Britannica
Sources used in this answer
What subject did Gay Talese investigate in Honor Thy Father?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
In his 1971 nonfiction work Honor Thy Father, Gay Talese investigated the rise and fall of the notorious Bonanno crime family of New York City.1
Talese wrote the book in cooperation with Salvatore ("Bill") Bonanno, the son of the family's long-time boss, Joseph Bonanno. The work is a prominent example of the New Journalism movement, which utilized the techniques of fiction writingāsuch as well-developed characters, vivid scenes, and strong plotlinesāto report on real-life events.23