The Dead Are Arising

Brilliant and indispensable … Using the fruits of decades of interviews, [Payne] brings new information and perspectives on one of the most fascinating, and often misunderstood, figures in American history – Annette Gordon-Reed, author of The Hemingses of Monticello, winner of the Pulitzer PrizeThe result of nearly three decades of investigative reporting, The Dead Are Arising is an essential new biography of one of the most compelling political figures of the twentieth century – Jill Lepore, author of These TruthsIn a time of breezy, green-room infotainment, Les Payne restores the art of old-fashioned shoe-leather journalism. Malcolm X was one of the most fascinating and charismatic figures of the twentieth century, but like many icons,he was not without flaws. Payne exposes some of the major ones made under the influence of Elijah Muhammad whom Malcolm treated as one would a god. Payne charts Malcolm’s disillusionment with his mentor, and the tensions between two egged on by J.Edgar Hoover. Payne’s detailed account of Malcolm’s negotiations with the Klan alone has mini-series possibilities. The Dead Are Arising is superior to the other Malcolm books, including the autobiography, which Malcolm despised – Ishmael Reed, author of Mumbo JumboMeticulously researched and masterfully reported, this chronicle offers fresh insights and disturbing revelations that, among other things, strengthen the case for government complicity in the murder of Malcolm X… . A gripping read … [and] a worthy companion to Malcolm’s famed autobiography – Nathan McCall, author of Makes Me Wanna Holler: A Young Black Man in AmericaThe Dead Are Arising… will become the definitive biography of Malcolm X – Ray Winbush, director of the Institute for Urban Research at Morgan StateLes Payne has written a biography of this African American icon that sets a new standard for investigative journalism – DeWayne Wickham, founding dean of Morgan State University’s School of Global Journalism & CommunicationPayne’s storytelling weave[s] an epic tale of Malcolm’s exuberant life, his tragic death, and the Phoenix-like legacy – Farah Jasmine Griffin, author of Harlem NocturneNo one who wishes to reckon with the life of this man, one of the most important African American figures of the twentieth century can afford to forgo this account – Howard W. French, Columbia UniversityComprehensive, timely life of the renowned activist and his circuitous rise to prominence… . Payne delivers considerable news not just in recounting unknown episodes of Malcolm’s early years, but also in reconstructing events during his time as a devotee of Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad … Payne’s accounts of the consequences that rupture and Malcolm’s assassination at the hands of a ‘goon squad’ with ties to the FBI and CIA are eye-opening, and they add a new dimension to our understanding of Malcolm X’s last years… . A superb biography and an essential addition to the library of African American political engagement – Kirkus Reviews, starred review‘Les Payne was one of the most distinguished journalists of our time. Here, after thirty years of research and collecting and by interviewing Malcolm X’s family as well as many others, we have the most lyrical and complete biography of this uniquely brilliant American ever written. This book is a great read, full of original insights about an elusive figure rendered deeply human – David Blight, author of the Pulitzer-prize winning Frederick Douglass

Les Payne (1941-2018), born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and a former editor at Newsday. A founder of the National Association of Black Journalists, Payne also wrote an award-winning syndicated column.

Tamara Payne served as Les Payne’s principal researcher. She lives in New York.

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