The Autobiography of Malcolm X
The Autobiography of Malcolm X is the life story of the American activist Malcolm X, based on interviews conducted by journalist Alex Haley and published in 1965, shortly after Malcolm's assassination. The book traces his journey from a childhood marked by his father's death and his mother's institutionalization, through a young adulthood of street life, crime, and prison. In prison he discovered the Nation of Islam, transformed his life, and became a leading and controversial spokesman for Black self-determination. The later chapters describe his pilgrimage to Mecca, his break with the Nation of Islam, and his evolving views before his death. Combining personal narrative with social and political reflection, the book became a foundational text of African American literature and a widely taught account of self-transformation and the fight against racism.
What you might want to know about The Autobiography of Malcolm X
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Told to journalist Alex Haley, the life story of Malcolm X traces his path from a troubled youth to one of the most influential voices in the civil rights era.
It is based on interviews Malcolm X gave to journalist Alex Haley, who shaped them into the finished book published in 1965.
It was published in 1965, the same year Malcolm X was assassinated.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X is 484 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Autobiography of Malcolm X takes most readers 7 to 10 hours to finish.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
