Reflections in prison

by Mac Maharaj (Editor), Desmond Tutu (Preface)

In the first three months of 1976, during his imprisonment on Robben Island, Nelson Mandela wrote the bulk of his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom. This was an illegal act, and the manuscript had to be smuggled out by fellow prisoner Mac Maharaj on his release that year. Maharaj used the opportunity to ask Mandela and other political prisoners to write essays about South Africa's political future. These were smuggled out with Mandela's autobiography, and are published, 25 years later, in this book.

Genres: South Africa

253 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Sunae · Rating 5 out of 5]

All this competent, and genuin political figures came togehter to write essays containing some of there most urgent thoughts.
Madiba choosen for a engaging entrance forcuses on his allys, and cooperation between many different civil rights groups. What connects them, there weaknesses, the difficulty of differences whitout alliances, and there political history.

Member of the INC, the indian coloredopulation, and namibian resistance provide an alternative perspective from the well repressented south african side, allowing more aspects of south african to shine. I appreciated this few especially.

The member of the PAC sounded very immature, having honed his intellect primarily on his own history, and while well equiped tomreconize the problems in his society, he seemns to lack much understanding of long term problem solving, and engages primarily on ideological, and theoretical grounds.
But what he lacked on experience, he made up on vigor, and ambition. A honest soul.

It is highly educational to see them express there belifes, and share there knowledge in different ways. Some are more informational, and dry, others more emotional, perhaps even patriotic.

[Elizabeth Parenzee]

Insightful