Malcolm X died right before I was born, so to be honest, I pretty much knew nothing about him. This autobiography was a tremendous introduction. My book had an introduction by M.S. Handler (a journalist at the time) and a lengthy epilogue by the writer (Alex Haley).

Malcolm X, as it turns out, led a very interesting life. From intelligent youngster to teenage criminal to prisoner to religious leader, his autobiography leaves out nothing. My sense is that Malcolm X told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth from his perspective. If you want to know the man and what he really thought, it's definitely in here.

The book was close to a 5 star read for me, but there was a section in the middle about Malcolm X's pilgrimage to Mecca that was very dull with a recitation of all the people he met there. It was important because it did transform his views of whites to some degree. But it was dull.

It's pretty easy for me to separate the quality of this book from my perspective on the man. The read is top notch, but there's a lot about Malcolm X to admire and a lot to be disgusted about. On the admirable side, the man read a LOT. He basically completely educated himself in prison. He had unparalleled intellectual curiosity. He cared deeply about the welfare of his people. On the flip side, he is a great example of some of the dangers of deep blind religious belief. Malcolm joined an American Islamic group, and it was to be the savior of the black man in America. It reminded me completely of the Moral Majority. Follow our moral guidance because we say so - - otherwise we will kick you out of our religion. Swear allegiance to our (human) leader. The mixing of politics and religion ultimate lead to Malcolm X's downfall, and the book details the entire story. Overall, and perhaps inadvertently, I felt like the book shows how we are each limited by our own upbringing, experience and beliefs - - and how hard it is to be dispassionate and to see things from the perspective of others. Malcolm X expresses some very misogynist and anti-Semitic points of view, acknowledges that others will see his points of view in a negative light, and then insists they are true.

As you can see, the autobiography provides a great deal of insight into the life of one man who tried to make a difference during a very tumultuous time period. My one disappointment was that I really don't know enough about the actual historical events of the time period to have the proper context. I'd love to see a rendition of this book where some of the parallel historical events in the civil rights movement were detailed in chapters between periods of his life. Not instead of this book, but as a re-release for those who are seeking to improve their understanding of the context of the times.

( )

The Autobiography of Malcolm X is the story of Malcolm X's life from his own perspective. It was interesting reading about his life and how his views evolved over the course of it. I found it fascinating seeing how his experiences were reflected in his approach to civil rights. I didn't always agree with his approach, but I understood it. At the end of the book, I felt a sense of melancholy knowing how his life ended. I think the world would have been a better place today if his life wasn't ended so soon. I think it would have been interesting to see how his outlook would have continued to evolve, especially on his view on the roll of women in the movement. Overall, I am glad I read this book. I think some of his views on the need to address the poorer black communities are still valid today. If you listen to audiobooks, Laurence Fishburne's performance on the Audible Audio is excellent. ( )

Interesting and thought provoking. I actually listened to the audio version of the book which is read by Laurence Fishburne. They actually say “Performed by” on the listing. This is an apt distinction. The reading truly brings the words to life and, I imagine, Malcolm X would approve. I knew the general story from the Spike Lee movie and other sources but this book takes you well beyond them. X would be much more controversial if he were living in our divided times but it’s hard for me to disagree with anything he says based on his background, reasoning and experiences. ( )

Interesting biography. From the street to leading a movement. ( )

(32) Around this time each year, I re-read a book from the past. I was not inspired to pick anything until I recently read 'Solitary,' a biography of a black man who was imprisoned unjustly for most of his life. He referred to Malcolm X quite a bit and given current events and some of the conflicted ways I have been feeling, I thought this would be a good re-read. And it was! An amazing man. I wonder what he would have to say about the current racial justice movement/BLM - I don't think he would like It much. I do think he would love the more ubiquitous use of white supremacy as being more of an inherent tenet of American society as opposed to an outlook one chooses to adopt.

This is the story of his life as told to Alex Haley, the author of 'Roots', who became a friend of sorts to Malcolm. He was the son of an acolyte of Marcus Garvey, he dropped out of school in the 8th grade despite a promising start - popular, class president, etc. and ultimately took to a life of crime on the streets of Harlem where he sold drugs and robbed people. He went to prison for about 8 years and it was there that he discovered the Muslim religion as practiced by Elijah Muhammad. A black nationalist movement that preached separation from the white man instead of integration. Some of the hard truths he espoused during this time and the hard stances he chose to take were brilliant in my opinion. He preached personal responsibility which is so missing from the liberal democratic dialogue focused on equity - i.e. handouts, quotas, lowering standards. Malcolm must be rolling over in his grave. He does say a life of crime is inevitable when you are raised in the black ghetto and I think this stands true today.

I remember reading this in my 20's and watching Spike Lee's movies and having a complete transformation regarding my thinking on race relations. My 20 something self and my 50 something self are in agreement on this book. 1/2 star off only in that at times it was repetitive with a lot of name dropping that meant nothing to me. Some of the words to describe him come through in this rendering - electric, uncompromising, charming, powerful. I think this book should be read before any of the whiny social treatises like 'White Fragility.' Not only are you fragile, but a devil. Ha!

It is a huge tragedy that he did not have more support and that he was hunted as he tried to create a new Black Nationalist movement. I suspect the Black Panther movement was ultimately influenced by him; but I bet he could have done so much more. Would the country have been different, better, worse if he had lived? Read this, and decide for yourself. ( )