Coinciding with Black History Month, Perseus and NBC News have announced a new e-book for the iPad, Roots: The Enhanced Edition. The $15.99 e-book includes the complete original book and multimedia features such as video from the NBC News Archives, Haley family photos, recordings from the Haley Estate, and commentary from NBC News special correspondent Tom Brokaw. David Wilson, who edits NBC’s video news community dedicated to the African American community, also gives a video introduction and interview. Both Perseus and NBC will promote the book through their various channels with a plug on an upcoming Today Show in the planning stages.
Perseus Books Group CEO David Steinberger said the new e-book builds on the success of the app JFK: 50 Days Perseus did with NBC, which was a bestseller. “We’re privileged to continue our partnership with NBC News to create these standard-setting enhanced projects that set the bar for what can be done with classic works.” Steinberger called NBC’s footage “a virtual time capsule, transporting the viewer back to the cultural moment of publication and adding a new dimension to the experience of Roots.” Steinberger believes that adding new features to books such as Roots could become the best way to re-introduce classic works to readers. Perseus publishes Roots through its Vanguard Press imprint.
