Overview

February 21, 1965. Controversial civil rights leader Malcolm X is gunned down during a speech in Manhattan. Few were shocked by the news of Malcolm X eis death. Since 1952 the former member of the Nation of Islam had supported the Nation eis philosophy of violence as the method to achieve justice for blacks in the United States. But in March 1964, after a major shift in his philosophy, Malcolm changed his message. He no longer agreed with the Nation of Islam and feuded with its leaders. In this chronicle of an assassination, find out the answers to the questions about who assassinated Malcolm and learn more about the impact of Malcolm X eis life, and his death, on civil rights in the United States.

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9780761354840

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Reviews

In his relatively brief life, Malcolm X faced one tragedy after another. These events likely had an impact on the man he became. The introduction to this readable, well-designed book describes the death of Malcolm X and posits the question, 'Who were Malcolm's killers?' Doeden then proceeds to give an overview of Malcolm's life, from birth to his rise to leadership in the Nation of Islam (NOI) to his separation from the same because of his militant response toward gaining civil rights. Three men were ultimately prosecuted for his death, served time, and were released, yet his murder remains shrouded in secrecy. Doeden explains how lack of cooperation of the NOI and an absence of intense investigation by police have lead to speculations about a conspiracy and the real killers. Back matter is robust and should lead interested readers in further pursuit of the truth. Pair with Andrew Helfer's Malcolm X: A Graphic Biography (2006). --Booklist --Journal Doeden gives a short but solid introduction to the life of Malcolm X, from his difficult, often tragic, childhood to his multiple scrapes with the law, through his self-education in jail, and his joining and leaving the Nation of Islam. Background history on racism in the United States supplements this life history in a book definitely needed in our children's and teen collections. The Autobiography of Malcolm X (Malcolm X and Alex Haley, Grove Press, 1965) is a classic and vitally important autobiographical work that illuminates a whole period of our history and has also changed lives in ways few books have. Doeden's book works well as a simplified but informative introduction to that work for upper elementary and reluctant tween and teen readers. Questions remain about the circumstances of Malcolm X's murder, and A Marked Man only hints at some possible answers. The design of the book is simple and powerful--my only grumble is the use of red-on-black and black-on-red text, difficult combinations for some to read. Following the text are photographs, timeline, glossary, source notes, suggestions for further reading. --BayViews --Journal A vivid chronicle of Malcolm X's life and untimely death. Few people were shocked when Malcolm X was gunned down by assassins in 1965. The 39-year-old former Nation of Islam member and civil rights leader was a lightning rod for controversy. The first half of Doeden's biography explains how Malcolm Little's distrust of white America was sown in his youth, how his imprisonment as a young man led to a path of self-education and spiritual seeking, and how the Nation of Islam provided him with an outlet for his resentment. A gifted, charismatic speaker, he rose to prominence as a civil rights leader who championed Black Power and offered an alternative to people dissatisfied with Martin Luther King's approach of nonviolent resistance. Malcolm's pilgrimage to Mecca prompted in him a major philosophical shift that resulted in public feuding with the Nation of Islam and its leaders. Doeden thoroughly explores in the second half of the book the circumstances of Malcolm's assassination, the trial and conviction of the killers, and the rumors of conspiracies and coverups that persist. A brief but impressively insightful and engaging overview of the life and assassination of Malcolm X. --Kirkus Reviews--Journal Malcolm X once said that he would 'never get old, ' referring to how his controversial views on race made him a marked man. The 39-year-old civil rights leader was proven right on February 21, 1965, when he was murdered while giving a speech in New York City. Of the three men convicted in the killing, only Talmadge Hayer ever admitted guilt. But who helped Hayer carry out the crime? Who ordered the job? And what events led to Malcolm X becoming such a target? The focus here is on the cloudy details of the assassination. Doeden successfully distinguishes between fact and conjecture, but the book is so brief that the whole examination feels somewhat stuck at the surface level. The striking design will certainly capture readers' attention--a shattered glass bullet hole motif symbolizes both the violent struggle of Malcolm X's life and the way in which he met his bloody end. Unfortunately, a spread placed smack dab in the middle of a section describing the shooting more or less destroys the flow, and at the worst possible time. Short biographies of many of the principals are appended. A flawed look at the death of a flawed, yet brilliant man. --School Library Journal --Journal

Doeden gives a short but solid introduction to the life of Malcolm X, from his difficult, often tragic, childhood to his multiple scrapes with the law, through his self-education in jail, and his joining and leaving the Nation of Islam. Background history on racism in the United States supplements this life history in a book definitely needed in our children's and teen collections. The Autobiography of Malcolm X (Malcolm X and Alex Haley, Grove Press, 1965) is a classic and vitally important autobiographical work that illuminates a whole period of our history and has also changed lives in ways few books have. Doeden's book works well as a simplified but informative introduction to that work for upper elementary and reluctant tween and teen readers. Questions remain about the circumstances of Malcolm X's murder, and A Marked Man only hints at some possible answers. The design of the book is simple and powerful--my only grumble is the use of red-on-black and black-on-red text, difficult combinations for some to read. Following the text are photographs, timeline, glossary, source notes, suggestions for further reading. --BayViews --Journal In his relatively brief life, Malcolm X faced one tragedy after another. These events likely had an impact on the man he became. The introduction to this readable, well-designed book describes the death of Malcolm X and posits the question, 'Who were Malcolm's killers?' Doeden then proceeds to give an overview of Malcolm's life, from birth to his rise to leadership in the Nation of Islam (NOI) to his separation from the same because of his militant response toward gaining civil rights. Three men were ultimately prosecuted for his death, served time, and were released, yet his murder remains shrouded in secrecy. Doeden explains how lack of cooperation of the NOI and an absence of intense investigation by police have lead to speculations about a conspiracy and the real killers. Back matter is robust and should lead interested readers in further pursuit of the truth. Pair with Andrew Helfer's Malcolm X: A Graphic Biography (2006). --Booklist --Journal A vivid chronicle of Malcolm X's life and untimely death. Few people were shocked when Malcolm X was gunned down by assassins in 1965. The 39-year-old former Nation of Islam member and civil rights leader was a lightning rod for controversy. The first half of Doeden's biography explains how Malcolm Little's distrust of white America was sown in his youth, how his imprisonment as a young man led to a path of self-education and spiritual seeking, and how the Nation of Islam provided him with an outlet for his resentment. A gifted, charismatic speaker, he rose to prominence as a civil rights leader who championed Black Power and offered an alternative to people dissatisfied with Martin Luther King's approach of nonviolent resistance. Malcolm's pilgrimage to Mecca prompted in him a major philosophical shift that resulted in public feuding with the Nation of Islam and its leaders. Doeden thoroughly explores in the second half of the book the circumstances of Malcolm's assassination, the trial and conviction of the killers, and the rumors of conspiracies and coverups that persist. A brief but impressively insightful and engaging overview of the life and assassination of Malcolm X. --Kirkus Reviews--Journal Malcolm X once said that he would 'never get old, ' referring to how his controversial views on race made him a marked man. The 39-year-old civil rights leader was proven right on February 21, 1965, when he was murdered while giving a speech in New York City. Of the three men convicted in the killing, only Talmadge Hayer ever admitted guilt. But who helped Hayer carry out the crime? Who ordered the job? And what events led to Malcolm X becoming such a target? The focus here is on the cloudy details of the assassination. Doeden successfully distinguishes between fact and conjecture, but the book is so brief that the whole examination feels somewhat stuck at the surface level. The striking design will certainly capture readers' attention--a shattered glass bullet hole motif symbolizes both the violent struggle of Malcolm X's life and the way in which he met his bloody end. Unfortunately, a spread placed smack dab in the middle of a section describing the shooting more or less destroys the flow, and at the worst possible time. Short biographies of many of the principals are appended. A flawed look at the death of a flawed, yet brilliant man. --School Library Journal --Journal

Author Information

Matt Doeden began his career as a sports writer. Since then, he's spent more than a decade writing and editing children's nonfiction. Matt lives in Minnesota with his family.

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