Stock photo. Cover may not represent actual copy or condition available.
An Original Man
The Life and Times of Elijah Muhammad
by Claude Andrew Clegg
ISBN: 0312151845
ISBN-13: 9780312151843
Format: Hardcover
|
Summary
A Professor of History at North Carolina A&T, Andrew Clegg has crafted a careful, balanced, and nuanced rendering of the life and times of the "Messenger of Allah," who led the Nation of Islam for more than four decades until his death in 1975.
Customer Reviews
Be the first to review this book!
Media Reviews
"This first full-length scholarly biography of Elijah Muhammad benefits greatly from interviews with the leader's family and from recently declassified FBI files on the Nation....The records of this surveillance, especially the phone tapping, reveal a complex and somewhat duplicitous Elijah Muhammad-reassuring Malcolm X of his secure role in the movement and then urging another follower to 'close Malcolm's eyes and chop off his head.' ...In all, this is both an outstanding biography and an important contribution to the history of the Nation of Islam."
-- Kirkus
"In 'An Original Man,' Claude Clegg III, professor of history at North Carolina A&T State University, gives us more information than we've every had before and new ways to think about the man whose organization bequeathed us Malcolm X and Louis Farrakhan, two of the most controversial African American leaders of the 20th century. Drawing upon previously classified government documents, interviews with relatives and a wide variety of public information, Clegg set out to do what nobody else has tried to do: Make Elijah Muhammad into a flesh-and-blood person....Clegg's important book makes us reconsider Elijah Muhammad as an American entrepreneur and master of organizational politics...."
-- Los Angeles Times Book Review
Through an eclectic mix of economic self-help, metaphysics, and an elaborate home-made theology, Elijah Muhammad transformed the Nation of Islam from a marginal Midwestern sect with a few hundred adherents into a mass movement of nationwide reckoning. And while the organization he led-whether admired or defamed-has registered national name recognition, the self-proclaimed prophet of Allah has himself remained shrouded by half-truths, misperceptions and, ironically , myth. Clegg, a biographer of considerable skill, deftly sifts through these layers to present a portrait of a complex pedagogue who was capable of harboring infinite scorn for the white world at the same time that he held it to be the standard by which progress was measured....Clegg's detailed explacation of Muhammad's life is nearly flawless, Anyone seeking to understand the enduring significance of the Nation of Islam, or the rising political stock of Louis Farrakhan, should begin by reading this biography." -- William Cobb
-- Washington Post Book World
Bibliographic Details
Publisher: St Martins Pr
Published date: 1997
Size: 6.5 x 10 inches
Weight: 1.65 pounds
Pages: 377
Publisher's Notes
Elijah Muhammad (1897-1975), born Elijah Poole, dreamed of living a better life than his slave ancestors. However, by the time he arrived in Detroit in 1923, the bitter hatred and lynchings of the South had become a part of his consciousness, and the urban poverty and rank discrimination he encountered in the North further ignited his ire and indignation. In An Original Man, historian Claude Clegg reveals the motivations of this charismatic preacher whose life has been ignored for decades by scholars and biographers. With access to previously classified F.B.I. documents and the opportunity to interview two of Elijah Muhammad's surviving sons and members of the Poole clan in Georgia, Clegg demonstrates that Elijah Muhammad was indeed one of the most influential African-Americans of this century. In this illuminating biography, Clegg not only recounts Elijah Muhammad's early years in Detroit as one of the original members of the Nation of Islam, but also tells of Muhammad's decision to bring the movement first to Chicago and then to the East Coast, his decision to resist the draft during World War II (for which he spent time in prison), the growth of the movement after the war, and the historical schism that erupted between Muhammad and Malcolm X, a break that ultimately defined two major directions of black political consciousness. Particularly valuable is Clegg's outstanding and original examination of the philosophical roots of the Nation of Islam, which are heavily influenced by the writings of Marcus Garvey, Noble Drew Ali, the Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Freemasons.
Other Editions
Similar books
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
by Alex Haley
An autobiography of the Black Muslim leader Malcolm X.
Roots
by Alex Haley
The monumental bestseller! Alex Haley recaptures his family's history in this drama of eighteenth-century slave Kunta Kinte and his descendants.
The Ditchdigger's Daughters
by Jo Coudert
A prominent black physician writes a memoir about her remarkable father who lived to see his dreams of a better life for his children come true. Donald Thornton urged his five daughters to seek the educational and professional opportunities that were unavailable to him in 1940s America, working two jobs to ensure their success. Now, Yvonne Thornton delivers a loving tribute to her father and celebrates her family's fulfillment of the American Dream. photos.
Up from Slavery
by Booker T. Washington
Vividly recounting Washington's life--his childhood as a slave, struggle for education, founding and presidency of the Tuskegee Institute, and meetings with the country's leaders, this book reveals the conviction he held that the black man's salvation lay in education, industriousness and self-reliance.
Bearing Witness
by
This collection from the rich literature of African American autobiography documents the experience of being black in America, from slavery to present day, in the words of Frederick Douglass, Toni Morrison, and forty other contributors.
|
|
Ready to buy this book?
Below are all of the copies of 0312151845 we currently have available for purchase, sorted by lowest price first. If you would like to refine your search, use the advanced options in the search box above.
|
|
1)
|
An Original Man: The Life and Times of Elijah Muhammad
Claude Andrew, III Clegg
St Martins Pr. Used - Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! ( more information) Offered by Better World Books (United States)
Favorite bookseller : you've previously added this bookseller to your favorites list.
|
|
|
2)
|
An Original Man : The Life & Times of Elijah Muhammad
Clegg, Claude Andrew, III
New York, NY, U.S.A.: Saint Martin's Press, LLC, 1997, 1997 ISBN: 0312151845 nr fine/ nr fine . Nation of Islam.. F. Hardcover. ( more information) Offered by Givens Books (United States)
Favorite bookseller : you've previously added this bookseller to your favorites list.
|
|
|
3)
|
An Original Man : The Life & Times of Elijah Muhammad
Clegg, Claude Andrew, III
New York, NY, U.S.A.: Saint Martin's Press, LLC, 1997 small tear on back of dust jacket. First Edition. Hard Cover. Fine/Very Good +. ( more information) Offered by UnEarthly Books (United States)
Favorite bookseller : you've previously added this bookseller to your favorites list.
|
|
|
4)
|
An Original Man: The Life and Times of Elijah Muhammad
Claude Andrew Clegg III
New York, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1996. An Original Man: The Life and Times of Elijah Muhammad. He was born on the dusty fields of Georgia in 1897, in the shadow of Jim Crow, during an era when lynch mobs terrorized the black South. His mother prophesied upon his birth that he would be a man of eminent stature. Elijah Muhammad, (1897-1975) born Elijah Poole, dreamed of living a better life than his slave ancestors. However, by the time he arrived in Detroit in 1923, the bitter hatred and lynchings of the South had become a part of his consciousness, and the urban poverty and rank discrimination he encountered in the North further ignited his ire and indignation. Channeling his energies into religious leadership, Poole became an early follower of Fard Muhammad, who in 1930, founded the Nation of Islam. Fard spread the message of the Nation of Islam, which preached, among other beliefs, that all whites were devils by nature and all blacks were inherently righteous. Later changing his own name to Elijah Muhammad, Poole took over Fard Muhammad's leadership role in 1934 and became the influential head of the Nation Islam for the next forty years. Book and DJ are Fine; no writing or marking in text, binding firm and tight, pages all secure. Many B&W photos. 379 pp. An extensive set of Notes, Bibliography and Index. Family interviews. DJ is covered in mylar.. Fine/Fine. Biography. ( more information) Offered by Books About The South (United States)
Favorite bookseller : you've previously added this bookseller to your favorites list.
|
|
|
5)
|
An Original Man The Life and Times of Elijah Muhammad
Clegg Iii, Claude Andrew
New York U. S. A.: St Martin's Press. As New in Fine dust jacket 1997. First Edition. Hardcover. Marfree, acidfree F/Fine 1stEd w/ 16pp of glossy photos; name inside, not marked-in, underscored, clearance or discard. Mails from NYC usually within 12 hours. ; 10 x 6.5 x 1.5 inches; 377 pages; \nOnline Rev: Malcolm X and Louis Farrakhan get more attention, but Elijah Muhammad indelibly defined the Nation of Islam from the time he assumed its leadership in 1934 until his death in 1975. This much-needed book illuminates the impact of Muhammad's personal history on the movement, particularly its stress on economic independence for black Americans. Historian Claude Andrew Clegg's balanced appraisal acknowledges Muhammad's financial and sexual misdeeds but credits him with promoting racial pride and "moral living. " Clegg makes a strong case for the Nation of Islam being "as homegrown as the NAACP or the Ku Klux Klan. " \nBrilliant, Revealing Biography Of A Misunderstood Leader, March 8, 2005 \nBy Taalib A. Muhammad (New York City) - \nPerhaps the most balanced, informative piece of literature on the controversial leader of the Nation of Islam: Elijah Muhammad. Mr. Clegg presents a totally non-biased exposé of Elijah, void of any judgmental stances so frequently found in writings of this nature. Although not always flattering, it is a MUST read for anyone seeking to understand the early years of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad's life & the organization's rise to prominence within African-American communities throughout the country. Many of the misnomers attributed to this organization & its founder are dispelled, as are a great deal of the ambiguities regarding the inner-workings of the N. O. I. Additionally, there is valuable information regarding the relationship between Elijah & Malcolm X that reaches far beyond Alex Haley's writing. I highly recommend it! \n\nAn Original Man, Aug 4, 2001 \nBy Daniel Pipes, Middle East Forum, (Philadelphia, PA) \nElijah Muhammad has hitherto been the most obscure of the trio, a quiet, even shadowy figure far less conspicuous to the outside world than either of his spokesmen. Clegg establishes, however, that contrary to the almost universal opinion of outsiders, Muhammad had far more importance & power within the movement than either of the younger men-or anyone else, for that matter. His biography, the best volume ever written on the Nation of Islam, relies on a broad & impressive array of original documents, such as the will bequeathing Muhammad's slave grandfather from a father to his daughter & the extensive FBI records pertaining to the Nation of Islam. Perhaps most fascinating & original is Clegg's argument that no matter how radical Muhammad's rhetoric seemed, he had by 1960 become the captive of his own avarice, & that this imposed an operational conservatism, even a timidity, quite at odds with his fire-breathing talk. Interestingly, Clegg attributes this change in part at least to Muhammad's 1959-60 trip to the Muslim world, where he was appalled by the poverty & filth; henceforth, he stopped portraying the "Holy Land of Islam" as a place infinitely superior to the United States that would save American blacks. This implied a decrease in revolutionary expectations & more stress on the message of economic self-improvement. \nMiddle East Quarterly, Dec 1998 . ( more information) Offered by BobPrudhomme, Relentless Bookfinder (United States)
Favorite bookseller : you've previously added this bookseller to your favorites list.
|
|
|
0 items in cart
Muze Inc. For personal non-commercial use only. All rights reserved. Some content for books is owned by Baker & Taylor, Inc. or its licensors and is subject to copyright and all other protections provided by applicable law.
