This fresh biography unearths previously unpublished nuances about Malcolm X's life. Malcolm X: A Biography is a historical and political analysis of the black leader's life and times, offering a detailed treatment of its subject's multifaceted story. Laid out chronologically, the book treats Malcolm's life from his birth through his childhood, adult life, work as a Civil Rights activist, and assassination.
Readers will learn about the torching of Malcolm's family's Lansing, MI, home when he was a young child and about the death of his father a few years later—both acts attributed to a white supremacist organization. They will learn of his participation in narcotics, prostitution, and gambling rings and of his arrest and prison term. And they will learn about his discovery of the teachings of Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad, his conversion to the Muslim faith, his break with NOI, and his eventual espousal of faith in integration. Finally, the book looks at Malcolm's assassination and at his legacy and importance today.