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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

Reviews (214)

Forget all the Minuses About the Man
Growing up in a home where Martin Luther King, Jr. was considered the closest thing to a saint, I was not aware of much about Malcolm X. He was the ONE who was too radical, too opinionated, and too controversial for my parents to accept.

However, when I saw Spike Lee's masterful motion picture autobiography, I had to find out more about this man. I was led to read the life story in his own words and am I glad that I did.

Malcolm X was an individual who encompassed the rage and the determination of the black man of the 1960's. He began, as have so many struggling to survive in the inner city, as a hustler involved in the numbers game. This led to an incareration which brought him into the "light" of Islam.

His views changed and he spearheaded much of that movement designed to faciliate black economic survival and pride. He was misquoted, misunderstood, and underappreciated by the very people that he sought to uplift.

The book will bring the reader greater insight into this most complex human being. Previous biases about him should be placed aside and take him for what he was: a Black man with a mission, a mission to instill integrity and self-sufficiency in a people long denied many of America's basic principles.

Do NOT underestimate X
Knowing Malcolm X for a colored person is a prerequisite to being socially aware. Time Magazine calls this one of the top ten non-fictions ever. The reasons are clear. This is the most comprehensive, dauntingly honest, transcending account of X. No one energized the colored community with such "self respect" on a mass-level as Brother Malcolm. Malcolm X's charismatic influence as a genuinely intellectual, and intensely thought-provoking leader remains unmatched. The greatest aspect of Malcolm X was his committment to his very own thoughts and thus, speaking his mind. He didn't necessarily say what America's majority wanted to hear. That is why he was so phenomenal, so radical, so involving. His teachings on self-defense, "freedom by any means necessary", true Islam (after the Mecca trip); his urgency in creating forums for colored people, oppressed people world-wide; and his logical prioritizing of human rights before civil rights, are evidential of his deep/complex understanding of race and human nature. The latest version of the book includes a very special message by X's eldest daughter, A. Shabazz. She gives a personal insight into her father's life, goals, and philosophies. But most importantly, she clarifies the misconceptions surrounding X. "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" is top-notch. Frantz Fanon's scholarly writing, "The Wretched of the Earth" probably comes second.

This is incredible.
I have only one thing to say about this book: Wow, what an amazing life-story. Anyone who reads this book will be changed in some way. Buy it.

A story about the life a great man and his important life.
a very interesting story about a man's life. The book is written beautifully by Alex Haley as he tells about malcolm's life which is educational and inspiring. This is a recommeded read for people of all races. you will never regret spending money and time on this book.

English 230
So... did these Chicago students have to submit their book reviews to amazon.com as one of their class requirements, or what? ... Read more

Reviews (3)

"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 January and 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 the themes 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 the superrich
( 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. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary
Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary: A Biography
by Walter Dean Myers

This is a great book. It describes the controversial life of the black militant; Malcolm X. This book provides an insider's perspective on his personal life. This story about Malcolm X gives many explanations for his widely criticized actions. This book is a page-turner, very exciting.

nice book
The Autobiography of Malcolm X is a riveting novel. It goes in depth with the man who led the fight against segregation. From an ex-con to a leader to a minister and preacher.From " Detroit Red " to El Hajj Mohammed in his later life. He helped the Nation of Islam grow from a couple of hundred people to a couple of thousand. He split from the Nation of Islam and formed his own organization after he found out some shameful information about the very religious Elijah Mohammed, the founder of the Nation of Islam.He was assinated in a conference by some Nation of Islam members

My idol, my admirer, my savior... Malcom X
Malcom X, as we know is a well known activist throughout the world. However, while reading "By any means necessary", I have come across a different Malcom X, infact the first Malocm X that I have come across with was Malcom Little.This was Malcom as a little boy, a Malcom who worked really hard in school to achive his goal to become a lawyer. But this dream of his, would only be dream because Malcom was black.Malcom's intelligence was over looked just because he was not white.
The second Malcom was a street hustler/gambler named:Detroit Red. He was the lady's man of both races:black and white.Malcom then started to use what he learnt in school in the streets to make profits. However this job did not last long because Malcom was sent to prison year 1946.This is when the third Malcom came along, in prison Malcom learnt the Islamic ways of life.When Malcom was released from prison, he then replaced Little(his given name, with X ).- X stands for the unknown being our names was lost on the slaveship.
Malcom X is a remarkable man, his name has been spoken within the slum of cities and also their capitals. While reading this book I have realised that Malcom X is my idol, my admirer, and my savior...Malcom X.

A great book
This wonderful biography on Malcom X is an intriguing book talking about Malcom's life and greatest triumphs. It describes his life as a child, on the streets, in prison, and as a leader. It told me almost everything I wanted to know about his life, with a some interesting tidbits to keep it from getting boring, but not too many so it isn't a foot thick. The book starts out nicely, with a story about when Malcom made sure that a young African American man captured by the police is kept in good health. Although, after reading this grabbing article, the book slows down a little bit, don't stop, because ahead of you is a fun and informative novel containing everything you wanted to know about this wonderful leader.

situational ethics at its best....
this should taught in class rooms to show what is wrong with the victim mentality in this country. ... Read more

Book Description

"exhaustively researched" biography of Malcolm X ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Reader
This book was obviously written by someone who hates Malcolm X. He had nothing positive to say only negative. He even went so far as to make the reader feel as though everything that Malcolm ever said was a lie. He portrays Malcolm as a person who hated himself but I believe it is the writer of this book who hates Malcolm and his family.

Questionable
This book is good if only for the insight into Malcolm's childhood. Other than that, it makes too many cynical conclusions based on whatever it is the author was trying to get across-- which by the end, is still unclear. Reading the introduction one would assume that this book was poised to breathe new insight on Malcolm the political figure and man. However, what you end up getting is more of a repetitious editorial piece. The author almost insults the intelligence of the reader by constantly rehashing the possible reasoning for Malcolm's every move. At one point, he suggests that Attallah was favored by Malcolm because of her light skin (like his) the way his dark-skinned father had once favored him. Perry also volunteers the very real and most likely possibility that Malcolm took this particular daughter to different events because she was the oldest of the girls. This is just one example of how he insists on giving the reader something to ponder on Malcolm's sincerity as a Black leader, tangible or not. There are parts of this book that indeed ring true with me for what I have interperted Malcolm to be, but these instances are too few and far between. I was in no way expecting an idealized picture to be painted here, only this book offers no real balance. Beyond this wounded Malcolm he avidly portrays, what else was there? Also for the attention he gave to alleged homosexual activity, arson, etc. he mentioned Betty Shabazz sparsely as if she held no importance in Malcolm's life. I found that fact very telling. After supposedly over 400+ interviews, Perry could only gather enough to give the mother of Malcolm's six children passing mentions. I actually got more of a rounded glimpse of Malcolm the man in the biography of Betty Shabazz by Russell J. Rickford. I advise those who are thinking of reading this book first to check out the autobiography w/ Alex Haley instead, then tackle this one if you wish. Even for all its omissions and probable half truths, you'll come away from that book actually understanding something. After reading Mr. Perry's biography, you get the urge to so say, "So?! What was your point?"

Approach With Caution
You have to question what Perry wanted to achieve from this book. He seems to have missed, or overlooked, all of the important issues that Malcolm X stood for.

He takes the word of Malcolm's detractors as the gospel truth and diminishes Malcolm's teachings and beliefs by portraying them as paranoid.

Perry seems obsessed with highlighting flaws in Malcolm's personality and uses this device to side step the vital lessons which Malcolm was trying to teach - lesson's which still need to be learnt today.

By all means read this book, but do so very objectively.

Too many unsubstatiated statements
I was not too fond of this book, not because I'm a Malcolm fan, but there are too many conclusions that Perry makes with weak evidence. Such as Malcolm's father (and Malcolm himself) setting their houses on fire, Malcolm's alleged homosexual activity,Malcolm asking the Klan why they allowed Dr. King to live, etc. etc. One could see why Dr. Betty Shabazz (Malcolm's wife)told Perry to get lost!

A Telling Tale : The Life and Times of Malcom X
Bruce Perry'sMalcom gives an in depth analysis of one of the most controversial public figures in modern American history.Perry describes Malcom's troubled childhood in the Midwest, from his bouts with his fatherinfidelities and his unexpected death -ruled accidental, but not certain--to his, light skinned, mentally ill mother who was not afraid to keep herson in line by any means necessary. Living within a dysfunctional familyand having no friends, Malcom finds himself wanting to leave his lonely andslow-pace lifestyle for the exciting East Coast. Moving in with hishalf-sister in Boston,Malcom becomes involved in criminal activities,from petty dope slinging and "runnin' numbers", to sleeping withwhite women and committing burglaries.Eventually he finds himself behindbars and from there Malcom X emerges. Known as Red, Malcom becomesacquainted with an inmate, a devoted follower of the Nation of Islam, whoteaches Malcom that their is an alternative for black men other than a lifeof crime.Malcom X is introduced to classic literature, poetry, and Islam. The religion has a powerful effect on Malcom, who embraces its ways andultimately becomes a follower. When he is released, Malcom X quickly workshis way through the ranks to head minister of the most populated andsuccessful Black Mosque in America.According to Perry, Malcom was notonly a devoted minister to his mosque, but to several others as well.Hissuperior, the honorable Elijah Muhammad, was initially impressed with thearticulate, young orator.In time Malcom X rises in the movement. He grabsall of the headlines and from the media's point of view, becomes thespokesman for the Nation of Islam.Eventually,Malcom breaks from thegroup and starts his own, which never gets off the ground.He was shotdead during a speech in Harlem, New York in 1965. Malcom X, thoughpoorly educated and a product of a mentally and physically abusedhousehold, nevertheless tookcenter stage and improved the quality of lifefor Black America.Bruce Perry gives the reader a personal account ofoneof America's enigmatic and flamboyant intellectuals of the twentiethcentury. ... Read more

Book Description

"I believe in recognizing every human being
as a human being, neither white, black, brown, nor red."

This was just one of the messages that Malcolm X brought to people of color. He lived by the idea that black people should demand equality by taking their lives and futures into their own hands. With guidance from the religious leader Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm became one of the most powerful leaders of the civil rights movement during the 1950s and 1960s, and his beliefs live on today.

Award-winning author Walter Dean Myers, together with illustrator Leonard Jenkins, delivers a straightforward and compelling portrayal of one of America's most influential figures.

Reviews (1)

Outstanding!
This book really captures the heart, the mind, and the troubles of Malcolm X and society in the 1960's. The beautiful illustrations are wonderful at expressing complex emotions and complement the words of Walter Dean Myers extemely well. This book is fabulous as children seek to understand the complexities of those turbulent times. ... Read more

Book Description

The full impact of Malcolm X, his personality and his mission come urgently to life in this definitive anthology of his writings, speeches and manifestos along with writings about him by an international group of African and African American scholars and activists. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Everything is a conspiracy...
It doesn't take very long to understand this person's view of the world: everything is a conspiracy against the black man. Just read a few of his speeches in this book, just his view on the most simplistic things, such as anthropolgical terms of race classifications, that they are designed to promote whitey, and you'll realize this book is not very objective. This book dares to call Malcolm X the most pivotal figure in Afro-American history. Carver who? Booker T. Washington who? MLK who?! No, no, no. Didn't you know that Malcolm X--the pro-violence, Islamic extremist--is your hero? Pathetic. Dangerous propaganda in the wrong hands. I am throwing my copy away; I won't resell it.

Interesting
I had to read this book when I was doing a paper for school and at first I thought that this was boring but as I got into the book the life of Malcolm X was very intregueing. I enjoyed learning about this facinating man. Read ths book-it is very good. ... Read more

Book Description

SINCE MALCOLM X EXPLOSIVE AUTOBIOGRAAPHY THIS IS THE M0ST IMPORTANT BOOK YOU'LL EVER READ. SEVENTH CHILD

A family memoir of Malcolm X
Rodnell P. Collins, nephew Of Malcolm X with A. Peter Bailey

Malcolm X The Man Behind The Myth
A Loving Sister's Blood Memories of a Challenged "son"
His Controversial Analysis about American Foreign Policy
Never-Before-Published Family Photographs and Letters

Seventh Child, Seventh Son: A Family Memoir of Malcolm X. offers invaluable contribution and insight to one of twentieth century americas most charismatic, controversial and provocative figure. On Malcolm X Of the forty publications in eight languages, none provided such insight on a man and his time's, excepting, his own Autobiography. Through the eyes of a compassionate loving sister, Ella Little-Collins, knew him best and her son, Rodnell Collins, to whom Malcolm X was a much-loved and admired uncle and mentor,

Ella's enduring and tenacious loyalty to her brother permeate the entire book. She was Malcolm's protreptic, not his inhibitor, Malcolm-Little (the child) was an inherent pedagogue, Ella felt. To accomplish this task she became his legal guardian brought Malcolm into her home after their father was lynched and Malcolm mother was Institutionalized, Late in his teenage years he Was very rebellious, this contributed to his incarceration to prison, Ella arranged for his transfer to a progressive prison colony, with a large open library, the prison. offered University course's in theology, Malcolom debated University students, and recieved his certificate in theology from one of the participating Universities.

While in the nation of Islam, Ella often served as confidant he confided his growing concerns about the rampant corruption in nation of Islam headquarters. Ella and Rodnell lived those moments with Malcolm and his family, when attempts were made on his life, The night Malcolms home was fire bomb, his sister and nephew came to their rescue. Rodnell along with members of Malcolms organization were publicly attacked by three car loads of nation of, Islam thugs and informents in Boston, Massachusetts trying to make and attempt on the life Of Malcolm X 1964. It was his sister Ella who finance his trips abroad and to the Holy city of Mecca Saudia Arabia.

In the early dawn hours before Malcolms assassination Ella and Rodnell were his discussant's, on the human-right's violations of Africans americans and Native Americans by the Untied States, an issue he intented to bring before The United Nations World Court. A public pronouncement, he make in relationship to that, The African and Asian American diaspora and their connection to United States foreign policy, the two speeches both In New York City, April 8, 1964 and December 12, 1964 "Communication and Reality", he knew his pronouncement and position with the N.O.I. at that time may I mean his life, Malcolm forebode, Ella, that of my death " I feel like a grain of sand on the sea shore, if in someway I have change the course of the tide" It would have been with his life, he knew he had to answer to god for any of his own mistakes the import of those words did not take heart of Ella in those early hours before his death that day, But it would come.

African and Asian numeral science and the science of cosmology use base numeral seven. It is practiced among these society the seventh child or son will emerge and perform great works or a leader. Malcolm X was his father's seventh child.

Twenty five years before her death, in august 1996, Ella worked on a memoir of her brother and the little family through the generations with several author's James Baldwin, Louis Lomax, and Art Aveilhe to no avail. A first cousin, educator Oscar V. Little, began researching the Little family genealogy, she was enthusiastic and elated when his diligence came to fruition with the discovery of great-grandparents, Tony and Clarrie, and family primogenitor AJAR, brought from West Africa to enslavement in the Carolina's. in early 1800s. " It was Malcolm found wish to know his ancestor who first arrived on these shores", Ella told Rodnell, whose earliest memory of his uncle being held in his arms as an Infant while Ma prepared family dinner". When illness incapacitated his mother in the mid 1980s, Rodnell inherited the memoir project. Ella L. Little Collins passed all archived information, Letters, Photographs, several documents and her memories on to him. " I became as committed to the project she cherished all those years". ... Read more

Reviews (12)

do-it
Mind provokeing book, with insight to behind the life and family history of one of the countrys greatest Malcolm X, A must do read.F.

a very informative and thought provoking book.
i really enjoyed the book,ive always admired malcomx,what he stood and was willing to die for.iloved reading about his relationship with his family especially his sister,made me see malcolm in a whole new light ,also made me think of what a difference one person can make .i am deeply influenced by malcolm and this book just reenforces that.

The Seventh Child
This book gave me a greater appreciation of Malcom X as a world leader and a human being. I really enjoyed reading this book during a visit to the Middle East. If you are really into Malcom X and want to know more about him and who he was, do yourself a favor and read this book.

One of the better Malcolm X books
This is clearly one of the better Malcolm X books as it actually tells us something new and firsthand unlike so many other such books that glutted the market in the early 1990s. A bonus is the revelation of the name of Malcolm's actual African ancestor that he wanted to know about through most of his adult life (this was discovered by a family researcher. "Malcolmites" have much to enjoy and learn from here-buy it!

WONDERFUL READING MATERIAL
I JUST STARTED READING THE BOOK LAST WEEK AND CAN NOT PUT THE BOOK DOWN. I AM A HISTORY MAJOR AND READING THIS BOOK WITH ALL THIS INFORMATION ABOUT MALCOLM AND HIS OWN FAMILY HISTORY IS WONDERFUL.

MR. COLLINS DID A WONDERFUL JOB!... ... Read more

Book Description

February 21, 1965–Malcolm X is assassinated in Harlem’s Audubon ballroom, becoming even more inspiring a figure in death than he has been in life.

June 23, 1997–After surviving for a remarkable twenty-two days, his widow, Betty Shabazz, dies of burns suffered in a fire set by her own grandson.

In the years between, their six daughters reach adulthood, forged by the memory of their parents’ love, the meaning of their cause, and the power of their faith. Now, at long last, one of them has recorded that touching and tumultuous journey in an unforgettable memoir, Growing Up X.

Born in 1962, Ilyasah was the middle Shabazz child, a rambunctious live-wire and self-described “Mommy’s girl” who fought for–and won–attention in an all-female household, a warm place as full of fun as learning, chaos, and love. From the first days after her father’s death left the family famous (and homeless) to the years of private schools and personal bodyguards . . . from studying the Muslim faith to understanding the mystery of boys . . . from coming to terms with her father’s murder to the shock of her mother’s passing, Ilyasah’s life is one of stunning contradictions: deprived and privileged, unique and endearingly normal.

Here is a girl carrying on the legacy of a renowned father and indomitable mother while navigating childhood and, along the way, learning to do the Hustle. Here is a child who was a different color from other kids at camp and then, years later, a young woman not radical enough for her college classmates. Above all else, here is a tribute to a mother of almost unimaginable forbearance, a woman who “from that day at the Audubon when she heard the shots and threw her body on our own, [never] stopped shielding her children.”

Written with great warmth and simplicity–and featuring reminiscences of famous friends, colleagues, and acquaintances like Coretta Scott King, Muhammad Ali, and Spike Lee–Growing Up X is a fascinating, first-ever look at a family many have admired from afar . . . and never seen so close. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Breathtaking.....
I have always wondered about the life of Dr. Betty Shabazz and her daughters after the death of Malcolm X. And now I know Ilyasah's story...or some of it. I respect Dr. Shabazz and the way she raised her children. Growing up in this society is difficult. I can not imagine how she took on the task of explaining why their father could not come home or how to explain the impact he had on the entire country. Dr. Shabazz raised her girls as queens. Unfortuneately many of us had to learn those lessons later. Ilyasah couragously gave readers a glimps into the lives of the Shabazz family and a little of her growing pains. She learned from her sister Attallah that she was already that daughter of Malcolm X, she did not have to prove anything to anyone. She had to find her own self.

I recently attended a book signing and Ilyasah was humble, warm, friendly, beautiful and then some. I loved the way she chatted with my 6 year old, who attended the signing with me. I have, in the same way that Dr. Shabazz started to teach him of his origins and his greatness. She also pointed out simple things about her parents that I never thought of. I loved that way the story started with her father's death and ended with her mother's death. I cried from beginning to end. I am also glad that she did not go into detail about her nephew...(some things should stay within the family).

Thank you Ilyasah for sharing a little of your life's story with us.

Peace and Blessings!!

Growing Up X is a must read
Ilyasah Shabazz did a great job in chronicling the life of her family. The book offers an inside look at a great American family being headed by a strong single mother and living in the legacy of a dynamic father and husband. It is so captivating and allows the reader to experience various emotions.

It is a fun read. A must read.

Good
This book gave an inside scoop on how Ilyasah and her sisters were raised by their mother Betty. I was surprised at all the privalages they receieved. There were some interesting facts on her mother and father's relationship that warmed my heart. All and all though I feel this book only dabbled on she & her sisters as a family unit. There was no mention of the birth of her sister's children, what they were feeling as expectant mothers, any marriages that took place. I found that disappointing, however it was still a good read.

Don't Waste your Money
This book fell so far from my expectations it is hard to begin explaining the things that I didn't like about this book. Ilyasah is constantly talking about herself and not really about the family as a whole. She does bring out some interesting points about Malcolm X that I didn't know, but overall I think this book is just a quick claim-to-fame type of book. I am sooooooo glad that I did not spend money on this book and I wouldn't advise anyone to purchase this. Please check it out if possible.

Fell Shory of Expectations
This was a very dry, perfunctory piece of work. Nothing new or interesting revealed. In fact the book boiled down to Ms. Shabazz expressing the equivalent of "look at me! I'm Malcolm X's daughter. I'm my mother's favorite child. Aren't I great!" I was sorely disappointed. I would have liked to know more about her sisters as well but she craftily kept them at bay. I highly recommend the Autobiography of Malcolm X and any collection of his speeches to get a real understanding of the man. By-pass this work unless you're just looking for someone who's stroking her own ego and basking in the fame and accomplishments of her parents. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good only for historical purposes
This book has it's moments, such as "God's Judgement for White America" which speaks of divine revenge for the crimes against Black Americans, but too much of this reflects the period when Malcolm was parroting (his own admission) the cuckoo-patch teachings of Elijah Muhammad for the benefit of the ignorant. "The Black Man's History" is filled with utter madness about Blakc mad scientists creating White people, ad nauseum. Good only for historical purposes. Read the real, sensible stuff from when Malcolm had the sense to cut loose from Elijah's mess, such as "Malcolm X Speaks,' "By Any Means Necessary" etc.

This is the best book on Malcolm's ideology! Buy it!
I first started teaching myself about Malcolm X when I was only in 6th grade, but I was only really concerned with his life story and not his ideas. The books I had read up through high school never gave any extra insight either (and I owned 10 at the time). I first read this book in the fall of '95, finding it by accident when I was going through the books by Malcolm my freshman year at Montana State U. This book is terrific! I had always been an admirer of Malcolm, but without the insight and this book gave it. My favorite speech is "The Black Man's History", truly a masterpiece. There are some ideas that don't quite pan out, but these speeches came during the time he was still with the Nation of Islam and a follower of Elijah Muhammed. This book gives terrific insight into his ideas early on. It is well worth the money to buy this book! ... Read more

Book 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: Malcolm as hero and saint; Malcolm as a public moralist; Malcolm as victim and vehicle of psychohistorical forces; and Malcolm as revolutionary figure. 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

Book Description

MAXnotes offer a fresh look at masterpieces of literature, presented in a lively and interesting fashion.Written by literary experts who currently teach the subject, MAXnotes will enhance your understanding and enjoyment of the work. MAXnotes are designed to stimulate independent thought about the literary work by raising various issues and thought-provoking ideas and questions.MAXnotes cover the essentials of what one should know about each work, including an overall summary, character lists, an explanation and discussion of the plot, the work's historical context, illustrations to convey the mood of the work, and a biography of the author.Each chapter is individually summarized and analyzed, and has study questions and answers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Quality comparison
The late Louis E. Lomax (1922-1970) wrote this book shortly after Dr. King's assassination. He traces the path of both leaders. He shows the forces that brought the 2 leaders together on many issues. He also show the opposition forces to these men that materialized into assassins. I recommend that you read this book. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A useful book, the product of much research exposing the FBI
Carson is a well-known Black scholar whose most important work has been organizing and opublishing from the Martin Luther King Papers.This book was an effort on his part to expose how the FBI followed Malcolm X from the time he wrote to a radical youth group for information, long before Malcolm X joined the Muslims until his death, a death Malcolm more and more expected would come from the FBI/CIA.Along the way the FBI has preserved speeches and letters and views of Malcolm as they evolved throughout his life.Anyone who treats Malcolm X as some sort of prefabricated god, and not a man whose views developed over time, over experience, and particularly after his exposure to the struggles of the civil rights movement, and the anti-imperialist struggles ongoing in Cuba, Africa, and Vietnam at the time, is in for a rude shock as this book shows how his ideas changed and grew.
I recommend Pathfinder Press's series of books by Malcolm X. Malcolm selected Pathfinder to publish his speeches before he died.The first book Malcolm X speaks was selected while Malcolm was living, though published after he was murdered.Every book has been published in cooperation and with royalties to Malcolm's family.Pathfinder has gone as far as the jungles of Guyana to find every speech or interview available with Malcolm particularly in the last years of his life.

The book was informative....
The book was informative however the foward by Spike Lee was out of place. It breaks my heart that so many people profit from the life and death of Malcolm X other than his family. Although this is a good book do your selfand Malcolm justice by getting this book from your public library! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

On the Side of My People: A Religious Life of Malcolm X.
Contrary to Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X has won more than his due share of attention. But he gained renown mostly for reasons having to do with his personal odyssey from petty thief to political figure of international stature, his black nationalism, and his scintillating rhetoric-not because he was a key figure in the growth of Islam in the United States. DeCaro fills this gap with an intelligent focus on his "religious life." Like Clegg, he relies on extensive research of primary documents; he finds much that is new about the man he terms a "religiously driven revolutionist." 5 In particular, he shows where Malcolm X's famous Autobiography is either lacking important information or slanted to make a point; what Malcolm X actually did during his last year (after leaving the NOI and becoming a mainstream Muslim); and the parallels in Malcolm X's dual conversion (to the NOI, to Islam). From an Islamic viewpoint, On the Side of My People is of special interest for the way DeCaro pulls apart the myth Malcolm X had propagated about having learned of mainstream Islam only on reaching Mecca in April 1964; in fact, we find out here, he had for many months, even years, been tending in that direction. Reaching Mecca for Malcolm X was less a revelation than an opportunity to come out of the religious closet.

Middl East Quarterly, December 1998

Nice focus on the Religious side of Malcolm X
It was fantastic to read a religious biography of Malcolm X. Although DeCaro does go over Malcolm X's political activities (it would be rediculous to do otherwise!), he presents Malcolm X's life in its religious context, for example outlining the ongoing tension between the Nation and Orthodox Islam and how this affected Malcolm, whereas most biographies do the exact opposite. His book focusses primarily around Malcolms two conversions - firstly to the Nation, and the second to orthodox Islam. He also outlines the religious melting pot that Malcolm X came out of, and shows how these influences helped mold and shape him throughout his life. In doing this, he gives Malcolm a lot more religious credit than past biographers have done, and points out some probable biases in "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" (remember, in this book Malcolm originally intended to show how Elijah Muhammad had miraculously and single-handedly saved him, and therefore probably didn't give himself due credit). DeCaro goes on to explain how Malcolms second conversion was not an instantaneous transformation that occurred when he set foot in Mecca, but rather the climax of a change that had been building for some time. For me, DeCaro's book was thorough and well balanced. He didn't try to portray Malcolm as a hero or a villian or anything else, but rather just presented his life from the point of view of his 'religousness'. The book is written from DeCaros PhD dissertation, so is very well referenced, and he is careful to point out his own biases. The only qualm I had was that DeCaro did not have a huge number of interviews with people who knew Malcolm, but he admits this himself in the introduction, and he more than makes up for it with his use of other primary sources such as FBI files, prison records etc. So yeah. I loved it. Read it. ... Read more

Book 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

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 to many readers to be many things. It tells of his troubled upbringing to his life in Boston. It also deals with his incarceration and conversion to Islam. This book will be glued to the readers hand with its thought provoking words. A must for anyone who enjoys ensightful literature. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Complex but Interesting Book
This is a very "wordy" book about a complex man, his life, politics, and beliefs. It is not a history per se of Malcolm X, nor is it a biography, rather it is a collection of ideas within ideas about Malcolm X and what made him tick. I must warn you though it is not as easy book to read, but it rates five stars in my opinion because it attempts to be analytical and non-judgemental about the man and his times. Not an easy task when you are writing about someone as famous as Malcolm X. This is a good book to supplement Alex Haley's book on Malcolm X as it looks deeper into the man and what he stood for. Well worth reading if you have the time and patience. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Real Good Start on Malcolm X's Life
if you haven't read Malcolm X's Autobio with Alex Hailey then this is a Must read to starting out with His work.this Book goes over different details of His Life,upbringing&outlook on the world at the time.a Real Good Book on a Very Important&Influential American Figure that Forever Changed the Way History would be mentioned&go Down.

The Black Prince
This book by Bernard Aquina Doctor gives a nice history of Malcom X, a black leader of the 60's. A leader of the Black Muslims as well as the Black Rights movement alongside (and many times seemingly against) MartinKLuther King Jr. Aquinas lays the ground work by discussing Malcomschildhood, who his father was which would prove to be pivotal later inMalcom's life. Growing up poor and oppressed by the WW2 and the KKK amongothers, Malcom fought his way to the top and demanded to be heard by all.He was shot and killed at one of his lectures by one of the Black Muslimsin 1965. Reccomended for those interested in Malcom X's ideas, as well asthose curious about the black movement and some philosophies that went withit. ... Read more