Rating: 
Summary: You can only revel in the presence of such humility!!!
Review: A superbly written biography, with enough details that allows the reader to get to know and understand the man without been long drawn. Mr Mandela's wit, honesty and humility warms the heart and promises hope for the relief of the suffering "man".
Rating:
Summary: "Should be read by every person alive"
Review: The Boston Globe wrote that this book "should be read by every person alive" and I wholeheartedly agree. Mandela is an excellent writer, and his story is an amazing demonstration of perseverance and forgiveness. His reliance on simple values-- truth, the importance of listening, dignity-- reveal how tragically far societies can stray from the basic principles they should be safeguarding.
Read this book, and pass it on (and don't be intimidated by the 600 or so pages). We should all listen to Mandela's lessons.
Rating: 
Summary: Inspiring
Review: Here is a man who fought his entire life for the freedom of his people, including 27 years in prison. An inspiring story that I didn't know much about until I read this book. A little long and detailed, but I definitely have a greater appreciation for this man and his struggle. If you don't know the story of Nelson Mandela, you should read this book!
Rating:
Summary: South Africa's Mahatma Gandhi
Review: I read this book with consistent pleasure and mounting respect. My gravest concern, now, is that this great man, Mandela, who is very aged, may soon pass away. What wisdom and compassion and commitment will pass away with him! This is a fine book about a great man of our times and I strongly endorse it to all readers.
Rating:
Summary: LOOOOONG Book
Review: This book kept me in prison for a long time. It really bogs down in the middle and then hurries to wrap up. It's a much more "satifying" read in the first 1/3 of the book.
Rating:
Summary: THE DETERMINATION OF ONE MAN- A MUST READ!
Review: After reading LONG WALK TO FREEDOM, I came away with a sense of awe for a man who spent 27 years in prison but never gave up the hope for his freedom and the freedom of his country.
Communicating was key to keeping the "freedom fighters" on the outside informed and encouraged. One way this was done was to write in tiny, coded script on toilet paper. The paper was so small and easily hidden that this became a popular way of smuggling out messages. When the authorities discovered a number of these communications, they took the extraordinary measure of rationing toilet paper. After awhile, only eight squares of toilet paper were given to each prisoner each day.To live under such conditions where you can be so isolated from the world (For 27 years), that you contemplate conversing with a cockroach, is a test of the human spirit. To sacrifice the obligations of family so that a nation of people can breath in freedom is nothing short of courageous with a fiercely determined spirit. Here is what Nelson Mandela writes about in his struggle for family and nation: I did not in the beginning choose to place my people above my family, but in attempting to serve my people, I found I was prevented from fulfilling my obligations as a son, a brother, a father, and a husband. In that way, my commitment to my people, to the millions of South Africans I would never know or meet, was at the expense of the people I knew best and loved most. It was as simple and yet as incomprehensible as the moment a small child asks her father, "Why can you not be with us?" And the father must utter the terrible words: "There are other children like you, a great many of them....." and then one's voice trails off. Nelson Mandela is a man that has a spirit and determination that is above and beyond most people or leaders today. READ THE BOOK!! It will open your eyes and in the end, it'll make you feel good about the human spirit.
Rating:
Summary: Rise above hatred
Review: I was impressed by the author's struggle against apartheid, but I was more impressed by his struggle to rise above hatred. His vision for the future of South Africa included freeing the South African people of color from opression and freeing the white South Africans from fear. Paraphrasing Bishop Tutu: Nelson Mandela is perhaps the icon of forgiveness. His generosity of spirit was inspiring and the history was fascinating.
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