Autobiography of Malcolm X (Alex Haley)

I'd never heard of the Nation of Islam or the Black Separatist group until Malcom X converted then unconverted to this group and had to do a college term paper on organizations that separate or hate over racial divides. When it was announced that a popular talk show was having Black Separatist vs White Separatist on this show I could not wait to watch the fireworks and I hoped they would wipe one another out or at least make an attempt to. Imagine my disbelief when all they did was praise and applaud one another. Then it dawned on me how much they had in common. Both said they had respect for each other's separatist cause Both were against racial mixing and interracial marriages Both denied they were not hate groups but confessed a love for only their own racial group Both claimed God was for them only Both had religious undertones Both were not following the true mainstream teachings of their religion, (Muslim & Christianity) Both were labeled hate groups Both hated the Governmen... Read more

Malcom X was not the only one who was skilled in the art of having mass appeal by building up a group of people with pitting them against a common enemy. Powerful Leaders have played this game for centuries. The one distinction is Malcom X saw the deception in this and changed but this change is what contributed to his untimely death. I decided to watch this movie when it came on cable today. I've got to disagree with another reviewer who said it glosses over Malcom's unsavory actions. This story is told with the upmost truth. The good, the bad and the ugly is laid open like a nasty, festering puss filled wound for all to see. I had no intentions of seeing this movie and was more than a little pissed when my son had to watch this movie for his highschool report during Feb.'s black history month. My first impression was this was another example of our liberal schools and their agenda to further taint our history against us. Before protesting to the Principal against his left wing tea... Read more

It was my first introduction to Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little in Nebraska) and it made a fan out of me, even though his voice in the book (or Haley's, speaking for him) wasn't as acerbic, as scathing, as some of his recorded speeches (I remember one speech where he said the military didn't want him because if they sent him up in a plane with bombs to drop on his enemies, he might drop them on his actual enemies-- the same people who had sent him up in the plane in the first place). My father read it, and my father is an old-line Republican from a time when old-line meant Wendell Wilkie, not Ronald Reagan, and he confessed to a certain amount of respect for Malcolm, although they assuredly weren't on the same wave length when it came to a lot of issues. But there's a lot there to respect-- if anybody ever "pulled themselves up by their bootstraps", it was Malcolm; a convict educating himself behind bars, leaving behind a life of crime and degredation, and becoming a leader of fiery elo... Read more

Prompted no doubt by southern white guilt, I have always been interested in the Civil Rights movement. I am so sorry that it was necessary, but wow, so many people just stepped up to the plate. Good for them, they changed everything. among such people was Malcolm X, AKA Malcolm Little, AKA El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. I studied his life a little along side Dr. King, both were great leaders, with not-so-clean pasts who helped their causes by using totally different methods. I then read the book and even have the movie as part of my collection. The book is not 100% historically accurate and it does gloss over a lot of Malcolms shortcomings. But then, what biography doesn't? The movie is probably longer than it should be, but it is still an extremely good movie, one of my favorites in fact. What I like the most about X is that he preached a rhetoric of hate the entire first half of his career. Now I am not saying that it was unjustified hate, and the hate was no doubt nurtured by the Natio... Read more

I really hesitated to get this book as it's the first book I ever buy without someone recommending it or at least getting some feedback from either other readers before purchasing it. I really cant see how could this book get a rating less than six, or anything below A+. Some may say this book is a must read for Afro-Americans, or Americans I guess they havent understood the book, nor the higher meaning of the message Mr. Malik El Haj Shabaz (formerly Malcolm X) gave his life for. I think this book is a must read by any Human being, it's a story of dignity, courage, honor, I cant put enough words to describe how I was truely inspired, motivated by this book, infact you can consider it as one of the best self development books you will ver get your hands on. It's very honest and touches the reader that I wasnt able to put it down until finished. I have watched the movie by Spikee Lee which was perform by Denzel, at that time I thought I knew enough about Malcolm's struggle, however a... Read more

This book was good. Malcolm X was a great man. The world wouldn't be the same without him.

i think malcolm x was a great man and i think hes footsteps should be followed but those who think this is a bad book blame the author dont say all this stuff about malcolm x. i think he was at the same rate as other human right activist maybe higer. the only difference between them and malcolm is that malcolm wanted change to go faster "by any means neccesary" and to get what you want you got to fight for it and by doing that you got to face your challenges and deal with it and thats exactly what malcolm x did.

A good read. . .an important read. . .but more than one contemporary historian can find holes in this book- some of the glorification of Malcom (by Haley) was indeed just glorification. . .the autobiography has a few mistakes that historians can point to. . .

one of the most important pieces of American literature ever written. Even if your fellings about the subject are mixed or negative the reading of this book is a window into the American racial structure and system in this country during the Jim Crow and civil rights days. Malcolm X, the ex pimp, ex drug pusher, ex convict ended up being the most eloquent spokesperson for the so called American negro at that time who's untimely death silenced him forever. A great, great book

What's fascinating is the change that he underwent during the course of writing the autobiography (actually, Haley wrote it, which makes the title somewhat odd). I don't know if there can be a more dynamic piece of literature in a biography.

malcolm x's book co-written with alex haley jr. was a masterpiece! If anyone really read it you would have realized that throughout the book malcolm realizes that he will be killed before the book will ever be published! what an incredibly passionate and brave human being, with more common sense than the average person. he spoke in england at the oxford union , he was self taught to the point of being a scholar in any area of knowledge. this man should be worshipped for his ultimate goal of HUMAN RIGHTS EVERYWHERE!

The letter X is quintessential enough for comment.

I thoroughly enjoy the book. It talks about a Black man place in this Racist society! I was not surprised that a lot of white people didn't like the book? Most white people are still stuck in the antebellum era! Oh! how can you say that? Look at all the Sports and Entertainment figures making money! That is the only arena that some Blacks are allowed to enter. Blacks need to wake-up and see that what is happening in Iraq is in correlation what Black people have experience in America. It is kinda of funny that white people have the audacious to try to speak,define,and know what Black people are thinking. You call that arrogance! Some people will say not all white people are like that. You must understand Black people, you are living in a white supremacy society. White people consciously or subconsciously still benefit from this society. I don't see large quantity of white people trying to level the playing field. Because it benefit them economically,politically,and socially.

Musicfan, I have never been more insulted in allmy life! I am a black man, and as a black man I agree that there are some white people that have changed America and that blacks should stop using the white man as their excuse. But you must not have read the entire book. Malcolm X did infact change his view of white people when he went to Mecca. If you would really read the book with an open mind you would have realized that by the end of his life Malcolm realized that Elijah Muhammad was not a prophet of his god (and I say his god because I am not a Muslim), and that the message he brought calling all white people devils was not the message that was preached in the Holy Koran. Malcolm X said he felt betrayed not because Muhammad had illegitimate children nor because he was silenced, but because he had been believing that E. Muhammad was the last prophet of his god. He had learned on his trip that their are Muslims of every race, creed and color. Further more. America has not vol... Read more

Alex Haley wrote an AUTObiography of Malcom X? Would somebody please call Mr. Haley and let him know that an AUTObiography is, by definition, WRITTEN SOLEY BY THE PERSON WHO'S LIFE IS BEING WRITTEN ABOUT. Writing about the life of another person is called a biography, not AUTObiography. This is something I learned when I was TEN YEARS OLD. No, I've never read this, but WHAT AN IDIOT.

Haley was a plagarist and fairytale spinner, and as such, a very poor choice to write a book of such importance. Credibility of the text compromised from the start. Secondly, whatever one thinks about Malcolm X's methods, a good deal of his message should bear positive weight in both black and white Americans. He did accurately point out the unsavory and disgraceful racial double standards that poisoned this nation for generations, and predicted that there would be an eventual backlash due to the subjugation of African-Americans for hundreds of years. He was totally right about this, but hey, anyone with a brain in his/her head in 1950s America could have realized this. Unfortunately, there's still millions of mutants in this country who still don't get it. Furthermore, Malcolm's most useful social/political message was, essentially, "Black Power will never exist without Green Power." He was right on target with this one, as well, and his entreaty to American blacks to be produc... Read more

MALCOLM X WAS A TERRIBLE CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER. HE WAS TOO MILITANT, NOT PEACEFUL AND RESPECTFUL LIKE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. IF HE WAS ALIVE TODAY, HE WOULD BE AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN VERSION OF OSAMA BIN LADEN, A HORRIBLE DISGRACE TO BOTH BLACKS AND WHITES.

i cannot give a justified opinion because i am not finished reading it. but so far it is very interesting that a man can be so strong and proud. a true historical figure, but some of the things that malcolm X beleved in i will never agree with.

Malcolm X is definitely one of the most interesting as well as fascinating figures in the 20th century and all of American history. It is important to note that I am a Caucasian male myself. He changed his name from his birth name Malcolm Little to Malcolm X in honor of his ancestors that came to America on slave ships through the Middle Passage, having only one letter to represent their last name. He changed his life from being a criminal on the streets of Harlem to possibly the greatest civil rights leader of the early 1960s. The hajj Malcolm X made to Mecca was momentous because he saw that Muslims from all walks of life were getting along together in harmony without regard to race. He advocated untiy within the black race. It was interesting that he said that blacks must first get human rights (which they obviously did not have) before they could achieve civil rights. He was a person that actually had the courage to stand up and challenge the establishment and say, "you know... Read more

This was a terrible book. Alex Haley is notorious for taking extreme "liberty" with the truth and facts in his writing. He has done this with "Autobiography of Malcolm X". Autobiography? Leave it to Alex Haley. Malcolm X was a bigot, a racist, and a hate monger. He hated white people just because they were white. The current movement to try to make him a folk hero is very disturbing. We are setting a double standard here. Malcolm X was an extremist and a racist. Alex Haley's reinvention of the facts does not make him a good writer. It makes him a good distributor of propaganda.

I could not disagree more with Rusty's assessment of the "Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Haley. First of all, how does one writer write about the life of another and call it an autobiography? Alex Haley is notorious for delivering what he wishes to become public opinion as facts. Never in the history of civilization has one nation, the United States of America, done more to attempt to create equality for a racial minority. America has done so much to improve the lives of blacks. None of this is appreciated. The story of Malcolm X is a perfect example of how what is unacceptable for one race is perfectly acceptable for another. Alex Haley conveniently reinvented many historical events to "justify" Malcolm X's disgusting behavior and beliefs. Malcolm X personified hatred, bigotry, and racism. He hated all white people because they were white. We are supposed to accept that? That is acceptable behavior? Malcolm X did not take any personal responsibility or personal accountability. Wh... Read more

For anyone who wants to try and understand the perspective of a black man struggling to overcome the systematic destruction of his biological family (his father was lynched, social services sent Malcolm Little and his siblings to foster homes in Michigan and Massachusetts) and his niche within a racist society that still exists, this is a great book to read. He is an angry man made angry by an injust, hideously racist society that denied him hope and optimism, which understandably made him feel he had no choice but to go among his own people to survive. As a white man, I feel this book is still pertinent and should be mandatory reading for white people who have little understanding of black culture and society. White people should feel disturbed by Malcolm X. His rage resonates in many young blacks who have been dealing with adversity their entire lives. It is not enough to say to black people, "I'm sorry." White people must initiate contact with blacks and go beyond the superficial "H... Read more

This is one of the most important books about race and politics. Malcom X gives a real portrayl of a man who is of skewed with negative stereotypes. It is appropriate for high school to college level.

This is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. One of my school essays fetched me an A because the teacher really liked the content.

Malcolm X is a fascinating person. Alex Haley is a great author. You do the math. This book intensifies the life and message of Malcolm X without diluting his ideas or beliefs.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X is a well written account of one of the most interesting figures on the landscape of post World War II America. Haley makes a sympathetic figure out of the often somewhat forbidding Malcolm. I could have appreciated a more detailed treatment of Malcolm's break with Elijah Muhammad and the apparent retreat from ethnic separatism at the end of his life.

A teriffic biography! The site downloads quickly and the images are fascinating. The chronological list of life events provides concise and insightful information. I particularly enjoyed the section on "Aftermath of his death."

I liked it because it gave a thorough insight of Malcolm's entire life with pictures, and also portrayed his strengths and weaknesses.

This is one of those books that helped shape my life. The way that Malcolm describes his journey of being called a "negro," to earning respect as a man is powerful. This book should be required reading in highschool.