The Autobiography of Malcolm X is one of the most influential nonfiction works of the 20th century. Written by Alex Haley and published in 1965, it tells the remarkable story of Malcolm Little, who transformed from a small-time street hustler and prisoner into Malcolm X, the fiery, controversial nation minister, and finally into El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, a changed man after his pilgrimage to Mecca. The book chronicates his childhood marked by racial violence, his years of crime and imprisonment, his conversion to the Nation of Islam, his break with leader Elijah Muhammad, and his evolving views on race, justice, and Islam. More than a memoir, it is a searing critique of American racism and a testament to the power of self-education, pride, and personal reinvention.
