Long Walk to Freedom
1994
- biography
- politics and government
- presidents
- african national congress
- civil rights workers
- political prisoners
- statesmen
- human rights
- apartheid
- guerilla warfare
The story
The riveting memoirs of the outstanding moral and political leader of our time, Long Walk to Freedom brilliantly recreates the drama of the experiences that helped shape Nelson Mandela's destiny. 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.
What it’s like
Measured, plainspoken prose that moves like a long, careful conversation: the voice of a man who has spent decades in thought, looking back over a life with patience and dry humour rather than heat. The sensory world is built from small, concrete things: the red earth and cattle of the Transkei countryside, the dust and corrugated iron of Johannesburg townships, the grey stone and bare routines of Robben Island, the sharp smell of lime in a quarry, the rhythm of a prison day counted out in meals and visits. Violence and cruelty are present, recounted plainly and without relish, with brief flashes of brutality under apartheid and a few tense episodes of underground life; there is no gore and little that is graphic, though the weight of injustice sits heavily throughout. The pace is steady and unhurried, with long stretches of reflection and political argument alongside warmer passages about family, friendship and early student years. Emotionally it is earnest, resilient and gently hopeful, following a man who learns patience, discipline and forgiveness over decades. Good for readers who want a substantial, reflective life story at an easy pace, history-minded readers curious about South Africa, and anyone wanting something sober but uplifting for a quiet evening.
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