Author Haley is an American writer best known for her novel 'ROOTS: The Saga of an American Family' which was published in 1976. ALEX Haley was the author of the book, which was based on his family's history and their journey from Africa to America. The novel was adapted into a television miniseries in 1977, starring LeVar Burton as Kunta Kinte and Louis Gossett Jr. as Fiddler. John Amos and Leslie Uggams also starred in the series. The miniseries was a huge success and won nine Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited Series.