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| '''''The Autobiography of Malcolm X''''' is a 1965 book by human rights activist ] with the assistance of ]. In 1998, '']'' named ''The Autobiography of Malcolm X'' one of the ten most influential |
'''''The Autobiography of Malcolm X''''' is a 1965 book by human rights activist ] with the assistance of ]. In 1998, '']'' named ''The Autobiography of Malcolm X'' one of the ten most influential nonfiction books of the 20th century.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,988496,00.html |title=Required Reading: Nonfiction Books |last=Gray |first=Paul |date=June 8, 1998 |work=] |accessdate=April 25, 2010 }}</ref> | ||
| ==Summary== | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| The |
''The Autobiography of Malcolm X'' describes the trajectory of Malcolm X's life. It begins with an incident during his mother's pregnancy and describes his childhood in ], including the death of his father and his mother's deteriorating mental health, which resulted in her ] to a hospital. The book describes Malcolm X's young adulthood in ] and ], during which he became involved in the criminal underworld and was ultimately arrested and sentenced to prison. It details his conversion to the ], his ministry, and his emergence as the organization's national spokesman. The book describes Malcolm X's subsequent disillusionment with the Nation, his departure from the organization and conversion to ] ], his ] to ], and his travels in ]. Haley wrote an epilogue to the book summarizing the end of Malcolm X's life, including his assassination in New York's ]. | ||
| In addition, ''The Autobiography of Malcolm X'' outlines Malcolm X's philosophy of ], ], and ]. Because the book was written during the period in which Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam, the earlier sections of the book reflect the teachings of the Nation and the later sections articulate some of Malcolm X's later thinking. | |||
| ==Writing the ''Autobiography''== | |||
| ⚫ | Haley ] the book based on more than 50 in-depth interviews he conducted with Malcolm X between 1963 and the activist's February 1965 assassination.<ref>{{cite book |last=Haley |first=Alex |authorlink=Alex Haley |editor-last=Gallen |editor-first=David |title=Malcolm X: As They Knew Him |year=1992 |publisher=Carroll & Graf |location=New York |isbn=0-88184-850-6 |page=243 |chapter=Alex Haley Remembers }} Originally published in '']'', November 1983.</ref> | ||
| Haley stated in the documentary '']'' that it was difficult to write the autobiography because Malcolm X was quite averse to talking about himself and preferred instead to talk about the Nation of Islam.<ref></ref> | Haley stated in the documentary '']'' that it was difficult to write the autobiography because Malcolm X was quite averse to talking about himself and preferred instead to talk about the Nation of Islam.<ref></ref> | ||
Revision as of 18:31, 31 May 2010
| File:AutobiographyOfMalcolmX.JPGFirst edition | |
| Author | Malcolm X with the assistance of Alex Haley |
|---|---|
| Genre | Autobiography |
| Publisher | Grove Press |
| Publication date | 1965 |
| Publication place | USA |
| OCLC | 219493184 |
The Autobiography of Malcolm X is a 1965 book by human rights activist Malcolm X with the assistance of Alex Haley. In 1998, Time named The Autobiography of Malcolm X one of the ten most influential nonfiction books of the 20th century.
Summary
The Autobiography of Malcolm X describes the trajectory of Malcolm X's life. It begins with an incident during his mother's pregnancy and describes his childhood in Michigan, including the death of his father and his mother's deteriorating mental health, which resulted in her commitment to a hospital. The book describes Malcolm X's young adulthood in Boston and New York, during which he became involved in the criminal underworld and was ultimately arrested and sentenced to prison. It details his conversion to the Nation of Islam, his ministry, and his emergence as the organization's national spokesman. The book describes Malcolm X's subsequent disillusionment with the Nation, his departure from the organization and conversion to Sunni Islam, his pilgrimage to Mecca, and his travels in Africa. Haley wrote an epilogue to the book summarizing the end of Malcolm X's life, including his assassination in New York's Audubon Ballroom.
In addition, The Autobiography of Malcolm X outlines Malcolm X's philosophy of black pride, black nationalism, and pan-Africanism. Because the book was written during the period in which Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam, the earlier sections of the book reflect the teachings of the Nation and the later sections articulate some of Malcolm X's later thinking.
Writing the Autobiography
Haley wrote the book based on more than 50 in-depth interviews he conducted with Malcolm X between 1963 and the activist's February 1965 assassination.
Haley stated in the documentary Eyes on the Prize that it was difficult to write the autobiography because Malcolm X was quite averse to talking about himself and preferred instead to talk about the Nation of Islam.
There are exaggerations and inaccuracies in the book, some of which were acknowledged by Haley. For example, Malcolm X describes an incident in which he pointed a revolver with a single bullet to his head in front of his criminal cohorts and repeatedly pulled the trigger in order to show them he was not afraid to die. In the epilogue, Haley writes that when Malcolm was proof-reading the manuscript he told Haley that he had palmed the bullet and staged the act in order to scare the others into obedience.
The screenplay for the 1992 Spike Lee film Malcolm X was adapted from The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
In 2005 historian Manning Marable claimed that, prior to writing the book with Malcolm X, Haley and another author had collaborated with the FBI to write an article that offered misleading criticisms of Malcolm and the Nation of Islam.
See also
References
- Gray, Paul (June 8, 1998). "Required Reading: Nonfiction Books". Time. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
- Haley, Alex (1992). "Alex Haley Remembers". In Gallen, David (ed.). Malcolm X: As They Knew Him. New York: Carroll & Graf. p. 243. ISBN 0-88184-850-6. Originally published in Essence, November 1983.
- Eyes on the Prize - Transcript
- Bernard Weinraub, A Movie Producer Remembers The Human Side of Malcolm X, The New York Times, November 23, 1992, Accessed June 18, 2008.
- Democracy Now: Interview with Manning Marable
- Democracy Now: Interview with Manning Marable
Further reading
- "Malcolm X's Daughter to Add to Father's Autobiography". New York Post. April 12, 2010. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
External links
- Teacher's guide at Random House
- An Excerpt from The Autobiography of Malcolm X