A History of the Nation of Islam

September 1, 2012

The story of this black religious and social activism organization--a story that involves well-known figures such as Louis Farrakhan and Malcolm X--is important not only to 20th-century African American history but to U.S. history more generally, starting with the group's founding in the 1930s. Gibson (U.S. history, Univ. of London), who has contributed articles on the subject to many journals and collections, uses an admirably broad collection of sources to write a comprehensive history of the Nation, with each chapter covering a specific era in its history. The chapters can stand alone, so readers who want to learn about a single period should have no difficulty. For easy reference, each chapter is clearly labeled with a theme (e.g., "Building an Empire") and a corresponding time span. Gibson's frequent and lengthy quotations, however--especially those from third-party sources--and her extensive use of acronyms make the writing difficult to follow. Still, while the book is too general for specialists, its large and impressive bibliography will make it a useful and authoritative source for scholars from other areas or disciplines who need definitive information on the Nation of Islam. VERDICT For academic libraries that serve a wide range of scholars.--Robert Mixner, Bartholomew Cty. P.L., Columbus, IN

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