American Epic: The First Time America Heard Itself
| Company type | Memoir |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | May 2, 2017 |
| Founder | Bernard MacMahon, Allison McGourty, Elijah Wald |
| Products | Book, audiobook |
| Website | www |
American Epic: When America First Heard Itself is a joint memoir authored by director Bernard MacMahon, producer Allison McGourty, and music historian Elijah Wald. This volume chronicles the extensive decade-long investigation and creation process behind the American Epic documentary series and The American Epic Sessions. It features interviews with participants from the films alongside a wealth of supplementary content absent from both the documentaries and accompanying music releases. The book was released concurrently with an audiobook on May 2, 2017.
Combining firsthand interviews with MacMahon, McGourty, and those featured in the films, the narrative is curated by Grammy-awarded historian Elijah Wald. The publication showcases 282 full-color images, including many restored vintage photographs never before published, behind-the-scenes production photos, and storyboard illustrations created by MacMahon.
In 2017, American Epic was honored with the Association for Recorded Sound Collections Award.
Background
This work was developed to reveal the investigative journey behind the making of the American Epic films, responding to audience curiosity observed during early screenings and incorporating narratives left out of the films due to runtime constraints. The book was written amid the films’ post-production phase and publicly announced on February 15, 2017.
Synopsis
Covering a ten-year span of research and production, the book parallels the structure of the American Epic documentary series and The American Epic Sessions. Its chapters correspond with those in the documentaries and include interviews with film participants as well as extensive additional material not featured in either the films or their music counterparts.
Acclaim
The publication garnered significant praise from critics. Maik Brüggemeyer of Rolling Stone awarded it five stars, describing it as “essential.” In fRoots, Ian Anderson commended its superior production quality and richly detailed historical photographs. Similarly, Nigel Williamson in Songlines gave it five stars, emphasizing its powerful storytelling through archival imagery, historical records, and firsthand accounts. The book also secured the 2017 Association for Recorded Sound Collections Award for Best Historical Research in Recorded Roots, Folk or World Music.
Footnotes
Bibliography
- Wald, Elijah, McGourty, Allison, & MacMahon, Bernard. American Epic: The First Time America Heard Itself. New York: Touchstone, 2017. .