In His Own Words

Contributors

By Nelson Mandela

Foreword by Bill Clinton

Foreword by Kofi Annan, U.N. Secretary-General

Formats and Prices

On Sale
Jun 12, 2018
Page Count
608 pages
Publisher
Back Bay Books
ISBN-13
9780316107020

Price

$21.99

Format

Trade Paperback

Format:

Trade Paperback $21.99

In spreading the message of freedom, equality, and human dignity, Nelson Mandela helped transform not only his own nation, but the entire world. Now his most important speeches are collected in a single volume. From the eve of his imprisonment to his release twenty-seven years later, from his acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize to his election as South Africa’s first black president, these speeches span some of the most pivotal moments of Mandela’s life and his country’s history.

Arranged thematically and accompanied by tributes from leading world figures, Mandela’s addresses memorably illustrate his lasting commitment to freedom and reconciliation, democracy and development, culture and diversity, and international peace and well-being. The extraordinary power of this volume is in the moving words and intimate tone of Mandela himself, one of the most courageous and articulate men of our time.

“There is no easy way to walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountain tops of our desires.” — Nelson Mandela, September 1953

Nelson Mandela

About the Author

Rolihlahla Nelson Mandela is one of the world’s most beloved and admired heroes. Born in South Africa in Mvezo, a small village in the remote Transkei, on July 18, 1918, he is from the royal family of the Thembu, who are part of the larger Xhosa people.

After obtaining his B.A. degree at the University of South Africa in 1941, Mandela was drawn to the politics of the African National Congress (ANC), whose strategy was to fight the minority rule with nonviolence. Organizing a campaign in the early 1950s to end the pass system, which required black South Africans to carry passes wherever they traveled, Mandela was arrested on charges of treason, but he was acquitted after a five-year trial.

In 1962, he was arrested again, this time on charges of sabotage and conspiracy. Found guilty, Mandela soon became the world’s most famous political prisoner, embarking with his fellow inmates on a system of self-education that earned the Robben Island prison the name of “Island University.” While incarcerated, Mandela started a negotiation process with the government for the transformation of South Africa from an apartheid state into a democracy. After spending twenty-seven years in prison, Mandela was released in 1990.

Just three years later, in 1993, Nelson Mandela shared the Nobel Peace Prize with former president F. W. de Klerk fortheir dismantling of apartheid. In 1994, the majority of black South Africans participated in a democratic election in which Mandela became the first black president of the country. He was inaugurated in May 1994 and served as president of South Africa for five years.

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