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Portrait of a Leader for All Times

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If you read only one autobiography this year, I recommend this one. Leadership breakthroughs are few and far between. They are even rarer in the political arena. Although I had closely followed the path to an integrated democracy in South Africa (and worked hard on the anti-apartheid sanctions and boycotts), much of Nelson Mandela's struggle was hidden to me at the time. Only after the reconciliation had gone on for a number of years did it become apart how remarkable this man's contribution has been. Recently, I read Playing the Enemy which described some of the nuances in how Mandela conceived of creating a peaceful transition through an unauthorized sole negotiation from a prison cell. Those stories impressed me even more. Now, I had to read the autobiography. And I'm glad I did. Let me warn you, however, that Nelson Mandela is so self-effacing that the real story of what he accomplished and how he did it doesn't fully come through in the autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. I recommend that you read Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation first. What the autobiography will do is show the cultural and social backgrounds of the struggle and how critical it was that Mandela be a man of honor, principle, and loyalty. He was a leader for the whole nation even when many people didn't want him to be in the nation. It's a remarkable way to be, a way that few people can accomplish. The apartheid system was as vile a way to treat citizens as anything that has come along since Germany in the 1930s. It's hard to imagine that it arose after World War II and was so difficult to break. The treatment of the African National Congress's leaders will appall you. Their grace will delight you. May every nation have a Nelson Mandela to lead it!

The book you should read after this one

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Seretse Khama (the first president of Botswana on its independence) was a man greatly admired by Mandela. They had many qualities in common. Khama also had many obstacles put in his way by the UK, Rhodesian and South Africa governments and showed the same greatness of character as Mandela. Susan Williams' book 'Colour bar' chronicles Khama's story brillaintly, and I think that if you enjoyed 'Long walk to freedom' then you'll get a lot from this book too.

Those undaunted by the page count will be justly rewarded

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Anyone who has heard of this book but hasn't read it will be at least familiar with its size - it's a doorstep of a book - but those undaunted by the page count will be justly rewarded. Mandela's life has been characterised by the 27 years he spent incarcerated on Robben Island as a political prisoner for his involvement with the anti-apartheid African National Congress. Understandably this period in his life (where he covertly wrote a large portion of the book) is covered in some detail as he attempts to explain the tedium and challenge this time presents each man. However, this book sets that period in the context of Mandela's life as well as its historical and political context. Mandela's childhood and early years were the most interesting part for me as I'm always curious to see how people came to be who they are, and the size of the book allows Mandela to do this period in his life justice without sacrificing detail of his later political life. Mandela's penchant for detail is apparent, from the administrative procedures of the ANC to details of meetings with the National Party Leadership towards the end. Friends of mine have said that the political detail was dull and too detailed but the book would not be complete without that depth and to me this reflects Mandela the man and his manner of thinking. Throughout the book Mandela employs compelling language and even shows himself to be an entertainer - never better than in court, using the legal system and his apparent courtroom flair to show the state prosecutor to be inadequate and unjust. In reading this book and recalling the events you are participating in history and cementing the lessons of the past. This is a timely moment to read The Long Walk to Freedom as you will put down the book and pick up the newspapers to continue almost uninterrupted as Zimbabwe swings in the opposite direction and Thabo Mbeki resigns as leader of the ruling ANC in South Africa. If this book was a story and if you didn't know how it ended you would never believe that the ANC party that Mandela gave his whole life to would ever be allowed to participate in Government, let alone lead the South Africa today.

Still my favourite, and I'm trying to replace it!	Customer Rating:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, absolutely engaging. The early most significant struggles of his life depicted in this book fight with you as you try to find a good point to stop for the day. A must read for everyone!

It will get you interested!

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I have never really been that interested in politics; I would say I have a level of interest in UK politics as that is where I live but not foreign politics so for me, buying and then reading such a long book, I really wondered whether I would get through it. I have to say, it was interesting from the start and difficult to put down. I am not even an avid book reader but if you are curious about people generally, then this is a great book to get into. This isn't just about Nelson Mandela, fighting apartheid. It's about someone who started out similar to us - just an ordinary person but who had a simple but enjoyable childhood - different in relation to culture and upbringing. If you don't understand politics, you don't need to know a great deal and neither do you have to have indepth knowledge of South African history. I came away with a feeling of understanding this person - even knowing him to a certain extent because of how much he lets you into his thoughts and his heart. I also gained knowledge and interest from South African politics. I am in my 30s - all that I heard on television as a child myself during the Thatcher years, remembering the song Free Nelson Mandela - it all means so much more to me now. But this book not only gives you insight into Nelson Mandela as a politician, but as a person. Even that has great interest in itself. If you are similar to me and you read this book, you'll not be disappointed.