A review by rossbm
Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela by Nelson Mandela
4.0
(read as audiobook) Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The account of Nelson Mandela’s life was interesting and inspirational, and the narrator did a great job.
The book is very detailed and comprehensive (how did Mandela remember so much?), covering every aspect of Mandela’s life from his childhood, early career and political activities, to his time in prison, release and election as president. However, this also means that the book is quite long and sometimes tedious, in particular the time in prison. The long period in prison was mostly uneventful, although it showed how Mandela maintained his dignity and spirit despite the harsh conditions.
Autobiographies are interesting because they give a peek into someone’s mind, even if it is a biased and incomplete viewpoint. For example, I recently read a review of Winnie and Nelson: Portrait of a Marriage by Jonny Steinberg. It seems like there were a lot of complexities related to violence and other ramifications of apartheid that were only glossed over in A Long Walk to Freedom.
I didn’t know much about Mandela before reading this book and I come away with an admiration for his courage, resilience, vision and forgiveness. South Africa was and is a complex nation. I’m glad to have learned more.
The book is very detailed and comprehensive (how did Mandela remember so much?), covering every aspect of Mandela’s life from his childhood, early career and political activities, to his time in prison, release and election as president. However, this also means that the book is quite long and sometimes tedious, in particular the time in prison. The long period in prison was mostly uneventful, although it showed how Mandela maintained his dignity and spirit despite the harsh conditions.
Autobiographies are interesting because they give a peek into someone’s mind, even if it is a biased and incomplete viewpoint. For example, I recently read a review of Winnie and Nelson: Portrait of a Marriage by Jonny Steinberg. It seems like there were a lot of complexities related to violence and other ramifications of apartheid that were only glossed over in A Long Walk to Freedom.
I didn’t know much about Mandela before reading this book and I come away with an admiration for his courage, resilience, vision and forgiveness. South Africa was and is a complex nation. I’m glad to have learned more.