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A review by drbooknerd
The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X by Les Payne, Tamara Payne
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.