The Autobiography of Malcolm X

by Malcolm X and assisted by Alex Haley, Laurence Fishburne (narrator)

Recommendations from our site

“The story is that Malcolm X was in a very busy period of his life. He would turn up in the evenings and tell Alex Haley the story of his life, and Haley would write it down. But Haley was a wonderful journalist, so he turned it into a great narrative. As with all great biographers, there’s clearly a sympathy between them but not necessarily a fawning sycophancy. It’s one of the great books of American self-invention, and a great coming of age book. It’s a page-turner in every sense.” Read more...

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Henry Oliver, Biographer

“This is a text that you’ve got to read for yourself. It allows you to see how faith shapes Malcolm’s worldview, and his understanding of racism and the solution to racism. But it also allows you to see a historical figure who changes over time. Malcolm’s beliefs change over time, especially as they relate to white brothers and sisters, and the origins of racism and inequality while maintaining a commitment to black nationalism.” Read more...

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Lerone Martin, Historian

“He really gets it. He really gives you the emotional sense of anger in there without it being over the top. He gives you the background of what it was like for Malcolm X growing up and where all of these things were coming from. I really felt like it filled out the history. I remembered reading it with my eyes, I remembered seeing the movie, but this was somehow a more complete experience than either of those things.” Read more...

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Michele Cobb, Publisher

“His memoir describes that process of transformation from a common narrative of street hustler and limited opportunities, struggling in a racist society, to this radicalization in part through literacy, in part through literature and religion.” Read more...

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