This book presents the first comprehensive overview of how this iconic novel became an international phenomenon that has managed to sustain the public's interest for 75 years. It tells how Mitchell's book was developed, marketed, distributed, and otherwise groomed for success in the 1930s and the savvy measures taken since then by the author, her publisher, and her estate to ensure its longevity.

About the Author

Ellen Firsching Brown is a rare book dealer and freelance writer specializing in stories about antiquarian books and the rare book industry. She lives in Richmond, Virginia. John Wiley, Jr. owns one of the largest collections of Gone With the Wind memorabilia in private hands, including every American edition of the novel and over 600 foreign editions. He writes a quarterly newsletter, The Scarlett Letter, for GWTW fans and collectors.

Reviews

Brown and Wiley give Mitchell s monumental novel its due here. Drawing on meticulous research and unprecedented access to private papers, they follow Gone With the Wind from the glimmer of an idea to explosion as a global bestseller, hugely popular film, and subject of heated copyright battles. This is a vivid, highly readable account of the life of a story and, incidentally, of its spirited, scrappy author. It is also a remarkable contribution to publishing history and literary studies.--Susann Cokal, Author of "Mirabilis and Breath and Bones"