I first read the autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley in my 9th grade Social Studies class. We could read either Booker T. Washington's biography or Malcolm X's. I'm pretty sure I chose Malcolm X but it may have been assigned to me. This was before Spike Lee's movie and I knew very little about Brother Malcolm. I now know much more about him as an activist but this filled in many holes about his childhood, life before prison and his transformation in prison into the leader we recognize today. This is truly fascinating and combines letters, articles and interviews seamlessly into an interesting perspective of Malcolm's development. I think this will appeal to scholars of all levels who are interested in how Malcolm was formed into Malcolm X. I loved the juxtaposition this style of biography yielded. I hope to see more important historical figures given this kind of in depth treatment. Most especially those figures who would've been marginalized by the society they lived in. Also I can not stress how intensely thorough this early focus on Malcolm's experiences are. These are the experiences that create Malcolm X the leader and it's a treasure to explore.

This audiobook is narrated by James Fouhey. James voice is rich and his intonation helps to keep the reader interested. This was well matched between narrator and text.

Thank you to Patrick Parr, HighBridge Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

Patrick Parr’s Malcolm Before X is a deeply detailed portrait of Malcolm Little’s years before he became Malcolm X. Parr’s extensive research brings to life the lesser-known period of Malcolm’s young adulthood, exploring the influences and experiences that shaped his later activism. The book is full of anecdotes and historical context, making it a compelling read for anyone interested in understanding the full complexity of Malcolm’s journey. Overall, Malcolm Before X is a good, thorough account that adds important depth to the story of a pivotal American figure.

I would like to thank Highbridge Audio and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to listen and review Malcolm Before X in exchange for a review.

Before Malcolm X, there was Malcolm Little. A boy who had lost his parents to their own individual tragedies and would navigate the foster care system apart from his siblings. A young man who turned to petty crimes on the streets of Boston, only to get caught and sentenced to a ten year prison sentence in 1946. He would enter as an atheist and leave as a devout Muslim in 1952, a decision that would change the course of his life forever.

I approached this book already a fan of The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley. Patrick Parr did an excellent job taking the famous Autobiography and filling in the story with new information, interviews and letters. He provides you with a solid look at Malcolm’s family history and dynamics as well as his time in prison and how it shaped him into the confident man he became.

You are given a glimpse into his time in the Norfolk Prison debate club where he would find his voice and gain the skills that the world would soon see. A quote from a fellow inmate who witnessed Little’s debates, Stanley Jones, said “I don’t care what side of the debate Malcolm was on, he did an excellent job. The way he used to talk, he got a standing ovation all the time. People listened. The issue was not whether they bought what he said or not, the fact was, he was able to get people’s attention.

I highly recommend this book, paired with Alex Haley’s. It did not disappoint.

I read other books about Malcom X in the past so i am thankfully for this advance reader copy of this book. I found this book to be very informative and interesting especially the part surrounding Malcom education in prison. Overall I really enjoyed the narrator and book.

(3.0 Stars)

Thank you to #NetGalley for providing this audiobook for reading and review.

I think Malcolm X was a pivotal person in this country's history, certainly worthy of all the books, essays, movies about him. So I can understand that it must be difficult to write a "new" book about him, or to try and fill any voids where gaps exist. And for me, this book just doesn't do it. Again, this is not the first book I've read about him, so maybe I am not the desired audience?

This book seems to be more about the "people and places" near Malcolm X, and not necessarily about him directly. I think it was about 20% into the book before he was even really mentioned in any great detail.

There are several times when the author adds a disclaimer saying there is no proof Malcolm said/did/whatever about the subject being discussed... but that he could have, probably would have, or maybe would have at least known about it. So it is filled with a lot of hearsay and assumptions, which was a little off putting for me.

Also, there is a lot more information about the people he "might" have come in contact with, the books he "might" have read, and the knowledge he "might" have had.

Don't get me wrong, the book is interesting for the sole fact that is discusses the impacts the American "Machine" has had on marginalized groups in our country, and also about people in those groups and their lives and circumstances.

for me, this book is more about how someone "like" Malcolm X could "become" a Malcolm X Archetype than it is about the actual person. But even the author states there is already a lot of published information about Malcolm X, and even says some good resources you could read.

All-in-all, I do not regret reading this book, I did like it. And the narration is good, although maybe a little slow for my tastes.

3.75 🌟

I expected to consume this title slowly over the next few days, but I was almost immediately invested, then reluctant to put it down.

Malcolm Before X does exactly what it says in the tin, it’s entirely the most in depth analysis into Malcolm X formative childhood years it’s very clear that the jab was in the making from his early years and his time throughout prison. Unfortunately there is done conjecture and assumption that I suppose was unavoidable but it did make me lower the rating very slightly.

All in all a solid and candid reflection.

I really enjoyed the audio narration.

My sincere gratitude to Highbridge Audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this alc 🎧