Rating: 
Summary: The Story of a Hero
Review: This book was truly amazing. I found myself observing Mandela's actions like a student, attentive to his process and noting his moments of success.
The writing was deeply personal, and yet, I loved how he would politely omit personal details that would strike at the honor of Winnie. I still question her poor publicity as I read of her undying support for Nelson, the committment to her family burdens carried in solitaire while Nelson remained imprisoned.
This same honor and respect for other humans forged his deep committment to the liberation struggle. He never once forgot his true purpose in leading his people. He felt deeply the slights on anyone's freedom, be it man or woman, black or white.
I also valued the insights into South African history. It gave me a whole new perspective on how the South African nation has developed in the world of contemporary democracy. Within the democractic framework, it was interesting to consider the affect of the media on society, at home and abroad. Especially to look at what America and the UK were doing while South Africa worked though apartheid.
This is a well-rounded, well-written and profoundly personal autobiography. READ IT!
Rating:
Summary: The Story of a Nation
Review: This is not only the story of a man, it is one remarkable chapter in the history of South Africa. Manela has had an extremely long and eventful life, and yet through it all he has forgotten nothing. It is all there: the names, places, dates, and details. His memory is epic. The experience this man embodies is beyond belief. You cannot go wrong with this book. I only wish it there were another 600 pages!!!
Rating:
Summary: Enormously impressive
Review: This book is the autobiography of Nelson Mandela, one of the true heroes of our times. The book was largely written during his imprisonment on Robben Island and describes his development from an average student to one of the world's most respected leaders. It gives important insights into the decisions he made and had to make both as a human being and as a political leader.
Mr. Mandela's biggest accomplishment is of course his ability to return from a 27-year imprisonment mentally unbroken and without an overwhelming feeling of revenge, a truly superhuman accomplishment in the view of all the actions the white minority government undertook to make his life miserable. The common denominator in all his actions is a very highly developed sense of justice: from his decision to study law to his rise through the ranks of the ANC. Even the decision to revert from peaceful action to armed guerilla combat becomes understandable. A truly important book, which is, after a rather tough beginning, a very smooth and entertaining read.
Rating:
Summary: Ten thousand days in prison
Review: We sang, "Free Nelson Mandela." We walked the streets of our own cities hoping for an end to apartheid and we weren't even sure what that meant. Mandela's own story remains an inspiration as the concluding paragraphs call for us all to be mindful of the true grace and humility that comes with any claims to freedom.
Rating:
Summary: Messiah of the Modern Age
Review: Reading this epic storyline of a triumphant "freedom-fighter" puts one's place in
perspective in searching for a meaning in life that will bring lasting, cooperative,
congenial, peaceful, justly change to a world that is haunted by the repercussions
of colonialist imperialism. For those who say one wo(man) can't change anything
in the vast bureaucratic machinery of the modern age, one learns that it is not the
oppressor and enemy you must dwell on, but on motivate and will yourself to
make the essential sacrifices necessary in giving your all out commitment in
fighting through the proper means for your necessary cause. Here is a man, who in his own birthland was treated with 4th class status (whites,
colored, Indians, Blacks respectively), being mind and body-controlled of his
thoughts, political affiliations, location of domecile, location and field of work,
where and by what he could travel to, biased court, administrative, and police
enforcement, and numerous other inhumane treatment. He didn't let these vastly
hampering, seemingly insurmountable logistics sway him as he remained steadfast
in his courage, loyalty, and dedication to righting the many wrongs of his society. Mandela didn't do it alone and he stresses his full allegiance to the ANC through-
out, as well as to people such as his prison-mate of 27 years Walter Sisulu, his
dependable lawyer Joe Solvo, the ANC president in exile Oliver Thembo, and to
a large but not always clear-cut extant F.W. De Klerk, as well as others. Mandela
retains and is proud of his Trankei roots and heritage and of the legendary stories
of accomplishment that the Zulu's of the past and other cultural phenomena that
his people had accomplished. He respects where he comes from ("I believe
everyone should have a house within sight of where they were born"), yet doesn't
let that hinder his open--mindedness and the rational right choices one must make
that will conflict with one's past and present family, acquaintances, and affiliations. Nothing could put into words the vast sacrifices and pits the freedom-fighters
against apartheid travailed through, with the numerous murderous state-sponsored
rampages of mass-murder, the callousness of police brutality and prison life (i.e.
descriptions of early conditions of bed blankets, excrement facilities, food offerings,
heart-stopping induced labor, limitations of visits, symbolic geographical seperation
of Robben Island, etc.) are just hard to understand and muster in one's imagination. Just as in Nazi Germany and in other police-state, totalitarian regimes, he showed
and clearly stated that it was not just the oppressed who were limited and stomped
upon their freedoms, but also the oppressor. One gets a tremendous respect for the
power of authority and the need of a countries people to continually check up and
make the requisite changes to make the government accountable by, for, and to the
people. Nelson Mandela ends this book not with a conclusion, as to freedom-fighter, revo-
lutionary, justice seeker ever ends his journey, but with satisfactory contentment
for what one has accomplished by reaching one peak, but also seeking that there are
many more mountains to trudge and that each vista will offer a beautiful, connec-
ting view that will only encourage to push one forward to gain and achieve better
and greater views till one reaches that highest and most colorfully fertile of peaks. Altough this book did not reveal that much of the inner twists and knots one must
confront in building one's successful campaign to fight an injustice (i.e. Autobio-
graphy of Malcom X much better in that respect), it gives you a vast appreciation
of what is possible in a long-lived and dedicated life. Mandela covers a lot of the
rudimentary descriptions of his ever-changing, amorphous, hazy, disruptive, chain
-bound environment, which many time limits his chances, as well of course his
memory of the vast and intricate changes he went through, at expounding upon his
inner turbulences and turmoil. In the end, Mandela leaves a lasting legacy of truly and man of and for his people,
putting his dear Mother and wife behind (his only, but tragically irreparable regret)
for the well-being of his greater family, the inhabitants of the land known as South
Africa.
Rating:
Summary: amazing, simply amazing
Review: Everytime I have a question about what I should do as a leader, what I should do as a person, what I should do in life I think about this book and Nelson Mandela. He inspired me to be a leader and perhaps a better human being.
Rating:
Summary: Inspirational!
Review: I normally don't like to read autobiographies. I prefer fiction instead. However, this book was recommended to me by my son, who was impressed by Nelson Mandela's story. This is indeed a great book. If it were not for the fact that the brutalities and despicable behavior of the apartheid South African Government have been well documented, it would be difficult to believe how cruel can some men be to other men because of racism and hatred. The story of how Mr. Mandela was able to resist so much abuse perpetrated on him and his family, and how he never wavered nor lost sight of his goal, is a testament to the human spirit. This is a great and inspirational book. I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Rating: 
Summary: He did not fight alone
Review: When I read Mandela autobiography last year, I kept thinking how good it was to finally read his first person account of the history of the anti-apartheid, anti-colonial struggle. While I had previously read many of his speeches and writings about Mandela, it was good to see his view of the struggle. What comes out most clear in this book is that Mandela never sees the liberation of Azania/South Africa as his struggle alone. He constantly reminds his readers, as he did in the popular interview on the Oprah Wimphrey Show, that it was he and the ANC, along with the oppressed masses of South Africa, who fought and won the liberation of South Africa. Mandela clearly understands the role and purpose of organization in liberation struggle. Despite the media hype that tries to paint him as some sort of messiah, he shows that political education and mass organization are what brings about freedom. The only problem I did have with his story is that he glosses over the final days or months of his imprisonment. Any politically consciousness person reading his book would know that there must of been a lot more negotiation and deal making in order for the vicious, settler, racist European government and establishment to allow him to go free and become the head of state of South Africa. While it's clear that the European power structure was also responding to the pressures of the liberation struggle, they no doubt pushed Mandela and leading members of the ANC that the liberation of South Africa would require certain conditions so that the power structure in South Africa could maintain its economic interest. Thus, I guess it would be difficult for Mandela to fully disclose what took place before his release from prison, but somehow this account of the liberation struggle must be revealed in order that we get a better understanding of present-day South Africa.
Rating:
Summary: What is True Freedom???
Review: Nelson Manela has portrayed what is true "freedom" in this book. I cant imagine a person who's closed up for more than a quarter a century, gets out still has such passion and zeal to do so much. His humanity is overwhelming. The world has so much to learn from this living legend. I am amazed at how Mandela prompted the Truth and Reconciliation comission and created a national healing process.
I wish the 'developed' nations can learn from him.
Rating:
Summary: A Very Long Walk Indeed.
Review: Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela is in no way an adventurous book, but it is one of the most inspirational and motivating books ever. Since the book's release in February of 1990, Nelson Mandela has been referred to as the most significant moral leader since Gandhi. Long Walk to Freedom describes Mandela's incredible life. Nelson's childhood was a tribal one, as he grew up a foster son to a Thembu chief. Mandela was interested in law, but his growing political life moved him to become more actively engaged in the formation of the ANC Youth League. In 1964 Nelson was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment on the charges of sabotage, treason, and violent conspiracy against the South African regime. Mandela for the next 27 years was imprisoned at Robben Island. After getting out of prison, Mandela was years behind the rest of the world, but that didn't stop him from being the savior of his people. Many of the concepts and terms in this book were hard to understand. After going over them a few times though, things started to make sense to me and all of his thoughts and experiences became one big lesson. Mandela had many stories about his imprisonment that could have been left out, but how he was imprisoned doing mindless things and at the same time starting one of the greatest activist groups ever was just amazing. Mandela never did really lose sight of his ultimate goal. It wasn't till I picked up Nelson Mandela's book that I really found out what went on, and what he went though to free his people. Long Walk to Freedom is a really long walk indeed, but I recommend this book to anyone because it is a walk that everyone should take.
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