The Last Year of Malcom X

by George Breitman

Book Overview

Evaluates the experiences and teachings of the black leader during his final year of life. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 087348004X
• ISBN13: 9780873480048
• Release Date: June 1970
• Publisher: Pathfinder
• Length: 211 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.2" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Essential

I agree that this is the best book on Malcolm X and the evolution of his thought and action in the last year of his life. Breitman does well to faithfully draw out, including the contradictions Malcolm was working through, the pathways Malcolm was pursuing... his aims, his objectives, his goals... Breitman gives good context, clearly debunks myths and obfuscations and tackles common attacks that were levied against Malcolm in the year before and after his murder. Should be read hand in hand with Malcolm X Speaks... pretty much essential if you care at all about anything really.

Great Book, Helps to Really Understand Malcolm

I, like the author, believe that the Autobiography of Malcolm X left out crucial elements to understanding Malcolm's life and sentiments because it did not cover his life to the last day. This book actually looks at Malcolm's life in three separate stages: his life up until and including being a Nation of Islam spokesperson, his transition period while he was breaking with the Nation of Islam and shortly thereafter, and the path he was setting for himself as he was killed. This book aims to prove that Malcolm was setting an anti-imperialist path, and internationalist path, an anti-capitalist path, a truly revolutionary and truly dangerous (for the ruling classes) path. I think the book proves it, and I respect Malcolm all the more for it. This book also contains criticisms of Malcolm by various people, notably some liberals, and so it's good to get an idea of where people stood, who was really afraid of Malcolm and what he was really starting to represent.

The Real Malcolm In His Last Year

This excellent little book traces the evolution of the thought and action of Malcolm X in the last eleven months of his life.Malcolm rejected the anti-Semitism and anti-woman policies of the Nation of Islam, and its refusal to involve itself in the civil rights movement. He continued to more and more place the Black struggle in this country in the world context : in the context of the struggle of the workers and farmers in Asia , Africa, and Latin America against imperialism, Yanki imperialism in the first place. He continued to expose the role of the Democratic Party to fool the masses of working people into thinking that we have a friend among our oppressors and exploiters. More and more, he spoke out against capitialism as the cause of racism and described himself unabashedly as pro-socialist.He spoke of the Chinese, Vietnamese, and Cuban revolutions as examples of what we working people must do HERE for the future of all humanity. The author is no academic ' observer'; he covered Malcolm's evolution for The Militant newspaper, the only place Malcolm's speeches were published in full and undistorted after he left the Nation of Islam. This book is an excellent companion volume to read alongside Malcolm's actual speeches, also published by Pathfinder Press.

Malcolm in action

I was surprised when I read this book. It gives Malcolm X's speech announcing his political program for fighting for Black control of the black community and Justice. I didnt know what that was before I read it. I read the talk Malcolm gave introducing the program and he talks about how he was supposed to bring Che Guevara up to the meeting, but Che couldn't make it. Heavy Stuff. Breitman is pretty good at defending Malcolm X against critics and showing what the man stood for without imposing his own views on him. We need to see how Malcolm X was in action to get a better idea how we can advance the struggle.