Product Description
If there was any one man who articulated the anger, the struggle, and the beliefs of African Americans in the 1960s, that man was Malcolm X. His AUTOBIOGRAPHY is now an established classic of modern America, a book that expresses like none other the crucial truth about our times.
"Extraordinary. A brilliant, painful, important book."
THE NEW YORKTIMES
Amazon.com Review
Malcolm X's searing memoir belongs on the small shelf of great autobiographies. The reasons are many: the blistering honesty with which he recounts his transformation from a bitter, self-destructive petty criminal into an articulate political activist, the continued relevance of his militant analysis of white racism, and his emphasis on self-respect and self-help for African Americans. And there's the vividness with which he depicts black popular culture--try as he might to criticize those lindy hops at Boston's Roseland dance hall from the perspective of his Muslim faith, he can't help but make them sound pretty wonderful. These are but a few examples. The Autobiography of Malcolm X limns an archetypal journey from ignorance and despair to knowledge and spiritual awakening. When Malcolm tells coauthor Alex Haley, "People don't realize how a man's whole life can be changed by one book," he voices the central belief underpinning every attempt to set down a personal story as an example for others. Although many believe his ethic was directly opposed to Martin Luther King Jr.'s during the civil rights struggle of the '60s, the two were not so different. Malcolm may have displayed a most un-Christian distaste for loving his enemies, but he understood with King that love of God and love of self are the necessary first steps on the road to freedom. --Wendy Smith ... Read more

Customer Reviews (309)

The making of a leader
This book is wonderful. The writing is excellent, and Malcolm X's life story is as amazing as anyone could imagine. Incredible highs and lows are vividly portrayed (for me, one standout is the degradation of Malcolm having to rinse the chemicals out of his hair in toilet water--this incident makes me physically cringe and feel pain for him), and thrilling and fascinating episodes leave me marveling that one person could achieve and experience so much. Later in his life, as his understanding of humanity expands and deepens, my respect and admiration for him likewise grows. I can't adequately describe either the book or the way I feel about it.

I first read this for school, but as I was reading it I knew it was something that I'd truly appreciate and come back to over and over again.

Malcolm X
A timeless classic. This book tells the metamorphasis of a strong Black man, from boyhood to manhood. Through all of his trials and tribulations, Malcolm always found a way to gain strength and grow in both mind and spirit. A must read for all Americans. We must not forget his contributions to our society.

one of a kind!
This is a book everyone should read. It's a book you can't seem to put down. There is a part of this book that i love.."I read aimlessly, until I learned to read selectively, with a purpose". This book changed the way i viewed certain things in life!

Max Notes: The Autobiography of Malcom X
I must have clicked on the wrong item, because I did NOT purposely order Max Notes. I already have two Master's Degrees and a year of Law School. So, I do not need "notes."

this are just notes, not the actual book
it was not clear to me upfront: this book is not the acutal autobiography. These are the notes for the book.they summarize chapters and importance of them.so if you want to read the actual book, do not purchase this one. ... Read more

Product Description
From hustling, drug addiction and armed violence in America's black ghettos Malcolm X turned, in a dramatic prison conversion, to the puritanical fervour of the Black Muslims. As their spokesman he became identified in the white press as a terrifying teacher of race hatred; but to his direct audience, the oppressed American blacks, he brought hope and self-respect. This autobiography (written with Alex Haley) reveals his quick-witted integrity, usually obscured by batteries of frenzied headlines, and the fierce idealism which led him to reject both liberal hypocrisies and black racialism. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Two Authors
Like many in my generation I was deeply affected by this book and by Malcolm's words, oral and written. But decades of continued related reading heve left me wondering just which of those in this "Autobiography" are, indeed, Malcolm's. Amazon's way of listing editors reinforces the irony that this book really has two authors, one of whom (Alex Haley) had a less-than-militant history and a less-than-sterling reputation for accuracy. This book has, since its publication, been regarded as the "real" Malcolm, which has been perpetuated in film and in the conventional wisdom, scholarly and street. I am not saying it is inaccurate, only that it might be time for a serious scholar to examine with greater scrutiny the man's life and particularly its final months. There has not been a definitive biography for a man who unquestionably deserves one.

Wow...
I just finished this book and in my head I know this is going to take me a while to process. What I really liked about this book was how blunt Malcolm X was and how he didn't sugarcoat anything. His knowledge of history and his perspectives of why the US race problem is the way it is very eye-opening. He touches on a lot of topics in this book including women, drugs, hustling, religion, history, social welfare... basically stuff that can pertain to anyone. Malcolm X's faith led him to overcome many obstacles in his life and this I believe will inspire many readers in their own lives to hold on to faith when the going gets rough.

I got a little annoyed when Malcolm X kept defending himself and getting repetitive near the end, but overall I know the book will challenge readers to think and act.

where it doesn't careen off onto Malcolm's diabtribes, it's a great book with compelling storytelling
A compelling and often riveting look into one of the country's most controversial figures. We follow the story of Malcolm Little, whose family was endlessly persecuted in Nebraska before moving to small town Michigan where he manages to lead a relatively normal childhood though is disquieted when a well-intentioned teacher negates his dream of being a successful lawyer, on the basis of race. A visit to his half-sister in Boston exposes young Malcolm to an exhilarating lifestyle that proves irresistable.

I found his immersion in black 1950s urban culture to be one of the high points of the book. Malcolm manages to convey a strong sense of all that the city had to offer to a tall sociable black man. His sociability and pan-race interaction through his early legal jobs and onto hustling made the virulence of his anti-white racism that much more surprising. Here was a man who had a healthy acceptance of racial diversity even while living a degenerate lifestyle. The storytelling as Malcolm found himself trapped more and more by forces of law and dangerous hustlers was at a peak.

Unfortunately at this point the book's plot begins its precipitous decline in action-oriented prose. His revelations and stories from prison are still full of life though this is the point at which Haley begins to sacrifice plot by occasionally interspersing Malcolm's tedious diatribes, which become more and more lengthy as the book wears on. By the end, the reader is filtering through pages of how the white man's corrupting society causes ill to both races, how the liberal white man is only superficially sympathetic, just to wait for something new to happen.

I imagine this lends a sense of authenticity to the book. As mentioned in the book's forward, Haley apparently had to listen to hours of these repetitive acerbic discourses before he could even get any family history to write down. At one point, he was worried he would have to cancel the project.

There is another aspect explored by the book that the casual reader might not appreciate - the interplay between a public figure and the press. On account of the interviews I've done and what the writers have done with them afterward, I identified deeply with the relationship Malcolm seemed to have with an ever sensationalist media.

Overall, when TAOMX is telling a story, it succeeds brilliantly; when it isn't, it founders equally as spectacularly.

I am not worthy
I must say I feel rather humble in my attempt to review this autobiography, hence the brevity of my Review. However I cannot sufficiently stress how the account of Malcolm X's life has given me as a native African (and gives the reader regardless of ethnic background) a crucially important Sociological, Philosophical, Political, Islamic and Pan African insight into African American culture and its' shaping in historical context. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (12)

Enlightening perspective.
Best book on iconic Malcolm X. The typically-moving speeches dazzle while revealing the mind of a man in his latest exposure and in his wisest state of being.

You're a chump
The most unique thing about Malcolm X is he never wrote anything, he simply spoke the truth and that alone has proven to withstand the tides of time because his words are still fresh as ever.His speeches always find a way to get to your spirit and makes you rethink the world you are living in.After reading this book, i forget which speech it was exactly, he mentioned something about negores not knowing their history and it was up to them to go forth and reconnect with their homeland.This led me to wonder where I came from.Even though I am not black, I felt as if he was speaking directly to me and this is the kind of power he had.he made you look upon yoyurself and force yourself to ask, "Who am i?And Do I really hate myself?"Racism is still an issue in this country.It has not gone away and malcolm X was never afraid to point out the hypocrisy of the system I was taught to honor and defend.Surely, not one the best books on his speeches out there, but nonetheless powerful enough to get you thinking about the injustice we face everyday.A man who taught you how to be a human being in the end of his life.Today, more than ever his words should never be forgotten.

THE TRUTH as told by malcolm
NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH. NO ONE HAS BROUGHT THE TRUTH LIKE MALCOLM HAS "EVER" IN THIS COUNTRY. JUST NOT HERE BUT HE SPREAD IT ABROAD AS NATIONALISM. ALL OF WHAT MALCOLM SPOKE OF AS FAR AS A RACIST AMERICA AND RACIST POLITICS ARE STILL HERE TODAY. YET THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER SLOWLY, BUT YET ALL OF WHAT MALCOLM HAS SPOKE AS FAR AS RACIST POLITICS ARE STILL HERE AND A PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH MALCOLMS SPEECHES WERE WRITTEN OVER 40 YEARS AGO YOU CAN SAY THAT THEY ARE ALL STILL VALID IN TODAYS 2007. YOU CAN TAKE HE KNOWLEDGE AND OR TEACHINGS AND USE THEM TODAY.HE CAN STILL MAKE THOSE SAME ARGUEMENTS TODAY. THIS IS A GREAT BOOK FOR THE COLLECTION.

Essential
The strength of Malcolm X's vision bleeds through even the comparatively dull medium of paper print.Even if you can't watch the man speak now, you can feel the power of his words with this book.Best read after the biography of Malcolm X.

Words that demand a closer look inside
Though I believe that Malcolm X was sometimes too angry to be wise, I love that he makes me care about myself, makes me question any absences of self-respect that I may have, not just as a Black person, but as an individual. His words make me ask the less obvious questions of myself, and of others; and they force me to face the things in myself that foster any illusions I have about the world I live in. ... Read more

Product Description
The imperialists know the only way you will voluntarily turn to the fox is to show you a wolf. In eleven speeches and interviews, Malcolm X presents a revolutionary alternative to this reformist trap, taking up political alliances, women's rights, U.S. intervention in the Congo and Vietnam, capitalism and socialism, and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

I love x
x Is amazing If you feel the same way you need to read this book ,that Is if you have not already

surprising
I thought the book was excellent. I being a white English-american woman was forced to question everything negative I ever heard about Malcolm. I can truly say his message is inspiring. For those who are uncomfortable about Malcolm's message, I challenge you to put yourself in his place with all the experiences and pain he has gone through in his life. I challenge you to look through the tears and suffering that invisibly envelope his message to see a real human being wanting to betterthe world for all people.

From His Own Heart & Mouth.
This was my very first book about Malcolm X based on his own speeches and interviews and it won't be my last.As a young African American male I find his way of thinking radical (in a good way) and enlightening. Its great to see a man with a genuine passion and a will to [...] to do something about what he is passionate for. Malcolm loved people but he hated the evile thoughts and actions that people enforced onto others. I believe books like these are great educating tools.People always will have a negative view of Malcolm X, they will continue to call him a racist, bigot, etc etc.That is all hearsay and most of those comments are based on ignorant, racist and bigoted perspectives. You will never fully understand an individual unless you put yourself into their culture, environment and mind. Malcolm X is a great inspiration and leader for everyone willing to sacarifice their lives for sincere and realistic equal society.

Excellent M/X compilation
This collection of writings and speeches by Malcolm X deals with the last year of his life and contains some really interesting material. M/X goes off on some ideas that would still make many people squirm, such as his idea that "Any Black person who registers as a Democrat or a Republican is a traitor to his people." What Black politican today would say this? He also stresses that the main thing for African-Americans to do is to undo the damage to the self-esteem of Black people done by slavery and Jim Crow (another capital idea seldom heard-but needed to be said-today). He warns against reactionary picketing against foolish and symbolic issues and bluntly states that if it's an idea that you aren't worth dying for, then you shouldn't demonstrate at all!

Ideas tof this kind are seldom heald even from so-called "militant" leaders of today, who thrive on theatrics and shock value as opposed to concrete ideas for the betterment of the masses. I also like his take on white liberals ("John Brown should be your standard") although I disagree to an extent with a few ideas (such as his take on Rev. Bruce Klunder, a Cleveland martyr) but one does not have to agree with someone 100% to recognize sincerity and brilliance. Read it and think!

Some excerpts
I think the best way to describe this great book is a few excerpts.

"... by any means necessary. That's our motto. We want freedom by any means necessary. We want justice by any means necessary. We want equality by any means necessary."

"We won't organize any black man to be a Democrat or a Republican because both of them have sold us out."

"Those who claim to be enemies of the system were on their hands and knees waiting for [Democratic president] Johnson to get elected because he's supposed to be a man of peace; and he has troops invading the Congo [in Africa] right now and invading Saigon [Vietnam]...."

"This political, economic, and social system of America was produced from the enslavement of the black man and that particular system is capable only of reproducing that out of which itself was produced."

"No, you have got no friends in Washington, D.C.... You've got friends in Africa, friends in Asia, friends in Latin America."

"[The] thing that I would like to impress upon every Afro-American leader is that no kind of action in this country is ever going to bear fruit unless that action is tied in with the overall international struggle."

(In one of his speeches, Malcolm read the founding statement of the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) which he led, adding his own comments. Malcolm didn't write the statement himself; it was developed by a committee of the new group.)

"[quoting OAAU] 'A first step in the program to end the existing system of racist education is to demand that the 10 percent of the [New York city] schools the Board of Education will not include in its [desegregation] plan be turned over to and run by the Afro-American community itself.'"

"[quoting OAAU] 'The [Black] community must ... wage an unrelenting struggle against police brutality.'"

"Wherever you have organized crime, that type of crime cannot exist other than with the consent of the police, the knowledge of the police and the cooperation of the police.... [Criminals] pay the police off so that they will not get arrested. I know what I'm talking about - I used to be out there."

"[quoting OAAU] 'We propose to support and organize political clubs, to run independent candidates for office, and to support any Afro-American already in office who answers to and is responsible to the Afro-American community.' We don't support any black man who is controlled by the white power structure."

I also recommend "Malcolm X Talks to Young People".(See my review.)

I recommend the ads in the back of the book. Pathfinder Press is defined by a political goal, not commercial success. It aims to provide a platform for revolutionary leaders speaking in their own words. If you like one book, you will probably like others. ... Read more

Product Description
Profiles the late African American leader, providing a startling picture of the life of the controversial and important historical figure. Reprint. VY. PW. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

MARKING THE SPOT
What makes this short biographical study of Malcolm X a 5-star production by my way of assessment is precisely that it is so short. The subject of the civil rights movement in America is one that has naturally provoked acreages of comment, and the convenient old cliché about seeing or not seeing the wood for the trees is the point that applies here. Obviously, brevity would be no virtue if the study were superficial or if the content were no more than a partisan tract. Equally obviously, Walter Dean Myers is not neutral in the matter, if it is even possible to be neutral in a question like this and concerning so controversial a figure as this. What he has done, to my way of thinking, is to focus on the issue that really matters, and the issue that really matters to me is seeing the world from the viewpoint of Malcom X himself.

What we have here is certainly a sympathetic study of Malcolm X, but not a eulogy or apologia. The early history of Malcolm Little (b 1925) and the political environment that shaped his thinking and his actions and reactions is sketched in clearly but without undue rhetoric or point-making. The point about racial segregation makes itself, surely. We have to understand the character of the man himself, and the main point to grasp is that he was a dynamo. It is no use, in my opinion again, trying to identify some one-size-fits-all `best' approach to political protest. Ghandi did things one way and Martin Luther King adopted a strategy that had something in common with Ghandi's. The post-war colonial struggles in Africa were another story entirely, and so was the American war of independence. If anyone thinks that was some high-minded march towards Demoxy an' Freem a la George Bush 43, I recommend them to read The Hornet's Nest by Jimmy Carter, in which the 39th president gives his compatriots a history lesson thinly disguised as a novel. The point is - it is largely a matter of personalities, and the personality of Malcolm X was a volatile one. Many who came from his background were presumably also volatile. What Malcolm Little added to the mix was his brains and charisma, and these were, as he foresaw himself, the recipe for his assassination at the age of 39.

Was this inevitable? Myself, I don't know about `inevitable', but it was certainly on the cards. Myers does not lecture us or draw explicit political conclusions, but it must be obvious that the harder and faster you push for reform the more people you are liable to upset and alarm. You will upset the people who simply do not want reform because they prefer the abuses, however they try to present this outlook. You will alarm the fainéants who will express pious support and on a good day may pass the occasional resolution saying that this that or the next is totally unacceptable but who will rush to dissociate themselves from any overturning of applecarts or any hint of disorder. A lot depends on how things are said and expressed, and Malcolm did himself no favours by saying that his objectives were to be achieved `by any means necessary.' Say that and you are handing a real gift to your opponents. If one party can use any means necessary so can another. Myers does not try to decide how precisely Malcolm meant this, but from his own depiction I would guess that this was more a matter of Malcolm's mouth running away with him than anything else.

A book dating from the 1960's naturally does not have a lot to say about the recent manifestations of radical international Islam, but it does leave me with a clear impression that Islamic traditionalists were more than a little suspicious of the ideas parading under the name of their ancient faith as proclaimed by Elijah Muhammad or Malcolm X. Islam is one thing, and desegregation in America is something else, so far as I can see. Malcolm X eventually became too hot for Elijah Muhammad's Nation of Islam to handle - as usual, he did his own thing and he did it at his own speed which was too fast for most others. The calm and level-headed tone and style of this short book are a very good way of presenting this particular historical figure. I don't suppose many people these days can still be undecided on the basic rights and wrongs of racial segregation, and I certainly am not undecided myself. However coming to this book so belatedly I obtained an insight into this pivotal career that may not have taught me anything drastically new but has certainly shown me how calm and sympathetic understanding on a biographer's part can restore the human dimension to an iconic figure who never ought to have had so polarising an effect in his short lifetime.

Great 6th Grade Read
My son and I discussed the civil rights movement at length and when his teacher wanted the class to do a report on a civil rights activist, I wanted him to go beyond the standard MLK.So since he is a mature 12yr old, I read the other reviews and took a chance on introducing him to the more complex character of Malcolm X.My son is not a big reader but this one he couldn't put down.It also gave us alot to talk about in ref to evolving as a person. Changing opinions and positions and what are the costs involved with that.I strongly recommend this book.

Malcolm X
Malcolm X by Walter Dean Myers is a fascinating and eye opening biography.Malcolm X was a great man and a great leader, and this book does an excellent job at portraying that.Malcolm X does a wonderful job of explaining all the stages of Malcolm's life and how they are significant. Although I disagree with some of Malcolm's views after reading his biography I could not blame for his beliefs.This book shows the tragedies in his life and how they shaped him into a strong and passionate leader.This is a great book for people that enjoy learning about history.

An Excellent Biography of a Legendary Figure!
Malcolm X was an extraordinary man who was brilliant but he was kept down because he was an African American. The book is geared for middle school students because the author, Walter Dean Myers, has written it for this audience particularly about Malcolm's life. He writes about the hardships like the prejudices, his imprisonment, his crimes, his father's tragic death, and his mother's mental illness. He writes about the break up of the Little family and offers background information to help us understand them more. He writes about his upbringing in Lansing, Michigan and Nebraska as well as his stays in Harlem and Boston where he lived with a sister. The author covers the material very well and shows pictures periodically in the text. This book would be great for young adults and even mature adults like myself.

Warriors in the War for Dignity and Humanity


From the cover notes, the author describes Malcolm thusly:

"As a fourteen year-old in Lansing Michigan, he was Malcolm Little, the president of this class and a top student. At sixteen he was hustling tips in a Boston nightclub. In Harlem he was known as "Detroit Red," a slick street operator who knew the rackets. At nineteen, back in Boston, he was leading a gang of burglars. At twenty, he was in prison. It was in prison that Malcolm Little started the journey that would lead him to adopt the name Malcolm X, and there that he developed his beliefs about what being black means in America, beliefs that shook America then, and still shakes America today."

Even with this resume, the author makes a compelling case in this short book that if there is one person that is responsible for the success of the Civil Rights movement, it would be Malcolm X, rather than Dr. Martin Luther King. His argument rests on the fact that Malcolm preserved black dignity in ways that King never could, by asking the right questions and proceeding confidently towards answering them, even when it meant walking through the fire, which inevitably it did. After all he says, it was Malcolm who asked the questions: "Whoever heard of a nonviolent revolution? Whoever heard of a revolution without bloodshed?

I believe the author is correct in suggesting that it was Malcolm's attitude that best defined the temper of the times and provided the motive force, and even the fire behind Dr. King's own passive non-violent movement and even the courage for King to "turn of the other cheek."

As this book sees it: Malcolm was a warrior, prepared to do battle in the arena on any terms and "by any means necessary." King, on the other hand waved the white flag of Christian morality, pre-emptively offering the racist enemy peace terms, even before the fight had begun. When those terms were invariably rejected, King then said: I am coming in unarmed anyway so give my cheeks your best shot.

One warrior was uncompromising and gave black people a new kind of courage to "stand up on their hind legs" and fight back at the racist evil. This was a new kind of dignity for blacks in America. The other, showed blacks that compromise did not just have to end in an exercise in "bowing and scraping" even though it may have begun that way. King showed, as Mahatmus Gandhi had shown before him, that compromise could even be a sharp blade of an offensive sword. And he used it in just that way.

This book of course covers Malcolm's life and the civil rights era well, but it does not settle this matter, as both men went down the same way: slain and murdered by American racist hatred. It is nevertheless a valuable contribution to the biographies of Malcolm's life.

Five stars. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

A Fantastic Read
The authors of this text did an excellent job in comparing and contrasting Dr. King and Malcolm X. The text used many letters from both leaders, and showed how their ideals evolved throughout their lives.

Malcolm and Martin
This book presents the differences between arguably the two most famous civil rights activists of the fifties and sixties, as well as showing the convergence between their ideas and ideals toward the end of thier respective lives. It is readable, succinct and thorough. I highly recommend this book, especially to anyone who will be teaching this period in history to middle or high school students.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and the Civil Rights Struggle of the 1950s and 1960s: A Brief History with Documents (The Be
This book is absoltely terrific. It gave me everything I needed to understand the differences and similarities between these two phenomenal leaders. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Perfect intro to a complex man
I grew up in the days when "great black leader" meant Dr. Martin King, Jr. I read X's autobiography, but found the man hard to like or understand. This small but fact-packed graphic novel is a great help to understand the forces that shaped Malcolm, and the changes he underwent.

The novel lays the context for the story with swift, deft strokes that show the experience of blacks in America's history, from slavery to Jim Crow. The story shifts to tell of X's parents, and covers his childhood, young adulthood as a petty criminal, eventual jailing and conversion to Islam, his hajj and his assassination.

There's a lot to learn about X in this book, much of which was (with attribution) taken from his autobiography. Without saying it in so many words, the books reports inconsistencies in stories he told about himself and the recollections of others. His mother claims not to recall the story of facing down racists while pregnant with X.. The book is also honest about his criminality (as was X himself) and his association with the Boston and Harlem drug and club scenes, including experiences with conking his hair and his dalliances with white women. X's jailing gives the book an opportunity to explain X's attraction to the Nation of Islam, and explains NOI's distinction (due to its myth of white devilry) from other branches of Islam. Malcolm comes across as an intense man of great persuasiveness and integrity, whose incredulity at the sins of NOI's leader, Elijah Mohammed, are laid as the cause of his murder.

This is a quite honest book that lays out the facts and lets the reader decide what to make of them. Was X an effective leader? What is his legacy? What if he had chosen not to challenge the NOI's cult of its leader? The sense of "what might have been" hangs heavily over the book.

The book is drawn in stark black and white, fitting for a man who experienced the world that way and for the basic racial clash of his time. The book's timeline slows down dramatically toward the end, which covers the lead-up to X's violent death. The sense of impending doom, paranoia and creeping dread are expertly conveyed.

It's hard to pin which age group would be most appropriate for the book. There is no graphic sexuality, though marital infidelity and prostitution are discussed. Drug use is discussed, but not glorified. Definitely a book for high-schoolers, with some mature middle-schoolers thrown in.

"Malcolm X" admires its subject without flattering or praising him beyond what his own admirers said about him -- or by whitewashing the less savory elements of his life. X was many things, but in the end, a man, like King, whose religion afforded him a vision of a world in which the presence of racial hatred did not have to be taken for granted. ... Read more

Product Description
Years in the making-the definitive biography of the legendary black activist.

Of the great figure in twentieth-century American history perhaps none is more complex and controversial than Malcolm X. Constantly rewriting his own story, he became a criminal, a minister, a leader, and an icon, all before being felled by assassins' bullets at age thirty-nine. Through his tireless work and countless speeches he empowered hundreds of thousands of black Americans to create better lives and stronger communities while establishing the template for the self-actualized, independent African American man. In death he became a broad symbol of both resistance and reconciliation for millions around the world.

Manning Marable's new biography of Malcolm is a stunning achievement. Filled with new information and shocking revelations that go beyond the Autobiography, Malcolm X unfolds a sweeping story of race and class in America, from the rise of Marcus Garvey and the Ku Klux Klan to the struggles of the civil rights movement in the fifties and sixties. Reaching into Malcolm's troubled youth, it traces a path from his parents' activism through his own engagement with the Nation of Islam, charting his astronomical rise in the world of Black Nationalism and culminating in the never-before-told true story of his assassination. Malcolm X will stand as the definitive work on one of the most singular forces for social change, capturing with revelatory clarity a man who constantly strove, in the great American tradition, to remake himself anew. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the story of a man who lived several distinct chapters of a great American life. From petty criminal to defiant race rights fighter to leader of the Black Muslim movement, his life story is provocative and engrossing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent book about the life/metamorphises of Malcolm X
As was the life of Malxolm X, The Autobiography of Malcolm X will prove tomany readers to be many things.It tells of his troubled upbringing to hislife in Boston.It also deals with his incarceration and conversion toIslam.This book will be glued to the readers hand with its thoughtprovoking words.A must for anyone who enjoys ensightful literature. ... Read more

Product Description
Drawing on hundreds of sources and based on the PBS "American Experience" documentary, this photographic study explores Malcolm X's many-faceted character and the forces that forged him. Rare photos and personal memories interweave to tell the story of Malcolm's youth, his world travels, his life within the Nation of Islam, and his assassination. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Byline correction
I can't seem to find an address to which this information should be directed, so here it is:This title should be listed as 'Text by William Strickland, Oral Histories selected and edited by Cheryll Y. Greene' (that's me).That's the way the credits are listed on the front cover, title page, with the Library of Congress, etc.Please correct your search function to include this information.Sometimes people still look for the book using my name.Thank you.(I had to fill in the star rating above in order to send this to you.Please disregard.)

Many Perspectives on A Changing Man
Based on the acclaimed PBS documentary, this photographic biography of the controversial African American leader combines evocative photographs with poignant memories from friends, family members, admirers and a few critics.This multifaceted examination of the militant leader's turbulent lifehelped me understand his rage and power. If you read his autobiography,then you will find this book especially valuable. An excellent supplementto the documentary because it includes material that they had to exclude,due to time limitations, from the documentary. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Study of Malcolm X We Can USE
This is a well-documented, carefully researched, thoughtfully crafted,fearlessly truthful insight into, most importantly, Malcolm X's life afterhis split from the Nation of Islam.

This was time that while he continuedto build principled international relationships between himself as thelegitimate representative of the colonized Africans inside current U.S. andAfrican heads of state and other key persons; and began to develop astrategy for the liberation of ALL peoples, based on principledrelationships among them.

This book exposes the misinformation andsuppression of information perpetrated by the dominant culture, includingthe "left" still clinging to its position of a "loyalopposition" to U.S. colonialism and imperialism.

Check it out! ... Read more

Product Description
Recounts the hidden history of the labor of people of African origin and their achievements. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

the forgotten speech of malcolm x
This book uncovers a speech delivered by Malcolm X in January of 1965.In his speech Malcolm X discusses the disenfranchisement that African-Americans have suffered due to the lack of knowledge of our pre-slavery historical roots.Malcolm X reveals numerous African-American acheivements that took place long before there was an America.He also argues that this lack of knowledge is what sepearates African-Americans from other cultures, and encourages African-Americans to educate themselves and end this ignorance of our rich historical past.This book is for anyone wishing to know a little more about some of the African-Americans whom you didn't learn about in History class and those who have all ready read Malcolm X Speaks and would like to expand their collection of Malcolm X speeches.This is a book no one can afford to forget.

If Only This Were In The Schools
If only this were in the schools, especially for the teachers.Because although this is no proper textbook for history, it can be used as a guide into how to properly teach afro-american history to the youth.

Malcolm, as well read as he is, references many books as he lucidly and easily brings together many parts of history, but more importantly, a view of history.And his view of history is well-informed, well-sourced, and so full of truth it hurts to listen.But truth in history if very important, and Malcolm helps us in our studies.

A jewel of a book
During Malcolm's lifetime Pathfinder press began a relationship with him that lasted beyond his death.In co-operation with his family Pathfinder Press became the major publisher of Malcolm's speeches and writings in English and Spanish.This slim book, barely 100 pages, is one of the jewels of that collaboration.

The centerpiece of the book is a 1965 speech by Malcolm on Black history.The book also features excerpts from his autobiography and various speeches and interviews.This book is rich beyond it's size and deserves to be widely read by all.

Rich Analysis Plus Inspiration
This priceless little book consists of a talk Malcolm X gave just a month before he was assassinated in 1965.You will find a rich analysis of then contemporary local, national and international issues,exposure of little-known African civilizations, and an inspiring perspective on advancing the Afro-American liberation struggle along with the struggles of other oppressed and exploited people throughout the world.

Know your true history
This little book packs a powerful punch.Malcolm X explains clearly, and often in a humorous way, how knowing the truth about your history is necessary for building a movement to tear down racism and build a better society.The heart of the book is a speech that Malcolm gave less than a month before his death.His point is that Black people have to become aware of their true accomplishments in the past in order to change the world in the present and future.By looking at ancient African civilizations, West African kingdoms, the rise of imperialism and the history of slavery in America, Malcolm shows that Black people have played a huge role in shaping human history.Even though he spoke at a time when Black History Month was still Black History Week, his message is still totally relevant as African-Americans still face the challenge of leading a movement that can end police brutality, racist violence, political oppression and economic exploitation, while joining up with working people and the oppressed around the world.The impact of Malcolm's speech is magnified by his own explanation of how he studied Black history while in prison; and by a nice set of graphics and maps which illustrate his points. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Amazingly Bad
This volume contains but three short speeches by Malcolm X, all of which are available elsewhere. These essays were then dubiously re-edited and reorganized by Archie Epps in some sort of misguided attempt to refine them.

The first 60% of the book, moreover, is taken up by Epps' own scattered, incoherent essays, which are astonishingly bad. Epps had the idea of comparing Malcolm X (a person) to "Shakespeare's plays" (not a person), which is an incoherent idea in itself. His method of scattering random Shakespeare quotes throughout a thin account of Malcolm X's life makes this bad idea, weak in conception, even worse in execution.

If you're interested in reading Malcolm X's speeches, which you should be, get ANY other anthology or collection in print. Anything would be better than this. ... Read more

Product Description
Over 500 essays exemplify the life and work of a man who sought to reimagine the world. Harnessing the influence of people like Elijah Muhammad, grappling with issues such as civil rights and conversion to the Nation of Islam, and driven by events like his pilgrimage to Mecca and the assassination of JFK, Malcolm X became an international pillar. This book is a broad testament to his achievements. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very Good Resource
This is a "must have" book for anyone seriously interested in the Honorable El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. You will be very happy with the book, particularly, as a quick reference guide. ... Read more

Product Description
Malcolm X's cultural rebirth--his improbable second coming--brims with irony. The nineties are marked by intense and often angry debates about racial authenticity and "selling out," and the participants in these debates--from politicians to filmmakers to rap artists--often draw on Malcolm's scorching rebukes to such moves. Meanwhile, Malcolm's "X" is marketed in countless business endeavors and is stylishly branded on baseball hats and T-shirts sported by every age, race, and gender. But this rampant commercialization is only a small part of Malcolm's remarkable renaissance. One of the century's most complex black leaders, he is currently blazing a new path across contemporary popular culture, and has even seared the edges of an academy that once froze him out. Thirty years after his assassination, what is it about his life and words that speaks so powerfully to so many?

In Making Malcolm, Michael Eric Dyson probes the myths and meanings of Malcolm X for our time. From Spike Lee's film biography to Eugene Wolfenstein's psychobiographical study, from hip-hop culture to gender and racial politics, Dyson cuts a critical swathe through both the idolization and the vicious caricatures that have undermined appreciation of Malcolm's greatest accomplishments. The book's first section offers a boldly original and penetrating analysis of the major trends in interpreting Malcolm's legacy since his death, and the fiercely competing interests and ideologies that have shaped these trends. From mainstream books to writings published by the independent black press, Dyson identifies and examines the different "Malcolms" who haveemerged in popular and academic investigations of his life and career. With impassioned and compelling force, Dyson argues that Malcolm was too formidable a historic figure--the movements he led too variable and contradictory, the passion and intelligence he summoned too extraordinary and disconcerting--to be viewed through any narrow cultural prism.

The second half of the book offers a fascinating exploration of Malcolm's relationship to a resurgent black nationalism, his influence on contemporary black filmmakers and musicians, and his use in progressive black politics. From sexism and gangsta rap to the painful predicament of black males, from the politics of black nationalism to the possibilities of race in the Age of Clinton, Dyson's trenchant and often inspiring analysis reveals how Malcolm's legacy continues to spur debate and action today.

A rare and important book, Making Malcolm casts new light not only on the life and career of a seminal black leader, but on the aspirations and passions of the growing numbers who have seized on his life for insight and inspiration. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Thoroughly Researched, Intellectually Honest, Black "Progressive" Perspective
Anyone who wants to know an intellectual analysis of Black American culture needs to read the works of Professor Dyson.Making Malcolm is no exception.I'm only 103 pages into it, and will revise this review if the book ends much differently than it started.But I'm impressed with Dr. Dyson's comprehensive description of who Malcolm was.I appreciate the fact that Dr. Dyson has not allowed his own Progressive opinions to transform Malcolm into something he wasn't.Yes, Dyson seems to be what most politically involved Black intellectuals are... leftists, Liberals, Progressives, etcetera.But he has not (in the first 103 pages) made the brazen declaration that Malcolm was a Liberal... because he wasn't!

This book is not for the modestly educated (which I am) unless you have an unabridged dictionary and quick access to Wikipedia (which I do) to help you understand Dr. Dyson's references to Archimedes and Manichaeism (which I don't).If you have a deep understanding or interest in Malcolm X, you'll probably be able to navigate through Dr. Dyson's analysis with few problems besides an annoyance about his pedantic style.(Look at me, using the word "pedantic" and criticizing someone else for being so!)

No one should consider himself a proponent or well-informed critic of Malcolm X's philosophy without being familiar with Dr. Dyson's work on the subject.Leftists may be surprised to learn that Malcolm wasn't so close to what they believe.And "Conservatives" may be reluctantly enlightened by how far Malcolm was from the left-wing extremist demon they love to believe that he was.

After I finish this book I plan to purchase I May Not Get There With You for Dr. Dyson's analysis of Dr. MLK's life.

A Must! read/have....
What!....I cannot! believe! that I'm the first to write a review.....

Brotha Dyson....Brings it allll home! is all I can say....If you loved Brotha Malcom....even if you didn't...this! brotha's insights! on Malcom X! and all concerning him..is Pricless!!!....This book is a Must! have!...period. ... Read more

Product Description

Malcolm X lived in difficult times - when some thought that black people were inferior to white people. But Malcolm believed that black people should stand up for their rights and he preached this belief everywhere he went. His message became popular because it was one of hope and pride. But it also became dangerous, because some people didn't agree with him. In 1965, one of these people shot and killed him. Even though his life was cut short by hatred, Malcolm X's ideas still affect people of all races. Here is his amazing story.

Product Description
One of those rare leaders on the American left who appealed to both blacks and whites, George Breitman helped lay the foundations for one of the most remarkable developments of American political history after World War II: the brief but promising relationship between black liberationist Malcolm X and the Trotskyist Socialist Workers’ Party (SWP). As the founder of the SWP, Breitman developed an early interest in the Black Nationalist movement and viewed African Americans as potentially the vanguard of an American proletarian revolution (the "third revolution" after the War of Independence and the emancipation of the slaves following the Civil War). After the death of Malcolm X, Breitman was responsible for saving the black leader’s speeches and bringing them to millions of readers worldwide. As a leader of American Trotskyism for almost fifty years, Breitman was also the editor of the definitive fourteen-volume collection of the writings of Leon Trotsky. Now Anthony Marcus has brought together for the first time in one volume a representative selection of George Breitman’s works, along with four new critical essays about his contributions to the American left and to the Civil Rights movement. The popularly presented essays and speeches in this carefully chosen selection are highly readable and come from every period of Breitman’s life as an activist and scholar. They range from his emergence in the 1930s and 1940s as a leader of the "unemployed movement," founder of the Socialist Workers Party, and editor of their national weekly, The Militant, to his work as a party organizer, trade unionist, antiracist leader in Detroit during the 1950s and 1960s, and his final struggle in the 1970s and 1980s against the political and organizational degeneration of the SWP.This valuable collection of the key writings of a leading figure on the radical American left provides a unique view into important social movements and major events of 20th-century American history. ... Read more

Product Description
Any kind of movement for freedom of Black people based solely within the confines of America is absolutely doomed to fail. Speeches and interviews from the last two years of his life.

Includes: Index, Chronology, Annotation ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

There is a Worldwide Revolution Brewing...
This book consists of Malcolm X's final speeches before he was murdered.Deep, philosophical words of wisdom fill the pages and it is hard to put down the book once you begin to read it.A grand speaker that could have debated with the best in the world, it is a shame he was taken away from this world at such a young age.Speaking with such assurance and validity it is hard to ignore the words he spoke to the people.A man who was not afraid to stare death in the face and continue on riding the white horse of truth through the gates of hell, malcolm X simply proves in this book just how much he had grown from his "angry black man" tirade during his days in the Nation of Islam.There is no doubt in my mind if he were alive today, he would still be speaking throughout the world using the power of his words to bring forth real hope and change where there isn't any.I urge anyone interested in malcolm X to pick up this book because his words are still fresh and at times one becomes deeply involved in the words he is speaking, you feel you are in that hot, sweaty room watching him spread the good word.

The best of the M/X compilations
In 1991 I met Malikah Shabazz (one of M/X's daughters) and she autographed my copy of this, telling me that this was her favorite of the varying complations that filled bookstores at the time. I agreed then and now. This presents a more complex look at the varying stages of Malcolm's evolving philosophy while other such compliations are more selective to represent such phases in Malcolm X's evolution Elijah Muhammad's teachings (which I personally have no use for), socialism, black nationalism, etc. to promote the point of view of the compliers. Here, we see that M/X, while consistant in his search for something better for Black people. So it can rightly be called "A Malcolm X Reader" or "The Evolution of Malcolm X Thought."

He also mentions Nelson Mandela in passing in this collection, and what he has to say about his days in the Nation of Islam near the end of this book will give fans of the pre-1964 thought of M/X much pause. After this, check out "Malcolm X Talks to Young People." While that is a representation of his later thought, it's also quite good. But read this after the "Autobiography" and M/X Speaks" to get the full enchilada of Malcolm X Thought.

"There's a worldwide revolution going on"
Dr. Bruce Perry, former collaborator, more recently biographer of Malcolm X, searched for decades after Malcolm X died for more speeches and interviews by Malcolm X.He spent years tracking down the man who had the tapes that led to this book, finding him in the rain forest jungles of Guyana, and being able to interview him while the revolutionary government of Marice Bishop still ruled Grenada.He knew Pathfinder would publish them, because Pathfinder was the publisher Malcolm X chose while he was alive to publish his work, because they believe in Malcolm X's words because they are Malcolm's.
There are three sections, two speeches given before Malcolm split from the Nation of Islam from Januaryand February 1963, two interviews from december 1964, and the last two speeches we have in full, one he gave February 15, 1965 and another he gave the next day. Malcolm X was murdered on February 21, 1965.
You can judge for yourself how Malcolm X grew and changed.l One thing, it wasn't to become someone just into peace and love and non-violence and all sorts of silly things that people say, but that Malcolm X never was into.I just leave you with the contrast in titles. The titles of the 1963 speeches are "Twenty million Black people in a political, economic, and mental prison" anmd "America's gravest crisis since the civil war," rooted in the problems of Black people in America.The speeches given in the last week of his life speak of the world: :There's a world wide revolution going on" and L:Not just an American problem, but a world problem."

Malcolm X's Words: A Guide To Action Today !
This book has all of thethemes that Malcolm spoke about during the last year of his life. He patiently explains over and over that the U.S. government is not and can't be "ours", not without a revolution : it is theirs, it belongs to thesuperrich
( mostly -white ) man. He calls this system " the power structure" or, most scientifically of all, then and now, "Western, or American, imperialism". He speaks of the need for Blacks in "America" to be proud of their African roots;
the need to become and to stay politically independent of the twin parties of capitalist racism; of women's equality and dignity - that's right ; it's one of the main reasons he broke from the Nation of Islam - and he speaks of the Chinese, Vietnamese, and Cuban revolutions as examples to emulate HERE. Above all he teaches you , of whatever color , creed ,or sex , to start with the standpoint that most of the people in the world are your potential allies and what is called " America" - the U.S. government and the Yanqui Empire - is your and my deadly enemy. Anti-capitalist and pro-socialist, this is not the Malcolm of biographers, or movie directors, or other"interpreters" - it is Malcolm X speaking for himself, putting forward a line of march relevant to every fighter for meaningful social change today, tomorrow, and beyond.

The Real Malcolm X
If your view of Malcolm X is from the Spike Lee movie, reading this book and the other books of speeches from his last year "Malcolm X: The Final Speeches" will turn your head around. Malcolm is depicted as a purely humanist, apolitical person, after his trip to Mecca who simply loved everyone. The speeches and interviews from his last year show him as an increasingly political person who was working with Cuban, Congolese, Algerian revolutionists and with revolutionary socialists in the United States to fight for African liberation and against the growing US War in Indochina.

Moreover, Malcolm's speeches from this year also document the reactionary and corrupt practices of the Nation of Islam under Elijah Muhammad and its terror campaign against Malcolm and anyone else who dissent.He had held back from this, but he needed to do this to expose the threats against himself and his family.

As in his other speeches and interviews Malcolm speaks in a voice with lots of practical school-of-hard-knocks knowledge and reasoning, in a soul stirring, voice, with lots of wit as well as wisdom thrown in.


While this book may not be directly available from Amazon at times, they are available from the booksfrompathfinderon Amazon that you can find by clicking on the new and used books on this page. ... Read more

Product Description
Exposes the cover-up surrounding the murder of Malcolm X and probes once-secret FBI files that shed light on the government's hostility to him and point toward its complicity in the crime. Index, Chronology, Photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Murderous, Duplicitous Cover-up
This book lays bare the role of the U.S. government, New York City authorities, and capitalist news media in the killing of Malcolm X.

Only the gullible did not suspect FBI and CIA involvement in the 1965 assassination of Malcolm. In the wake of the Watergate scandal, the FBI was forced to reveal documents in 1974 regarding its sordid goal: to "prevent the rise of a `messiah.'"_____(expunged name) might have been such a `messiah'. He is the martyr of the movement today," read a FBI memo dated August 25, 1967. This book's analysis is crucial for those seeking the truth today.

Suggested Other Reading: Cointelpro: The FBI's Secret War on Political Freedom, by Nelson Blackstock;
New International No. 6: The Second Assassination of Maurice Bishop with "Washington's 50-year Domestic Contra Operation by Larry Seigle;" Malcolm X: The Last Speeches

Review of The Assassination of Malcolm X
This is what I thought of the book.I thought it was a good book, it was interesting to read.Basically, the book was about Malcolm's plans and his murder.He went to jail when he was young then became a Muslim.He eventually broke away from the Muslims and started his own movement.The police didn't like Malcolm or his organization of Negroes.He thought blacks and whites should be seperated.Unlike Martin Luther King, he believed in the violent approach.He was killed in a ballroom.The author wants to know the reason the police didn't look further into the investigation.That's whatthe book is written about.

Against the political and physical murder of Malcolm X
This book combines on the spot reporting of the murder of Malcolm X that exposes the flaws in the NYPD's claims about the murder with a look back at the murder taken after COINTELPRO, the FBI's campaign against the civil rights, antiwar, and other progressive movements which included following and disrupting the life of Malcolm X.This is combined with political defense of Malcolm's ideas and his course of struggle in the time after he broke with the Muslims.For those who think the NYPD and the FBI are heroes, and who think that the US government should not be fearedin regard to protecting the civil liberties of people in struggle, this is the book to read!

While this book is not always available on Amazon, it is always available from BooksfromPathfinder, an Amazon Z store that you can get to by clicking on New and Used further up this page!
... Read more

Product Description
Critical Lives: Malcolm X will cover: the childhood of Malcolm Little in the Depression-era Midwest; the rise and fall of "Detroit Red"-Malcolm's chaotic adolescence as a petty criminal and street hustler; the prison years-the rebellious, angry, headstrong inmate they called Satan; Malcolm's religious and social allegiance with the Black Muslims (Nation of Islam); the founding and editing by Malcolm of the Nation of Islam (NOI) national newspaper; Malcolm as organizer, teacher, and political advocate-and Malcolm as husband and father; from Malcolm X to El-Hajj Malik El-Shabbazz-his attacks on the Civil Rights Movement and his break with the NOI; and the final year-the surveillance by the FBI and CIA, the assassination at the Audobon Ballroom. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Malcolm X Deserves Better
Such a great man and forward thinker deserves a more nuanced and subtle biography than this. The writing is ham-handed and thick, with gross characterizations and unoriginal observations.

a Must Read
the Life of Malcolm X a Very Complex Brother with so Many things going on all at once.He Died so young while Constanly Evolving.He was Limit-Less&Growing in so many other Areas as Human Being.this Book brings to light so much.a Must Read.

Excellent, well-written biography
This biography not only covers the crucial events of Malcolm X's life, but it also provides a historical context for them. The author really tries to give you a sense of what was happening in the U.S. socially and politically from Malcolm's birth to his death. Through his excelling writing, you get a real understanding of what was going on at the time. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Malcolm X, the Civil Rights Movement, or American History. ... Read more