So I ended up borrowing this one. And I am so glad i did because I really enjoyed it. And it was so interesting

This non-fiction work focuses in detail on the early life of civil rights' campaigner and icon Malcolm X, in particular the years he spent in prison. Patrick Parr's enthusiasm and exhaustive historical research are evident, and make for an engaging read.

My prior reading of 'The Autobiography of Malcolm X' both sparked my interest in 'Malcolm Before X' and slightly overshadowed it. The Autobiography, which has classic status, creates a compelling mythology around Malcolm's transformation in jail. It is a gripping read and incandescent with the talent of both Malcolm X and the writer he worked with on the project, Alex Haley. 'Malcolm Before X' can't match that sense of lightning in a bottle, but it works well as a companion piece: it is interesting to read an alternative rendering of events, based on a variety of historical sources, and with different voices contributing their perspectives.

I found the details of the prison libraries fascinating (the one at Charlestown apparently had over 8000 books, while that at Norfolk included "a large globe and wall maps of the world") - and the importance of prison libraries, as a source of comfort and education, ended up being one of my main 'take-aways' from this book. The epilogue, in which Patrick Parr reflects on the current US prison system, is an interesting coda, and he notes that many modern prisons do not have have libraries or designated library staff. His final argument is a persuasive and poignant one - that while it is Malcolm X's conversion to Islam in prison that is most famous, "it was his dedication to reading that transformed his mindset... without Norfolk's system and extensive library, we might not ever have heard of Malcolm X."

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

I received this as a digital galley from NetGalley.

Having read a couple of complete biographies of Malcolm X- it was interesting to read a book that hyperfocused on his early life in Michigan and Massachusetts. And now that I've been a Massachusetts resident for some time it was interesting to read about places and/or events that I now know about.

One of the topics I enjoyed researching and reading about is the civil rights movement so when I saw this pop up on NetGalley I had to request it. What a great read, I finished it a lot quicker than expected and thoroughly enjoyed the content. I liked the writing style and sould have liked to have this as an audio version also. Have recommended to my peers who enjoy reading about the civil rights movement and social policy issues

Honestly, all I can say is, if you read ‘The Autobiography of Malcom X’, this book is pretty much the same thing. The only difference I noticed was Malcom’s family and friends are quoted in this book talking about the same situations Malcom does but from a different perspective. Also, it’s very statistical and very historical in terms of Malcom’s bloodline and where his ancestors come from.

The show that recently came out about Martin Luther king Jr and Malcolm initially had me rolling my eyes because I’m like what else can be said… and the first 5 minutes changed my mind quickly. So when I seen this arc I quickly requested it because I was already proven wrong once and in this instance I’m ok with being wrong. Showing more of his time spent in prison and his transformation into who we all grew to know and love as Malcolm X. It amazes me how over time more and more information is becoming available to us and kudos to the author for doing such thorough research.

When I first saw this monograph was coming out, I thought "what more could be said about Malcolm X that hasn't already been said?"

I have to say this book definitively adds an extremely important chapter to the biographical history of Malcolm X. He spent seven years in prison for burglary, from age 20-27, and during that time completely transformed his life.

This book gives greater detail on what Malcolm X did while he was in jail, the letters he wrote to siblings and others, and his mentors while incarcerated. There are details what it was like in prison from the decrepit, inhumane Charlestown State Prison, compared to the Norfolk State Prison Colony which took reform seriously and had a real library and classes where he could learn. His discovery of books, reading and getting a deeper understanding of the world and religion dramatically impacted his desire for knowledge and self-improvement. The details about the Norfolk State Prison debating team Malcolm X was a part of was also fascinating, and a venue where he honed his already strong speaking and presentation skills. It also reminded us that his brother Reginald Litte was the one who introduced him to the Nation of Islam.

The first part of the book, before his incarceration, goes into great detail about his early family life and behavior, which is well covered in other books. But it is well done, reasonably short, and critical to setting up his time in prison and his transformation.

I highly recommend this book for those interested in Malcolm X.

Thank you to the publishers for my advanced e-copy. I rarely read non fiction but this one caught my eye as although I have heard of Malcolm X before I realised I have never read any books about him or his life. This is a fantastically thoroughly researched book of his life before and in prison. I got to know his family and ancestors all the way back to great great grandparents and how they ended up in America. Also detailed were his crimes committed and why he was sent to prison. majority of the book was about his time spent in prison, racism incurred , religion. education and his friends and family. Enjoyed this book and was a nice touch to include some photos. i will be recommending this book to others.

(The book will be published on November 26, 2024.)

MALCOLM BEFORE X sees author Patrick Parr compile an engaging account of the formative years of the 'angriest black man in America.'

The first chapter of MALCOLM BEFORE X explores the sequence of crimes that brought Malcolm Little into the prison system. Further down the book, the author masterfully blends prison newspapers' data, memoirs and letters of witnesses, and prisons' official documentation with the analysis of racial and religious prejudices. The racial oppression shaped the lives of Malcolm's ancestors (slavery, poverty, segregation, lynching even in the progressive north) and sealed his fate: three white girls who accompanied him during burglaries got lax punishments. Readers find out what three prisons: Charlestown State Prison, MR-Concord, and Norfolk Prison Colony - looked from the inside. The author goes into detail about what prisoners ate, how their day was organized, and what means of rehabilitation were available. As it is shown in the book, Malcolm Little's path to becoming Malcolm X was not straightforward, partly because of the inaccessibility of religious literature, and partly because he had to rely on letters of Elijah Muhammad and his family for guidance.

MALCOLM BEFORE X also raises questions about what role one can involuntarily play in shaping the character of a future leader. One of the book's merits is that it gives voice and flesh to the names briefly mentioned in AUTOBIOGRAPHY. Ella Little did all in her power to connect Malcolm with his roots while he was living under the care of a white family. Richard A. Kaminska, a Latin and English teacher at Mason Junior High, discouraged bright (yet black) Malcolm from studying for a lawyer, advising instead to know one's place in life. John Elton Bembry gave Malcolm a reason to survive in the harsh conditions of ramshackle Charlestown Prison. Debater Murgo Margeson in Norfork prison provided Malcolm with an opportunity to demonstrate his newfound debate skills. Librarian George F. Magraw encouraged Malcolm's self-education.

All in all, MALCOLM BEFORE X will be interesting to those who have already read something about Malcolm X and newcomers to the topic. It's a highly informative and sympathetic portrait of the African-American man and his surroundings in the first half of the 20th century.

I received an advance review copy from Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I'm intensely interested in Malcolm X so this is a miraculous book .. it's relentless, almost tedious in its factual recounting of the cold facts of Malcolm Little's shaky life ahead of arrests that put him in prison to begin his journey to real faith in Islam. His verve and honesty even as he commits burglaries reveals his adept mind, looking outside regular ways of behaving .. a kind of 'acting out' to push against cracks.. a real discovery and I'm thrilled it's out there .. important!

Right away, I loved the premise for this book because while there are many excellent biographies and documentaries about Malcolm X when he was already established in the Nation of Islam and faced the historical things we know he encountered, there are not that many substantive works dedicated to how exactly he DID make those reforms in prison when he went there for crimes. How did he go from being Detroit Red, on a path to a life of crime, to reforming, and to going to prison, and then discovering the teachings of Elijah Muhammed and charting out a completely different path for himself as one of the most revolutionary, powerful, galvanizing people of the 20th century, and a force for change?

People often forget that Malcolm was 27 years old when he was released from prison in 1952. He became the legendary Malcolm X that people know for the next 12.5 years until his horrifying assassination.

This book has identified one of the key gaps in the archive about Malcolm, which I’ve identified above. The author calls for attnetion to the Norfolk Prison Colony discussion where Malcolm had access to a well-stocked library and he learned how to hone his skills as a debater, which would serve him for the rest of his life.

I think that while it is important for the author of the work to point to how Norfolk was progressive and ahead of its time, it was still a prison that incarcerated Malcolm and thousands of other prisoners and thought of them in the worst terms possible.

And yes, “…we need to understand the social conditions that brought [Malcolm] to prison in the first place.”

There’s also more information about Malcolm’s parents, which also — I wouldn’t say it gets ignored, because it’s a very prominent part of his story that his father was more than likely lynched at a railroad track when Malcolm was very young. It’s also documented that his mother fought with social support agencies who took her children away from her because they deemed her not mentally fit to take care of them. But it’s also important to highlight the kind of people they were BEFORE that, which this book does.

For anyone who has always wanted to explore the life of Malcolm X in terms of … well what happened when he was in prison? How did he come to be who he was and form his new identity and understandings and philophies? It’s an excellent and very comprehensive book.

I also appreciated that the language was more accessible so it’s not a stuffy book for academics.

4,5 stars.
This is a detailed, well-researched accounting of Malcom X’s life before he became Malcolm X. Malcolm Little served time, and this book mainly concentrates on X’s time in prison, how he took up reading, debate and talks about the conditions of the prison.
Besides the prison time, the book delves into Malcolm’s upbringing and family life.
It is an insightful book and helps you understand both Malcolm X’s psyche and the times better. This is the most detailed book that I have read about Malcolm X’s first part of life, and I doubt that any book has examined the prison files in this detail.

I liked to find out how Malcolm found solace in exercise, poetry, books in general and connecting with others. I was familiar with his childhood conditions and how he generally became the person he did, but not in this much depth. This is an engaging and informative read.