He recounts the surprisingly eventful 27 years in prison and the complex negotiation which led to both his freedom and to the beginning of apartheid's end.
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The escalating political warfare in the 1950s between the ANC and the government is vividly brought to life, culminating in Mandela's dramatic escapades as an underground leader and the notorious Rivonia Trial of 1964, at which he was sentenced to life imprisonment. He also describes his personal struggles at that time of having to reconcile his political activity with family, the anguished breakup of his first marriage, and the painful separation from his children. He tells of his early years as an impoverished student and law clerk in Johannesburg and of his slow political awakening. Mandela recounts his youth, as the foster son of a Thembu chief, raised in the traditional tribal culture of his ancestors as he grew to learn the inescapable reality of apartheid oppression. 'Long Walk to Freedom' is his exhilarating story.
These are memoirs of a great moral and political figure, an international hero whose lifelong dedication to the fight against racial oppression in South Africa won him the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize and the presidency of his country. Unforgettable' Andre Brink Long Walk to Freedom humane, dignified and magnificently unembittered' The Times 'Burns with the luminosity of faith in the invincible nature of human hope and dignity. Mandela emulates the few great political leaders such as Lincoln and Gandhi, who go beyond mere consensus and move out ahead of their followers to break new ground' Sunday Times 'The authentic voice of Mandela shines through this book. Emotive, compelling and uplifting, Long Walk to Freedom is the exhilarating story of an epic life a story of hardship, resilience and ultimate triumph told with the clarity and eloquence of a born leader. These memoirs from one of the great leaders of our time are 'essential reading for anyone who wants to understand history - and then go out and change it' Barack Obama The riveting memoirs of the outstanding moral and political leader of our time, Long Walk to Freedom brilliantly re-creates the drama of the experiences that helped shape Nelson Mandela's destiny.