The Life and Times of Elijah Muhammad

“I can think of no twentieth-century leader with anything like the impact of Elijah Muhammad whose life has been so profoundly unexamined. '[Clegg] has brought Muhammad to light in a fluidly written biography rich with information, analysis and suspense.” — The New York Times Book Review

“An impressively perceptive and valuable book ... A major contribution to African-American history that ought to be read by anyone interested in Malcolm X.” — David J. Garrow, in Newsday

“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.” — The Washington Post Book World

“A fascinating and meticulously researched biography. Clegg’s balanced historical narrative removes the study of Muslim individuals and groups from the realm of exotica and stereotype and joins the works of Lincoln and Essien-Udom as one of the most important scholarly books on the Nation of Islam. I highly recommend it.” — American Historical Review

“Fills a significant void in the historical literature by examining the life of one of the twentieth century’s most enigmatic African American leaders. This is an important work that may arouse some controversy but nonetheless contains a message of hope and redemption that has timeless resonance.” — Journal of Southern History

“Clegg gives us more information than we've ever had before and new ways to think about the man whose organization bequeathed us Malcolm X and Louis Farrakhan.” — Los Angeles Times Book Review

“The Life and Times of Elijah Muhammad is impressive, punctiliously researched, and persuasively argued. In telling Elijah Muhammad’s story, Claude Clegg III has created a tour de force study of African American life and culture in the twentieth century.” — Michael A. Gomez, New York University

“Will the true Elijah Muhammad please step forth? That is the essence of the carefully excavated biography of the late Muslim leader, crafted with dispassionate skill by historian Claude Clegg ... Professor Clegg comes away with a palpable find — an Elijah you can touch, and perhaps even understand.” — C. Eric Lincoln, author of The Black Muslims in America