Introduction

The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965) ranks among the most important nonfiction books of the twentieth century and is a seminal work of the autobiography genre. Told in direct and affecting prose, the book follows Malcolm's life through its many phases: his life as a zoot-suited hustler on the streets of Harlem; his rise through the ranks of the Nation of Islam; and, finally, his pilgrimage to Mecca and rethinking of his stances on racism, politics, and spirituality.

Beginning with a frightening scene of the Ku Klux Klan driving his family away from Malcolm's birthplace in Omaha, Nebraska, the book's clear and concise style makes an excellent vehicle for Malcolm's depiction of his life and evolving philosophy. He describes the disintegration of his family in Depression-era Michigan as...