Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela : With Connections (HRW library)

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: Long Walk
Review: Today I finished reading Long Walk to Freedom, the very impressive autobiographical account of the life and work of Nelson Mandela. An autobiography is, understandably, biased. If you write an account of your own life, you are not going to speak ill of yourself. Yet, reading through the book, it struck me that Mandela admitted that he had made mistakes. I found the account of his life imbued with a sense of modesty, humility and dignity that you do not find in many politicians.

Mandela showed himself to be a man of another order when he did not turn the table to oppress the minority whites when he became president but, rather, called everyone to the table.

It is one of the interesting stories of our time: a man who spent 27 1/2 years as a political prisoner of his country because of his fight against apartheid ends up, in his old age, the president of that country. One of his deputy presidents is the previous president who headed the party that had put the system in place.

Rating:
Summary: This book is well worth of my shelf space.
Review: You should read, at least, a book or two about biographies of such noble people as Nelson Mandela, whose lives have been a blessing to the world. This was a great inspirational book and helped me to realize how simple and small things in life could bring so much joy into one's life. Far too often, I personally take simple pleasures of life for granted. The freedom is not free and the book cites how the freedom is brought at the expense of sacrifices of our fathers. The book is very well written and what impresses me is Nelson Mandela's mastery of English language.