Randy Roberts
Please join me in congratulating Randy Roberts, Distinguished Professor in the Department of History for publishing two new books entitled The Road to Madness: How the 1973-1974 Season Transformed College Basketball (University of North Carolina Press) and Pearl Harbor: A Visual History Commemorating the Date that Will Live in Infamy (Becker & Mayer).
In The Road to Madness, Randy and his colleague, J. Samuel Walker, identify the 1973–74 season as pivotal in the making of this now legendary postseason tournament. In an era when only one team per conference could compete, the dramatic defeat of coach John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins by the North Carolina State Wolfpack ended a decade of the Bruins’ dominance, fueled unprecedented national attention, and prompted the NCAA to expand the tournament field to a wider range of teams.
Pearl Harbor: A Visual History is a lavishly illustrated volume aimed at a more popular audience to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the attack. Randy and co-author David Welky recount the stalemate before the Pearl Harbor invasion, the moments during the assault, and then the United States’ response.
Randy's writing has been internationally recognized, most recently with his acclaimed book,Blood Brothers: The Fatal Friendship Between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X. Timas Publishing in Turkey has purchased the rights to translate and publish the book in Turkish, another way in which audiences worldwide can be captured by Randy's historical findings. Amazon picked Randy’s Blood Brothers, as one of the Best History Books of 2016; it is also a finalist for Goodreads Choice Award.
Congratulations, Dr. Roberts!
David A. Reingold
Justin S. Morrill Dean
College of Liberal Arts