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thematinee's review against another edition
5.0
A beautiful glimpse at one of the most iconic relationships in the civil rights movement. The only drawback might be that it's about the two men as individuals more than it is about them as a pair...but considering how few people remain that can testify to what one or the other said about the opposite, this shouldn't be surprising.
Highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn about Malcolm or Muhammed.
Highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn about Malcolm or Muhammed.
bclark8781's review against another edition
5.0
Terrific,eminently readable book about two charismatic black leaders of the early 1960s. I have read quick a bit about Ali over the years but have never read such an in-depth account about the strange triangle between Ali, Malcolm X, and Elijah Muhammad. Fascinating to ponder what Malcolm X would have gone on to accomplish had the Nation of Islam not ordered his murder.
crissb's review against another edition
4.0
I got this book from a GoodReads giveaway. About a year ago. Sorry this is so late!
If you want to know a little bit about Malcolm X and Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali, this is a great book to start. While not a full biography, you learn about their upbringings, and how their paths intersected with Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam.
Fascinating book and well worth the read.
If you want to know a little bit about Malcolm X and Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali, this is a great book to start. While not a full biography, you learn about their upbringings, and how their paths intersected with Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam.
Fascinating book and well worth the read.
phidaq's review against another edition
5.0
Riveting, with its alternating episodes of Clay and Malcolm—their overlap, then separation—its astonishing level of detail putting you in the thick of the tension. Those who thought they knew Ali and his contradictions get a new perspective on an aspect of his young adulthood that usually gets short-changed. And, if like me, you come to this book undereducated on Malcolm, you are in for a pleasant surprise on his legacy. I wonder how Nation of Islam scholars view this research. This is my third reading of an in-depth look at Ali in the '60s, after Marqusee and Eig, and this one by Roberts and Smith may be the most compelling of all. The intimidation of the NOI hangs over every earnest chapter.
chaoticmissadventures's review against another edition
3.5
This is an interesting look at how these 2 historical people's paths crossed. I do think it could have been a long form article. There were entire chapters dedicated to blow by blow fights Ali had which felt like filler. Which was interesting because Malcom X's wife and children were basically afterthoughts, the couple of times they are mentioned at all (I always find it frustrating when people as pivotal as spouses and children- entire home lives - are ignored)
I did find the general history of boxing that was included interesting. In general this is a fresh and new look at the end of X's life and the struggle for power in the NOI, thought most of the commentary on X can be found in other books such as Les Paine's The Dead Are Arising.
I did find the general history of boxing that was included interesting. In general this is a fresh and new look at the end of X's life and the struggle for power in the NOI, thought most of the commentary on X can be found in other books such as Les Paine's The Dead Are Arising.
socraticgadfly's review against another edition
5.0
This book is not a full biography of either Muhammad or Malcolm. Rather, it chronicles the times of their life that overlapped with a third circle of a Venn diagram — both of their relations' with The Nation of Islam and its then-leader, Elijah Muhammad.
Malcolm was seeking to move beyond the tight oversight of NOI even while moving in new spiritual directions that eventually led to orthodox Islam. (Outside of Louis Farrakhan, most the post-Elijah NOI later took that same journey.)
Meanwhile, Ali, having previously indicated some interest in the movement, was actively recruited by NOI.
And then Malcolm, seeing him as a sort of shield, tried to bind himself as much as possible to Ali.
Obviously, this ultimately failed.
The backdrop to all of this is race relations, civil rights, and different strategies for pursuing those civil rights.
This is not an in-depth assessment of any of that, but it is a good read in general about how we can weave tangled webs, how jealousy can promote mistrust, and more.
Malcolm was seeking to move beyond the tight oversight of NOI even while moving in new spiritual directions that eventually led to orthodox Islam. (Outside of Louis Farrakhan, most the post-Elijah NOI later took that same journey.)
Meanwhile, Ali, having previously indicated some interest in the movement, was actively recruited by NOI.
And then Malcolm, seeing him as a sort of shield, tried to bind himself as much as possible to Ali.
Obviously, this ultimately failed.
The backdrop to all of this is race relations, civil rights, and different strategies for pursuing those civil rights.
This is not an in-depth assessment of any of that, but it is a good read in general about how we can weave tangled webs, how jealousy can promote mistrust, and more.
jmdisbrow's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so enlightening to read. There is so much history that is not taught in our schools. Or I was not paying attention during this class. The information on Malcolm X and the black Muslims was especially interesting to learn. A beautiful portrait of these two men was drawn.
aloyokon's review against another edition
5.0
Muhammad Ali. Malcolm X. This is the story of the relationship that developed between these two extraordinary men at a pivotal decade, how that relationship fell apart in the power struggles over the Nation of Islam, and the effect that convulsion had on both men's lives.