Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela Paperback – Unabridged, October 1, 1995

This is one of the best Autobiography ever written. Nelson Mandela, one of the most iconic figures in my life time, if not the Only One. Mandela's early years in rural South Africa, his experiences with the unjust world of apartheid, his time in prison all describe how character is made, nurtured, and ultimately revered. Only a strong character can embrace humility in spite of the injustice he and his family, and his race have suffered.this book is a a genuine reflection of Madiba's remarkable personal journey; a chronicle of the struggle against systemic racism, and the fight for human dignity. I am not from South Africa but I like to call him Madiba - his African name.Despite the injustice Mandela, his family, and the black of South Africa suffered, Mandela emerges as an icon... a man who despite being surrounded by injustice remained fundamentally committed to peace, humanity and justice for all -- and that includes his former perpetrators - The all white National PartyIt is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the depths of personal sacrifice, political activism, and the unshakable resolve required to overcome oppression - whether at home, in the world, and in politics.Warning: This book is really long and yet, so so worth it. It is well written and it will captivate you! Every leader will benefit in reading the character of a man like Mandela. Hate never serve anyone including the haters. Mandela is a rare bread.Give yourself a year to read it, if you're not an avid reader. Read 10 pages each night if you don't read long. It may take you 2 years, but it's OK. I have the Audio on Audible and I like to read the paper book while I listen to the audiobook. Using 2 sensories guarantees that I won't miss a bit.

It took me several weeks to read 'Long Walk to Freedom' and I winded my book on December 4, while receiving news of Mr Mandela's demise on the following day. The autobiography of Nelson Mandela (aka Madiba) is one of the finest work I've ever read. The journey from a political prisoner to the President is the most inspiring story of the struggle that filled me with unimaginable zeal and strength.His early years of life when he transcended from a runaway village boy into a determined, visionary leader is phenomenal.As a reader one can actually visualize the those 27 years of imprisonment, the portraying of anti-apartheid movement, drawing of each character and its supportive role in prison, the emotions and feelings are so evident that I almost have had tears in my eyes when he mentions his walk through the gate and he decided to free himself from the imprisonment of the hatred for those who literally made his life a living hell.While going through his book, I loved that part "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. I felt myself more times than I can remember, but I hid it behind a mask of boldness. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear". These words left me speechless and impacted my own thinking process in the most powerful and positive way.It is not easy to choose your country over your family. Surely, Nelson Mandela lost much more than anyone has for the freedom of its people. The book beautifully captures the ideology behind the freedom movement in South Africa, while it also mentions in bits the contemporaries like Gandhi or Nehru.The best take away from the book was the believe that one can be robbed with everything except ones heart and mind!I highly recommend this book for young readers who can train and treat themselves with words of wisdom, fearless leadership demonstration, intellectual growth, and insight into the historical anti-apartheid revolutionary movement in South Africa.The story of Nelson Mandela will always be the most cherished book for me. Thank you Nelson Mandela for your story, R.I.P.

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.