A review by rick2
Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela by Nelson Mandela
5.0
An incredible book by an incredible man. I think the thing that struck me the most is how approachable and humble the writing is. As you follow along, I found myself easily putting myself into Madiba’s shoes. Across the years, and on the other side of the world, Mandela’s life seemed like the most natural things in the world. Of course you would spend 30 years in prison in order to make a point, of course you would give up your family life and profession in order to travel around to train freedom fighters. The matter-of-factness of Madiba‘s writing undersells the tremendous selflessness that he lived his life with. Time and time again when offered the opportunity to choose his own personal comfort or satisfaction, Mandela chose to instead dedicate his life to the betterment of those unable to speak for themselves.
Mandela is someone you see bandied about as a “hero” and all the accompanying great things that are said about leaders and politicians. I was a bit skeptical going in. It’s easy to be cynical after seeing so many people who are similarly lauded and fall short of the image they try to project. This book far surpassed my expectations simply because it rang so authenticity true. He writes simply and clearly. Painting a portrait of a man who struggled with his decisions, who fell short of his ideals at times, his candor about the sacrifices he made at the expense of his family. He is a man who found himself in situations where he needed to rise to a challenge. It does not appear that Mandela sought out to be a revolutionary, but rather found himself in the midst of revolution and understood the need for leadership. This is hands down the best political memoir I’ve read. If I end up in law school in a couple years, it will be because I hope to emulate just a fraction of Mandela’s example within.
Mandela is someone you see bandied about as a “hero” and all the accompanying great things that are said about leaders and politicians. I was a bit skeptical going in. It’s easy to be cynical after seeing so many people who are similarly lauded and fall short of the image they try to project. This book far surpassed my expectations simply because it rang so authenticity true. He writes simply and clearly. Painting a portrait of a man who struggled with his decisions, who fell short of his ideals at times, his candor about the sacrifices he made at the expense of his family. He is a man who found himself in situations where he needed to rise to a challenge. It does not appear that Mandela sought out to be a revolutionary, but rather found himself in the midst of revolution and understood the need for leadership. This is hands down the best political memoir I’ve read. If I end up in law school in a couple years, it will be because I hope to emulate just a fraction of Mandela’s example within.