About this title: By the time of his tragic murder in 1965, Malcolm X was world famous as the "angriest black man in America". From hustling, cocaine addiction and armed violence in the ghettos of Harlem he had turned, in a dramatic prison conversion, to the fervour of the Black Muslims. Speaking out to millions of oppressed blacks, he brought new hope and self ...
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Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin
Date Published: 25/02/1993
ISBN-13:9780140171273ISBN:0140171274
Description: Used-Good. Book in good or better condition. Dispatched same day from warehouse. Please email with any questions for quick response. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin
Date Published: 25/02/1993
ISBN-13:9780140171273ISBN:0140171274
Description: Used-Good. Book in good or better condition. Dispatched same day from warehouse. Please email with any questions for quick response. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Penguin
Date Published: 25/02/1993
ISBN-13:9780140171273ISBN:0140171274
Description: Used-Good. Book in good or better condition. Dispatched same day from warehouse. Please email with any questions for quick response. read more
Description: Penguin, Australia, 1968. Paperback. Book Condition: Good. Moderate reading wear and some creasing to covers. Very clean interior. read more
"This is probably the fourth time I've read this book, and while reading on a tight schedule can often make the most engrossing book a chore (and yes, this sometimes felt chorish) I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to read it once again.
As a testimony to the impact of racism on one man's life - a life from which it's possible to extrapolate much about the lives of many, many African Americans in the mid-twentieth century - this book is perhaps unparalleled. The opening chapter of the book record malicious, violent racism - the Klan burning down Malcolm's childhood home; the murder of his father by white supremacists in Michigan. The second chapter evokes a different racism - racism born of ignorance, out of a lack of compassion, out of the privilege of never having to care. Each builds, one on the next, until systemic racism becomes all too apparent - until the choices that result in X high as a kite, hiding in his tiny room in Harlem with few better options before him, are shown in all their crushing detail. X's subsequent conversion to the Nation of Islam, his life as a preacher and civil rights activist, his pilgrimage to Mecca, his revised message - each contribute to the themes built up at the beginning of the book, and then pick them apart. Where we end is not at all where we began.
What particularly struck me this time around was the act of speaking - how much X achieved by speaking his mind, even when others deliberately misinterpreted or dismissed him. For all that there were many critics ready to say that SNCC and the SCLC were "doing" while X was "only talking," the impact his words had on the way in which people thought and think is tremendous. That I'm reading his autobiography 44 years after his death and ruminating on what it says about the roots of contemporary racism is a more than able testimony of that."
"The story of Malcolm X is a enlightening novel. It gives you a real taste of the difficult race issues of the Mid 1900's. The life of Malcolm is interesting, from being number one in his class, to useing drugs and going to prision, and then following the footsteps of his father and getting involved in a religion. The author does a good job blowing up each and every one of Malcolm's experiances and showing how they all reflect and mold to Malcolm's future beliefs and values. He also does a great job of underlining the american racism and presents this racism as a cage surrounding Malcolm. This is important because it ties in with the whole meaning of Malcolm X's life. Life in Malcolms shoes kept me intreeged the whole time by getting to know Malcolm for who he really is each phase of his life. The Author also gives you a real taste of life in that era considering the story comes from the mouth of Malcolm X. Authors, Malcolm X & Alex Haley, show how different communities and experiences can change a man, and how powerfull of a man Malcolm was to bust out of that racist cage and stand for his values. This book is truely inspiring."
"This is historic, thoughful, interesting, and quick to read all at once. The details about Harlem culture were great. Malcolm's criminal exploits were informative. Useful details such as 'Leaving a light on in your bathroom is the best way to prevent burglary' will be helpful in the future. The description on how he got his "degree" through the books he read in prison was inspiring. His summarization of Mr. Mohammad's historical account of the non-whites was shocking, and I found it equally far fetched as any other religious text.
I admire Malcolm X and his story. Unlike most figureheads, he had the ability to admit when he was wrong, and the strength to stand up for what he feels is right.
As a firm believer in pacifism, I still have not been able to approve his use of force against other human beings, however I certainly respect him. I think that is what I like so much about this book. It allowed me to see a completely different perspective. I have not been undermined, exploited, or imprisoned by the white man's world, and Malcolm X has. It brings light to an underexposed perspective of America. I strongly recommend this book."
"Once in a great while, you read a book, and it changes your life forever. For me, this was one of those books. From this book I garnered a great appreciation for Islam. I also learned something about the journey from alienation to love. It made me see racism in this country through fresh eyes and I have not forgotten what I discovered.
Growing up in Atlanta and being a child of the civil rights movement, I thought I knew it all. Then in came Malcolm. I had a lot of empathy for his story of growing up on the streets. At the time I read this book, I was working in a housing project run by Wheat Street Baptist Church on (Sweet) Auburn Avenue. I ate lunch every day in a restaurant with a sign in the window that read, "For those who need it: pot likker and cornbread, 25 cents."
When he joined the Black Muslims, Malcolm was one of those in need. In many ways, I think it changed his life for the better. Becoming a Black Muslim instilled in him a strong love for Allah, a sense of discipline and purpose, and a desire to better the fortunes of his fellow members of the African-American community. The story of his rise within the ranks of the Nation of Islam and his split from the Prophet Elijah Muhammad is as compelling now as it was when this book was written.
The most eye-opening part of his journey to me, though, was his visit to Mecca, where he saw people from all over the world of many different races and skin colors all making the hadj. That experience was a profound revelation for him, and he underwent a conversion from a doctrine of separation to one of compassion and reconciliation. I truly believe that if Malcolm and Martin had lived, this would be a better world today.
If you have not read this book, I strongly urge you to do so. Perhaps it will change your life the way it changed mine."
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