Amazon.com

The famously taciturn South African president reveals much of himself inLong Walk to Freedom. A good deal of this autobiography was written secretlywhile Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years on Robben Island by South Africa's apartheid regime. Among the book's interestingrevelations is Mandela's ambivalence toward his lifetime of devotion to public works. It cost him twomarriages and kept him distant from a family life he might otherwise have cherished.Long Walk to Freedom also discloses a strong and generous spirit that refused to be broken under the most trying circumstances--a spirit inwhich just about everybody can find something to admire. ... Read more

Reviews (89)

This Man Is My Hero.
I read "Long Walk to Freedom" right after I graduated from college in 1996. This is the written life of one of the absolute greatest world leaders who ever lived. I had the pleasure to visiting Robben Island, where most of its tour guides were, like Mandela, political prisoners under apartheid. Words cannot describe what it felt like to actually stand inside of the jail cell that Mandela occuppied. What is even more incredible is that, looking back, the man was not the least bit bitter or angry about what he went through (and who could blame him if he were?); in fact, he invited his former jailers to his 1994 inauguration as South Africa's first black president.

If after reading this book you do not come away with a greater sense of admiration and respect for this outstanding human being, then you are not human.

A good autobiography
Long Walk to Freedom is the autobiography of Nelson Mandela, one of the greatest leaders of South Africa. It gives a detailed account of his childhood, youth, and adulthood. It takes you through his years in college and his work as a lawyer as well as all of his political struggles with apartheid including his years in jail.
The book is extremely well written and gives the detail that only someone who witnessed the events could posses. Mandela's hindsight as he reviews the events of his life shows a more personal side to him. I liked the book but anyone who is considering reading it should be reminded that it is an autobiography so it does have a bias. He wrote the book as someone who had been wronged. Long Walk To Freedom provides an interesting and detailed account of the South Africans struggle with apartheid. It details Nelson's joining of the ANC (African National Congress) his rise in the ANC, and his creation of the MK. It also gives facts about his personal life and the life of his family. It is recommended to anyone who enjoys autobiographies or to anyone who is looking to learn more about the history of apartheid and South Africa.

This book is well worth of my shelf space.
You should read, at least, a book or two about biographies of such noble people as Nelson Mandela, whose lives have been a blessing to the world. This was a great inspirational book and helped me to realize how simple and small things in life could bring so much joy into one's life. Far too often, I personally take simple pleasures of life for granted. The freedom is not free and the book cites how the freedom is brought at the expense of sacrifices of our fathers. The book is very well written and what impresses me is Nelson Mandela's mastery of English language.

LOOOOONG Book
This book kept me in prison for a long time. It really bogs down in the middle and then hurries to wrap up. It's a much more "satifying" read in the first 1/3 of the book.

THE DETERMINATION OF ONE MAN- A MUST READ!
After reading LONG WALK TO FREEDOM, I came away with a sense of awe for a man who spent 27 years in prison but never gave up the hope for his freedom and the freedom of his country.

Communicating was key to keeping the "freedom fighters" on the outside informed and encouraged. One way this was done was to write in tiny, coded script on toilet paper. The paper was so small and easily hidden that this became a popular way of smuggling out messages. When the authorities discovered a number of these communications, they took the extraordinary measure of rationing toilet paper. After awhile, only eight squares of toilet paper were given to each prisoner each day.

To live under such conditions where you can be so isolated from the world (For 27 years), that you contemplate conversing with a cockroach, is a test of the human spirit. To sacrifice the obligations of family so that a nation of people can breath in freedom is nothing short of courageous with a fiercely determined spirit. Here is what Nelson Mandela writes about in his struggle for family and nation:

I did not in the beginning choose to place my people above my family, but in attempting to serve my people, I found I was prevented from fulfilling my obligations as a son, a brother, a father, and a husband.

In that way, my commitment to my people, to the millions of South Africans I would never know or meet, was at the expense of the people I knew best and loved most. It was as simple and yet as incomprehensible as the moment a small child asks her father, "Why can you not be with us?" And the father must utter the terrible words: "There are other children like you, a great many of them....." and then one's voice trails off.

Nelson Mandela is a man that has a spirit and determination that is above and beyond most people or leaders today. READ THE BOOK!! It will open your eyes and in the end, it'll make you feel good about the human spirit. ... Read more

Amazon.com

British journalist Anthony Sampson first met Nelson Mandela in 1951, when Sampson was editing a black magazine in Johannesburg, and his biography of the leader benefits greatly from his long familiarity with South Africa and his access to the 81-year-old statesman's unpublished letters and documents. These are particularly helpful in chronicling Mandela's political and spiritual odyssey during 27 years in prison, when the fiery anti-apartheid militant condemned to life imprisonment in 1964 evolved into a dignified, authoritative leader convinced that "reconciliation would be essential to survival." The roots of this stance lie deep in African history; Sampson's excellent chapters on Mandela's rural youth remind readers that he was the aristocratic scion of a royal family who early imbibed the tribal tradition of ubuntu (mutual responsibility and compassion) and the local king's emphasis on ruling by consensus. South Africa's relatively peaceful transition to multiracial democracy owes much to Mandela's ability to voice these concepts in contemporary terms. And Sampson's detailed explication of the ins and outs of revolutionary politics over five decades--though sometimes heavy going for the general reader--vividly reveals how his subject achieved the political and moral maturity that made his 1994 election as the nation's first black president both inevitable and exhilarating. --Wendy Smith ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Amazing life of imprisonment to leadership!
What an amazing life this man had. He was born on the rural plains in South Africa.. His father was absent due to forced circumstances. Mandela later received an education in law and began the practice of law. Political causes led to his imprisonment for nearly thirty years in Robbins Prison. The book tells the wrenching tale of his separation of his family during his imprisonment, yet the family (the second marriage, to Winnie) remained intact during his long imprisonment and only dissolved after the release from prison. The book is very heavy on the political activity in whch Mandela was involved. This is an interesting book of personal triumph over overwhelming odds.

More than you ever wanted to know ..
The author obviously knows a great deal about Mandela and South Africa. However, there is so much detail that I found the book just deadening over time. The writing style was not engaging enough to sustain me through all the blow-by-blow accounts that one has to plod through . -I was surprised and disappointed that the book was not more enjoyable.

A well-told education in character and leadership.
If you believe there are no modern heroes - that fortitude and unselfish judgement in the face of adversity are out-of-date virtues, you need to read this book. That Sampson shows the whole man so well (with admittedly a few frailities) adds depth to the tremendous courage, excellent judgement, and magnanimity Mandela demonstrated his entire life, even when the cause of the ANC he led seemed hopeless. Along the way the book gives an excellent view of South African history during Mandela's adulthood. If you are not very familiar with Mandela or South Africa you might do better to start with Mandela's own book, "Long Walk to Freedom" which doesn't cover quite so much ground and is more on a human scale. Both books are inspiring.

A very good introduction to a deep man
If you need to know Nelson Mandela, this is the book to read. This book's weaknesses are evident: It is written from a British viewpoint, and basically takes for granted a knowledge of South African history and geography most Americans do not possess (though they should). It also soft pedals the problems in Mandela's relationship with Winnie, though that is understandable. I have a feeling that not too many people could understand it. But it does a great job of making us see how the man was shaped and became what he is, and how he stands as a fearless, remarkable leader.

A Hero for our times!
I knew very little of Nelson Mandela before reading this book, but now I am confident that I have an excellent feel for what makes this man tick. This is an excellent book and one that should be read by anyone who wants to be inspired! ... Read more

Book Description

A collection of some of the most historic and inspirational addresses by one of the most renowned political leaders of our day.

The most stirring voice to come out of South Africa, Nelson Mandela has brought his message of freedom, equality, and human dignity to the entire world. Now, for the first time, his most eloquent and important speeches are collected in a single volume.

From the eve of his imprisonment to his release 27 years later, from his acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize to his election as South Africas first black president, these speeches span some of the most pivotal moments of Mandelas life and of his countrys history. And they memorably illustrate his lasting commitment to freedom and reconciliation, democracy and development, culture and diversity, and international peace.

The extraordinary power of this volume is in the moving words and intimate tone of Mandela himself, a living legend and one of the most articulate, courageous, and respected men of our generation. ... Read more

Book Description

In this stunning memoir, veteran Washington Post correspondent Lynne Duke takes readers on a wrenching but riveting journey through Africa during the pivotal 1990s and brilliantly illuminates a continent where hope and humanity thrive amid unimaginable depredation and horrors.

For four years as her newspaper's Johannesburg bureau chief, Lynne Duke cut a rare figure as a black American woman foreign correspondent as she raced from story to story in numerous countries of central and southern Africa. From the battle zones of Congo-Zaire to the quest for truth and reconciliation in South Africa; from the teeming displaced person’s camps of Angola and the killing field of the Rwanda genocide to the calming Indian Ocean shores of Mozambique. She interviewed heads of state, captains of industry, activists, tribal leaders, medicine men and women, mercenaries, rebels, refugees, and ordinary, hardworking people.And it is they, the ordinary people of Africa, who fueled the hope and affection that drove Duke’s reporting.The nobility of the ordinary African struggles, so often absent from accounts of the continent, is at the heart of Duke’s searing story.

MANDELA, MOBUTU, AND ME is a richly detailed, clear-eyed account of the hard realities Duke discovered, including the devastation wrought by ruthless, rapacious dictators like Mobutu Sese Seko and his successor, Laurent Kabila, in the Congo, and appalling indifference of Europeans and Americans to the legacy of their own exploitation of the continent and its people.But Duke also records with admiration the visionary leadership and personal style of Nelson Mandela in south Africa as he led his country’s inspiring transition from apartheid in the twilight of his incredible life.

Whether it was touring underground gold and copper mines, learning to carry water on her head, filing stories by flashlight or dodging gunmen, Duke’s tour of Africa reveals not only the spirit and travails of an amazing but troubled continent -- it also explores the heart and fearlessness of a dedicated journalist. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Me and Mobuto and Me and Mandela and especially ME
I was hoping to read about what has happened in Africa in the last few years. Instead I found a tome about a very self-absorbed woman. This really is a terrible book. Don't look for any insight into Mubuto Sese Seko or Nelson Mandela. I did a Google search on Lynn Duke because I couldn't--and still can't--fathom that the Washington Post would hire a person who wrote a book this bad.

A unique viewpoint of a much misconceived Africa
Do not be fooled by Mike Dowling's assessment of the book. Had he bothered to look beyond the title before purchasing, he might have realized that "Mandela, Mobutu and Me" was not a history book.

This book allows you to view Africa within the specific frame of reference of a distinguished WashPost journalist, at the top of her game. Readers visit the front lines with Duke, laugh, cry and pontificate as the author describes her struggle to reconcile the many conflicting realities of South Africa, as well as the continent. She weaves her own personal reactions together with informational cues, to give even less informed readers a well rounded, balanced sub-text of the Africa we see daily in the news and within pop-culture, but know so little about. Avid readers will fly through it, but it also reads easily for those who take their time.

I know Ms Duke personally and can safely say that she put a lot of care into crafting what has resulted in a highly entertaining, enlightening memoire from her experiences abroad. Her understanding of race-relations and Afro-politics are unparalleled. Duke is certainly a power player at the Washington Post - for those interested, she currently writes for WP Style.

This book is a must-read!

Me & Mandela & Me & Mobuto, & mostly ME, ME, ME
What a horrible book! It took a Google search to prove that Ms. Duke actually wrote for the Washington Post. If you read this book, you might have the same doubts . . . but the Post did accept her byline. I hoped to read about recent trends in Africa. The title suggested I would get insight into Nelson Mandela, who overlooked 27 years in prison to rebuild South Africa, and Mobutu Sese Seko (Kuku wa za Banga), a ruthless despot whose plutocracy bled the resource rich nation of Congo dry. Instead it was a self-serving, egocentric view of an African-American woman as she tried to fit the paradigm of Africa politics into her own narrow prejudices. I hoped to learn more about the history of post-colonial Africa, but this book was a waste of time.

This book is phenomenal!
Mandela, Mobutu, And Me is a phenomenal book. Lynne Dukes is an excellent journalist. I regret that I missed her at the Harlem Book Fair this past July because I would have personally told her how much this book has meant to me. The book made me laugh and cry and helped me catch up on some important history on Africa. I find myself referring back to the book quite frequently especially when I hear a report on any of the countries discussed in the book including South Africa, Congo-Zaire, Angola and Rwanda. This book offers an incredible wealth of knowledge and a fresh prospective on these countries as well as important events that have occurred in recent times. It also discusses Africa leaders whom we all should have some knowledge of and America's "only when we can profit" policy toward Africa. I was especially impressed with Dukes candid thoughts on Africa as African-American woman. I thought there were very few African-American women like myself who still have a love and connection to Africa in spite of all the negative reports we hear about Africa. This book has allowed me travel to a place that I have yet to visit but is so much a part of who I am today. Thank you Mrs. Dukes for making this journey possible.

Fascinating Eyewitness Account of Africa in the 90's
Lynne Duke has written an engaging account of her first-hand observations in Africa during the years she served there as a Washington Post foreign correspondent. Her discussion of the evolution of South Africa and the personalities of Nelson and Winnie Mandela are probably the most fascinating parts of the book, and her work is also deeply touching and informative when it describes the impact of revolutions and war in central Africa (the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda). The book is detailed enough to suit the African scholar, but also accessible and personal enough to engage and inform non-scholastic readers. While detailed and well-documented, it goes beyond dry facts to bring home the rich African culture and the dramatic, sometimes shocking and heartbreaking realities of life on a war-torn continent. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

You shall know him by his words... a wonderful compilation
This short compilation of Nelson Mandela's words provides wonderful insights into the man, the politician, the philosopher - from his youth to today. They show him as a a warm and simple human being, a tough and principled leader, as an elder among his people and as a man of wisdom. He has much to teach us. The book doubles as a quick read and a reference, as the quotes are sorted by topic. ... Read more

Book Description

From a thatched hut in the middle of South Africa, Nelson Mandela was schooled by missionaries and raised by his uncle. He skipped rocks in river streams and ran away to Johannesburg to work in the mines before going to law school.

Book Description

Late one night in 1963, a South African policeunit surrounded the African National Congress headquarters in Rivoniaand arrested a group of party leaders gathered inside. Eight of them,Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Dennis Goldberg, Govan Mbeki, RaymondMhlaba, Elias Motsaledi, Andrew Mlangeni, and Ahmed Kathrada, wereconvicted of sabotage and, on 11 June 1964, sentenced to life inprison. Soon, these men became widely known as the 'Rivonia Trialists.'Despite their imprisonment, the Trialists played active roles in thestruggle against South Africa's racist regime. Instead of beingforgotten, as apartheid officials had hoped, they became enduringsymbols in a struggle against injustice and racism.Kathrada and his colleagues were classified as high securityprisoners, segregated from others and closely watched. Every activitywas regulated and monitored. Among the many indignities visited uponthem, the prisoners were prohibited from keeping copies of incoming andoutgoing correspondence. Kathrada, or 'Kathy' as he became known,successfully hid both.Letters from Robben Island contains a selection of 86 of the morethan 900 pieces of correspondence Ahmed Kathrada wrote during his 26years on Robben Island and at Pollsmoor Prison. Some were smuggled outby friends; others were written in code to hide meaning and contentfrom prison censors.These are among his most poignant, touching, andeloquent communications. They are testimonials to Kathrada, to hiscolleagues, and to their commitment to obtaining human dignity andfreedom for all South Africans. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Understanding life in apartheid's prisons
This collection of letters, by one of South Africa's leading activists, offers a direct view of the experience of a political prisoner during apartheid. Written during the author's 26 years in prison, alongside Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu, the books grants the reader the rare chance to grasp the daily hardships these men endured. And yet, given Kathrada's courage, humility and humor, as well as their ultimate political victory, the book is a source of inspiration and hope. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Born in 1918, Nelson Mandela's initial response to the institutionalized racism of South Africa was a militant belief in African control and distrust of collaboration with whites. This comprehensive biography by British journalist Martin Meredith draws on interviews with Mandela and colleagues to trace his evolution from political prisoner to leader of a multiracial democracy. Meredith also cogently depicts the complex personality of an autocratic, often remote man "more at ease with strangers than ... friends," who sacrificed much of his private life to the collective struggle. Nelson Mandela is essential reading for understanding modern South Africa. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

pleased
So intersting to read.he is confident in his words.I recommand this book to any people that are idealizied

A current day hero
The writer does an excellent job filling in the background of apartheid and the actions of the South African government in the early 1900's and the 1950's when the most reprehensible government policies were created.Thedescriptions of the country's jails and Mandela's stay at Robbin Islandmakes you ill but increase your respect for Mandela and all other politicalprisoners.Meredith also does a good job describing the sulkiness of DeKlerk and his disappointment at not being recognized equally as Mandela forending apartheid...maybe if he had been in prison for 29 years... ... Read more

Book Description

Nelson Mandela is well known for his 27-year imprisonment, subsequent rise to the presidency of South Africa, and 1993 Nobel Prize for his stance against apartheid. Less well known is the story of his formative years, which is the subject of this book. Born in 1918, Mandela had exposure to the rural and tribal life of South Africa as well as the privileged life that was out of reach for many of his compatriots. He became active in politics as a young man, fighting for civil liberties and against the injustices of apartheid. This book explores the development, education, and character of a young man who would become a worldwide symbol of struggle, integrity, and strength of conviction. Covering the first 24 years of Mandela's life, this book is an examination of the events that led Nelson Mandela to become South Africa’s most famous and beloved citizen. Black-and-white photographs add to this fascinating biography. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Our heroes
Mandela has made us as an African people proud. The book was a good revies of the S. African struggle and Mandela's part in it.
A must read for all Africans. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

La lucha contra el apartheid -- ¡En vivo!
Aquí tenemos una colección importante de declaraciones por Nelson Mandela, dirigente de la lucha en contra el sistema racista del apartheid en Sudáfrica. Incluye los textos de sus intervenciones antes tribunales del estado del apartheid, cuando el fue enjuiciado y encarcelado con cadena perpetua por su participación en la lucha.

Mandela habla de la historia de opresión y explotación en Sudáfrica y de las protestas de las masas revindicando sus derechos. Presenta la perspectiva del Congreso Nacional Africano de una nación democrático y no racial. Mandela también denuncia la violencia desatada por el gobierno apartheid, y detalla las masivas Campañas de Desafío contra las leyes apartheid, los paros nacionales y la decisión de lanzar una lucha armada.

¡Un libro de inspiración e educación política para todos nosotros hoy en día! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Nelson Mandela walks the long road to freedom
"Peaceful Protest: The Life of Nelson Mandela" is a collaboration between folk artist Malcah Zeldis and her daughter, author Yona Zeldis McDonough. Of course Mandela is one of the most respected figures of the last twenty years, having been a "prisoner of conscience" in South Africa from 1963 to 1990 before being released and becoming the first black president of the democratic Republic of South Africa. For his dedication to a peaceful solution to the apartheid policy of his native land, Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize. This biography for younger readers covers Mandela's entire life, from the childhood when Buti Mandela was given the name "Nelson" by a schoolteacher to his retirement from public life in 1999. Arrested for his anti-apartheid beliefs and activities, Mandela was offered his freedom if he would leave the country, a condition which he refused. When Mandela became South Africa's first elected black leader he was committed to true democratic ideals rather than simply reversing his country's policy of apartheid. Throughout the book the focus on Mandela's life does reflect the title's idea of "Peaceful Protest."

The biography is both informative and respectful, although it does gloss over some of the problems in Mandela's life; his divorce is mentioned in a chronology of his life appearing in the back of the book, but there is no explanation offered. The artwork by Zeldis is quite colorful and done in the primitive style of folk art. I agree with the comment that providing the characters with different colored noses (Mandela's is orange) at the very least looks quite strange. The fact that not all of the white characters appear with different colored noses (usually reddish when they do) does bring up some troubling questions, but my concern is that this artistic distinctiveness makes the blacks in these paintings look less than human. However, that idea is most difficult to reconcile with the book's text. Then again, maybe young kids will not bat at eye at this artwork and see it as similar to something they themselves might do. In that case the worst thing that might happen is that it causes a spirited class discussion or an interesting talk between parent and child. For now I will give the artist the benefit of the doubt and resolve my judgment in favor of the text. ... Read more