RaveThe Washington Post... a groundbreaking piece of work ... The result is not just a biography, but also a history of Muslims in America and a sweeping account of one man’s transformation — and of the conspiracy, abetted by police inattention, that took his tumultuous life. The tension toward book’s end — when Malcolm was trying to figure out who might murder him — is so gripping it nearly soaks through the pages ... Marable does not shy away from Malcolm X’s repugnant statements and actions ... Marable challenges Malcolm’s autobiography but offers no real surprises ... Marable works the reinvention motif into the book with authority ... My only criticism of the book is that Marable did not tell us enough about Malcolm’s family in the years following his death ... It will be difficult for anyone to better this book. It goes deeper and richer than a mere homage to Malcolm X. It is a work of art, a feast that combines genres skillfully: biography, true-crime, political commentary. It gives us Malcolm X in full gallop, a man who died for his belief in freedom, a man whom Marable calls the \'fountainhead\' of the black power movement in America.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
PositiveThe Washington PostFor all his decency, and his homilies about winning not being all that important, Wooden most certainly wanted to win. The suffering of the black athlete did not really move him. Abdul-Jabbar touches upon this, but far too delicately. The scenes of fans spearing him with the n-word after games — or in public, with Wooden standing close by in shameful silence — are stomach-churning. Wooden later apologizes in private to his star player about these incidents, but it’s too late indeed ... Still, even if there is some hagiography in this chronicle, there is much to admire. There is a host of lovely revelations of how player and coach managed to stay in touch and connected after both left the game ... One of his unforgettable players — the tall black kid from Harlem — has bequeathed him an eloquent book about the mysteries of time and remembrance. The coach would be proud.
Randy Roberts & Johnny Smith
PositiveThe Washington Post“Blood Brothers tells the story of these two galvanizing and hypnotic personalities and of the America that produced them. Although the book promises more than it delivers, it is earnest and, by focusing mostly on the years between 1962 and 1965, smartly constructed.
