Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela

I've always been partial to books that open ones eyes to the injustices and wrongs being committed in the world that get swept under the rug unless close attention is paid to them or any attention period. With that being said, when I ordered Mandela's autobiography it was a bit of a departure for me as a few of my books this summer have been. The only book that touched me in the way this one did was Kite Runner. Long Walk to Freedom encapsulates Mandela's childhood, struggles as a freedom fighter, political activist, long imprisonment and ends with his election as the president of South Africa. What struck me about this autobiography is that it wasn't boring and was actually informative. About the only thing I knew about Nelson Mandela before I read this book was that he was a political activist from South Africa that was imprisoned for a very long time. I had no idea what he went through to change South Africa into what it is today. I had no idea just how much patience and just how often Mandela was tried with seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel. I don't know that there is much to review from the book itself that hasn't already been discussed. Some have mentioned a lack of Mandela's childhood, but I didn't really think it was that necessary to put much about his childhood into the book. What really matters was the decision to become active against the apartheid of South Africa in his teenage years. I love books like this. For me, they help me to become less ignorant of the world and what is going on in it. I'll openly admit I do have some prejudice against members of certain races sometimes for either a) myths that popular culture has created or b) just my own damn stubbornness. I had had an inkling that the history of South Africa wasn't all roses but I had never known the extend until I read this book. As a person, Nelson Mandela is absolutely one of the greatest human beings I've had the pleasure of reading about. For those of us that suffer from depression and anxiety as I do, stories like Mandela's seemingly boundless determination and willingless to rise up again and again in the face of adversity is absolutely remarkable and incredibly inspirational. How Mandela can say that prison never broke his spirit even after 27 years is just unbelievable. Granted, Mandela didn't have much of a choice all of those years but to make the best of it and to keep his spirits up. It definitely puts things in perspective for me when I complain sometimes about being bored at various events or when I negatively think about an event I'm going to before I even give it a chance to see if I like it. In a sense, Mandela's book gives you hope that we can make a difference and one person does indeed matter in the grand scheme of things. The only mild gripe I had was within the first few pages where Mandela is describing all the tribes with names and it almost seems like made-up code names, but then again for us Westerners anything with a few more consonants in it sounds funny at times I suppose. Overall, Mandela's autobiography is a very smooth and enjoyable read. It's just fascinating learning about a man that's been an inspiration for so many and lost so much along the way to becoming who he is today. -Travis Stein.

It was very fascinating to read about the life of a great personality. He was born in a small village in rural South Africa, his father passed away when he was a small child,and he was brought up by his uncle-who was a tribal chief. As a child he went to the best schools a black man could go to. He valued educations, but mentions how society and the education system were wrought with white supremacy. He runs away from home along with his cousin to avoid getting married to someone he didn't like, he carries a gun along with him and is apprehended by the police but manages to convince them to release him. In the city he takes up small jobs to make ends meet and pursues his law studies through correspondence. While working as a clerk in a law firm he is introduced to the ideals and principles of the ANC-African National Congress. He gets increasingly involved with the ANC and becomes an important member of it. He writes how oppressive apartheid was-black people lived in ghettos and needed passes to commute any where. But he also mentions his own mistakes- how he used to get carried away when he used to give speeches and argue cases. In the freedom struggle when they try everything and nothing works against the white government they decide to start a militant organisation. Mandela acknowledges that he was part of the decision making process;he expresses surprise when he is conferred the Nobel Prize because he had started a militant organisation. He goes on a world tour collecting funds. He comes back and is in hiding when he is caught by the police.He is sentenced to life imprisonment. In the prison also there is discrimination between indian prisoners and black prisoners. In jail he is offered shorts to wear-because blacks were considered boys-but refuses to wear them, so the prison guards give him a choice to wear shorts or undergo solitary confinement for a few days. He chooses solitary confinement but after a few days he pleads with the security guards to let him out. It is fascinating how even in prison there are liberal jailers too. He develops an interest in gardening and pursues his education from prison.He mentions how while he was severely tested he too questioned his own choice of joining the freedom struggle. There are certain thinks in his life you can relate to-like the mistakes he has made or the challenges he has faced-and can take solace and confidence from the fact that everybody faces them in life. But there are qualities in him-like the fact that he had the confidence to disagrees with Gandhi regarding the form of freedom struggle and choose to start a militant organisation, even when he hadn't been acknowledged as a great leader and could have been branded a terrorist; having the will power to believe in a cause for so long; having the courage to be honest about his life-which I can't relate to. I think this is what makes him great in my eyes and he is an inspiration to me.

This is one of the most captivating books on leadership and political struggle I have ever read. The book does not lose its relevance for today's political challenges. It's a unique testament to our ability to persevere and fight for humanity even under the most unfavorable conditions. While the book is lengthy and comprehensive, covering numerous events in South African history, Mandela's writing style remains deeply personal and engrossing. He skillfully transitions between historical accounts and personal reflections, maintaining the reader's motivation throughout.

Nice book to read. My hubby likes it

Certaines pages sont sans encre

A simple yet inspiring read , great book!

Great book to understand how the apartheid has been abolished. The story is told by Nelson MANDELA from his simple human point of view with all the difficulties taht he faced and emotions he felt. A book to read if you like history, south Africa or just for your own culture.