Nelson Mandela is one of the great moral and political leaders of our time: an international hero whose lifelong dedication to the fight against racial oppression in South Africa won him the Nobel Peace Prize and the presidency of his country. Since his triumphant release in 1990 from more than a quarter-century of imprisonment, Mandela has been at the center of the most compelling and inspiring political drama in the world.
An autobiography that is both moving and inspiring. I had read about very early struggles against oppression in South Africa in Mahatma Gandhi's biography by Ramachandra Guha. When reading it I wondered what happened to the struggle in South Africa after Gandhi left. This book tells us the inspiring story about the period after Gandhi in South Africa.
Mandela has a wonderful way of telling his story which gently takes us to a tour of the time, the place, the emotions. One never gets bogged down in detail. He also has a great way of convincing us the logic behind his opinions without being forceful. That might be one of the factors that made him a great leader.
A long but wonderful reading. It's amazing how Mandela vividly remembers the details of his life from childhood.
Here's an excerpt from a few paragraphs I loved at the final chappers of the book...
//Just as we told the people what we would do, I felt we must also tell them what we could not do. Many people felt life would change overnight after a free and democratic election, but that would be far from the case. Often, I said to the crowds, 'Do not expect to be driving a Mercedes the day after the election or swimming in your own backyard pool.' I told our supporters, 'Life will not change dramatically, except that you will have increased your self-esteem and become a citizen of your own land. You must have patience. You might have to wait 5 years for results to show.' I challenged them; I did not patronize …
A long but wonderful reading. It's amazing how Mandela vividly remembers the details of his life from childhood.
Here's an excerpt from a few paragraphs I loved at the final chappers of the book...
//Just as we told the people what we would do, I felt we must also tell them what we could not do. Many people felt life would change overnight after a free and democratic election, but that would be far from the case. Often, I said to the crowds, 'Do not expect to be driving a Mercedes the day after the election or swimming in your own backyard pool.' I told our supporters, 'Life will not change dramatically, except that you will have increased your self-esteem and become a citizen of your own land. You must have patience. You might have to wait 5 years for results to show.' I challenged them; I did not patronize them: 'If you want to continue living in poverty without clothes and food,' I told them, 'then go and drink in the shebeens. But if you want better things, you must work hard. We cannot do it all for you; you must do it yourselves.'
I told white audiences that we needed them and did not want them to leave the country. They were South Africans just like ourselves and this was their land, too. I would not mince words about the horrors of apartheid, but I said, over and over, that we should forget the past and concentrate on building a better future for all.
Each rally was also designed to teach people how to vote. The ballot itself was a long, narrow piece of paper with the parties listed in the descending order to the left, and then the symbol of the party, and a picture of its leader to the right. Voters were to place an X in the box next to the party of their choice. I would tell audiences, 'On election day, look down your ballot and when you see the face of a young and handsome man, mark an X.'
- "Long Walk to Freedom" (1994) by Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.//
