narrative raises questions about the authenticity of Haley’s narrative, problems that dogged his ascension to stardom. It is also a lesson for aspiring nonfiction writers to be thorough with their research.

An Author’s Odyssey is an intriguing narrative that is too short. It could bs longer because it is so fascinating. When I first read the ebook, I had to go back and read Roots again. Ironically, Roots the miniseries and the sequel were showing at the same time and I watched them too to find out what I had missed.

I remembered why I enjoyed both the book and the miniseries the first time I ever set eyes on them. Alex Haley was a gifted storyteller. He made both the characters and story believable.

He told stories with such compassion, dignity and humanity. Everyone loves a good story and Haley told us exactly what we wanted to hear.

Watching the miniseries and reading the book again transported me back to the magic that enchanted me when I first watched Roots back in Africa as a young boy. For all his failings, Haley was a force of nature and we would all have been poorer if he had not written Roots.

Henig’s narrative acknowledges the way Rootscaptured the world’s imagination and Haley’s lasting legacy. It is befitting this short piece of writing fills in the blanks left out of the main narrative captured in Roots and the sequel. In a strange way, Heniq completes Haley’s narrative.

I was left with the feeling that I know Haley better than I did before I read Henig’s – An Author’s Odyssey. It is one of this rare works that surprised me and told me things I didn’t know about Alex Hailey.

Alex Haley’s Roots left me with an appreciation of Haley’s ability to put a human face to one of the greatest tragedies mankind has ever experienced. Those are the rare gems Henig, consciously or unconsciously uncovers. Through his work, I rediscovered Roots.

Armed with this new knowledge, I guess my review of Roots will be quite interesting to say the least. Read Alex Haley’s Roots – An Author’s Odyssey by Adam Henig to gain a deeper understanding of the legacy of Alex Haley.

News
09/11/2014
Book now available in Paperback; Talk on 10/19

Featuring a new cover design, Alex Haley's Roots: An Author's Odyssey is now available in paperback.

The new format includes a few minor updates to the story and a collection of blogs about my self-publishing adventures and researching Alex Haley. The eBook edition includes these changes too.

if you are a San Francisco Bay Area resident, or will be in the region on Sunday, October 19, I will be delivering a talk about Alex Haley's Roots and will be signing my book afterwards at the Under One Tent: Contra Costa Jewish Book and Arts Festival.

5:00 p.m., October 19, 2014 @ the Contra Costa Jewish Community Center in Walnut Creek. Admission is $10. 

 

12/28/2014
What a Year to be an Indie Author

A year ago I was a nobody in the world of publishing.

I had just unveiled my website, was still unpublished (in the process of fact checking and final edits), contacted scores of reviewers (in hopes they'll review my manuscript), began listening to the Self Publishing Podcast, published my first review in the San Francisco Book Review, and crafted a semi-effective marketing plan on a shoestring budget for my book's launch.

The ultimate goal, though, wasn't to become a New York Times best selling author (I'm a little bit more realistic). In short, I wanted to establish myself as a professional author--positiviely reviewed, sell copies of my book that reached beyond friends and family (thank you to them, nevertheless), continue to review books, discover new tricks of the trade (like creating a book cover on 99 Designs), connecting with other authors--which I was fortunate enough to do so, including D.G KayeAlysha KayeDavid Wright, and Daniel James Brown, who wrote the mega best-seller Boys in the Boat--and, of course, prepare for my next publication.

A year later, I have met and, in many cases, surpassed these objectives.  Without going through a laundry list of accomplishments, here's a few of the highlights by the numbers:

  • 5,074 - highest overall ranking on Amazon to date (thanks BookSends)
  • 500 books sold
  • 33 published blog posts on my website
  • 28 reviews of my book on Amazon with an average rating of 4.4
  • 14 published book reviews on Amazon, BlogCriticsSan Francisco Book Review, and Tulsa Book Review.
  • 2 podcast interviews that included New Books Network.

 

Other accomplishments:

And finally, what to expect from me for 2015.

  • The audiobook version of Alex Haley's Roots

    Audiobook Cover

  • A review of Alex Haley's Roots in Publisher's Weekly (not sure when; and no, I didn't pay for it--remember shoestring budget).
  • And, finally, completion of my next book, Under One RoofIt focuses on a courageous African American physician who led the struggle to overcome segregated housing and other facilities in Florida for Major League Baseball players during annual spring training--publication date: winter 2016 (cross your fingers).

Happy Holidays,

ADH

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