Scan barcode
in_dee_d's review against another edition
5.0
Although Malcolm X is a name I've known since childhood, I am surprised at how little I actually knew about this man. Along with being informative and very detailed, this biography was utterly entertaining. As I read the chapter that listed all the plans Malcolm was putting in place after leaving the Nation of Islam, I realized that we lost more than we know. He had great momentum for building a pan-African coalition and a civil rights organization that could have been valuable for our nation as a whole. I felt real tears come to my eyes when I read about his assassination. I don't ever want to forget that along with being a great orator and activist, he was a human being, flawed and still learning. Malcolm deserved to see his babies grow up.
But this book does have its shortcomings. There are portions of this book that describe the important people in Malcolm's life with great detail, but it gives us very little information about his wife, Betty, and his children. Considering the number of pages spent detailing W. D. Fard's life (even though Malcolm never met the man) and the amount of information we learned about Sophia (aka Beatrice) and Laura, you would think the woman he married deserved more detail than a page or two in passing. *shrug emoji*
But this book does have its shortcomings. There are portions of this book that describe the important people in Malcolm's life with great detail, but it gives us very little information about his wife, Betty, and his children. Considering the number of pages spent detailing W. D. Fard's life (even though Malcolm never met the man) and the amount of information we learned about Sophia (aka Beatrice) and Laura, you would think the woman he married deserved more detail than a page or two in passing. *shrug emoji*
renab's review against another edition
5.0
Offers excellent insight and context into the life and vision of Malcolm X. I loved also learning about his relationships with important influences (his personal and influencers in the social justice movement). I listened to the audiobook.
drbooknerd's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This was a long overdue read for my to-read shelf - I'm so glad I go this one in - and yes, I read it from late 2022 to early 2023 - but it's been a busy time in my life. Anyways, I had read well-known Autobiography of Malcolm X over a decade (maybe even 2 at this point lol). When I first heard about this book, I was thinking - will this discredit that beloved book?
The answer is easy: not at all. That book has it's place being directly from the legendary Alex Haley and Malcolm himself. Yes, there are some limits to an autobiography and I feel this book just brings a complete picture to the man and the legend that is Malcolm.
This book was so comprehensive and it's so sad that Les didn't live to see the completion and publication of his book, but his daughter completed his legacy and brought into the world. Of course, I had followed the news when the original men who had been arrested for Malcolm's murder, were exonerated, but I had never dived into the details. It's the backstory of that fateful day and of course, other early important events in Malcolm's life at every stage, that this book does so much justice to - including the secret NOI meeting with the KKK that Malcolm was a part of, that I don't think I was aware of until I read this book. The details that this work makes you feel deeply immersed in Malcolm's life and it's that level of detail that makes this such a poignant book. Also, I had no idea that Malcolm had answered a set of questions from the Islamic Center of Geneva less than 24 hours before his death - this is after the epilogue. That was a beautiful way to end this work.
Long story short - this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to know the full story of this beloved figure - of course, reading about the minute to minute moments after he is gunned down and even the dry run from the plotters, and the role of the federal govt / FBI was heart-breaking, though we all know they played a role in eliminating many of the civil rights leaders of the time.....I thought, as I have in the past - what if Malcolm had lived to be about 70 (that would bring him into the mid-90s), how much could he have accomplished and how he could have guided us in dealing with human and African American rights? Alas, it's those that are with us for a short time on this Earth, that often leave a great, long-lasting legacy - and Malcolm has done just that.
Highly recommend this to all readers interested in knowing more about Malcolm, American history and the civil rights movement and understanding him in a more complete manner.
The answer is easy: not at all. That book has it's place being directly from the legendary Alex Haley and Malcolm himself. Yes, there are some limits to an autobiography and I feel this book just brings a complete picture to the man and the legend that is Malcolm.
This book was so comprehensive and it's so sad that Les didn't live to see the completion and publication of his book, but his daughter completed his legacy and brought into the world. Of course, I had followed the news when the original men who had been arrested for Malcolm's murder, were exonerated, but I had never dived into the details. It's the backstory of that fateful day and of course, other early important events in Malcolm's life at every stage, that this book does so much justice to - including the secret NOI meeting with the KKK that Malcolm was a part of, that I don't think I was aware of until I read this book. The details that this work makes you feel deeply immersed in Malcolm's life and it's that level of detail that makes this such a poignant book. Also, I had no idea that Malcolm had answered a set of questions from the Islamic Center of Geneva less than 24 hours before his death - this is after the epilogue. That was a beautiful way to end this work.
Long story short - this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to know the full story of this beloved figure - of course, reading about the minute to minute moments after he is gunned down and even the dry run from the plotters, and the role of the federal govt / FBI was heart-breaking, though we all know they played a role in eliminating many of the civil rights leaders of the time.....I thought, as I have in the past - what if Malcolm had lived to be about 70 (that would bring him into the mid-90s), how much could he have accomplished and how he could have guided us in dealing with human and African American rights? Alas, it's those that are with us for a short time on this Earth, that often leave a great, long-lasting legacy - and Malcolm has done just that.
Highly recommend this to all readers interested in knowing more about Malcolm, American history and the civil rights movement and understanding him in a more complete manner.
melissaamy7's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Great companion book to the Autobiography of Malcolm X. Les Payne’s thirty years of research and interviews really pays off.
lordgiovanni's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.5