This biography, though it covers his early life and adulthood, focusses most prominently on Malcolm X’s final years, which were largely dominated by his departure from the Nation of Islam and his conflict with Elijah Muhammad. Throughout, the author addresses a number of lingering issues, including the role of fellow prisoner John Elton Bembry in Malcolm’s prison conversion; whether Malcolm decided to leave the Nation of Islam before he was suspended by Elijah Muhammad; whether he was seeking martyrdom; and the extent of the role that government agencies played in Malcolm X’s assassination in 1965.

Dennis D. Wainstock teaches American history at Fairmont State University (West Virginia) and Parkersburg Community College (West Virginia). He is also the author of books about the 1968 presidential campaign, the atomic bomb, and the Korean War. He lives in Salem, West Virginia.

Dennis D. Wainstock
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 229
Bibliographic Info: 5 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2009
pISBN: 978-0-7864-3934-8
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents

Preface      1

Introduction: The Early Years      3

1. Imprisonment and Redemption      21

2. Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X      29

3. Malcolm X’s Ministry      38

4. The Developing Rift      60

5. The Rift Deepens      70

6. Disobedience and Suspension      79

7. The Break      88

8. The Pilgrimage and African Travels      98

9. By Any Means Necessary      110

10. Back Overseas      125

11. Under the Wire      138

12. The Last Days      150

13. Arrests, Convictions, and Theories      169

14. Recapitulation and Reflection      184

Notes      191

Bibliography      213

Index      219