The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X
Score Modern
What it's about
In 1990, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Les Payne set out to interview everyone he could find who had actually known Malcolm X: his siblings, classmates, street friends, cellmates, Nation of Islam figures, FBI informants and political leaders around the world. Nearly thirty years of interviews became this biography, which separates fact from legend. Payne died before it was finished, and his daughter Tamara Payne completed it.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography and the National Book Award. It's the fullest portrait yet of Malcolm X's life, built from the testimony of the people who were there.
You'll love it if you liked
Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention, Parting the Waters : America in the King Years 1954-63 or King: A Life
Good to know
It's richly detailed and long, and it focuses on the people and places that made him. It pairs naturally with Manning Marable's Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention.
Quick answers
Is The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography and the National Book Award. It ranks #104 of the 2,819 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 86.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X about?
In 1990, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Les Payne set out to interview everyone he could find who had actually known Malcolm X: his siblings, classmates, street friends, cellmates, Nation of Islam figures, FBI informants and political leaders around the world. Nearly thirty years of interviews became this biography, which separates fact from legend. Payne died before it was finished, and his daughter Tamara Payne completed it.
How long does it take to read The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X?
About 16 hours (650 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X won?
Pulitzer Prize (Biography) winner (2021); National Book Award (Nonfiction) winner (2020).
What should I read after The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X?
If you liked it, try Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable, Parting the Waters : America in the King Years 1954-63 by Taylor Branch or King: A Life by Jonathan Eig.
By the numbers
- Readers89 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics89 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller1 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz19 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Pulitzer Prize (Biography) winner (2021) and 1 more win.
Where it ranks
- #19 of the 198 history books we rank
- #20 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #58 of the 1,575 modern books we rank
- #104 of the 2,819 books we rank
Won
- Pulitzer Prize (Biography) winner (2021)
- National Book Award (Nonfiction) winner (2020)
Shortlisted
- NBCC Award (Biography) finalist (2020)
Reads as
True story
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