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Mandela: The Authorised Biography
In 1975, imprisoned for life on Robben Island, Nelson Mandela covertly wrote his autobiography. After painstaking months the text was smuggled out--and was promptly quashed by the African National Congress. In his later Long Walk to Freedom Mandela politely expresses "surprise" at this. Sampson reveals that Joe Slovo suppressed the book for not giving enough prominence to Communists. This revelation is remarkable--the ANC could have made much mileage from the book at a time of low fortune--yet Sampson does not follow up. There is too often a sense of eggshells lightly walked upon.
Mandela improves as the prisoner's release approaches. Sampson sharply exposes the machinations of those undermining the ANC's struggle. The CIA knew of the Third Force years before the ANC, yet said nothing. Right-wing governments attacked "Mandela the Communist", preferring to promote Inkhata's Buthelezi, at that time secretly and violently colluding with de Klerk's apartheid regime. Against the small-minded figures of Reagan, Thatcher and Kohl it is Mandela who emerges here a giant. South Africa won her freedom through Mandela: his strength of character and willingness to forgive helped push a country into an alternative future, avoiding the racial civil war almost all predicted. Yet he and his kin paid an awful price. Sampson draws a painful, clear picture of a disintegrating family: dislocation from children; the terrible effects of the war on Winnie, and her increasingly erratic, later murderous behaviour; Mandela's own aching loneliness. It is in capturing Madiba, the ultimate public figure, at his most intense and private, that Sampson's Mandela succeeds best. --Chris Woods
704 pages, Paperback
First published May 27, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
May 12, 2016
This book gives a comprehensive account of Mandela's political career, his role in the ANC and the S.A. anti-apartheid movement. Coming from a country that shares Commonwealth links with South Africa and which has its own history of colonisation, I started this biography with what I considered to be the slightest hint of background knowledge. On that count I was terribly, terribly mistaken. It's a complex issue, involving many diverse social and political groups and I'm sure it will take me many more years of reading to attain that 'slight hint of knowledge'. Not that I mind. It's a fascinating subject.
But I did feel that Nelson Mandela 'the person' gets a little lost amongst all this comprehensive political coverage. The blurb says that Sampson was given '...unprecedented access to 27 years' worth of unpublished correspondence from prison, as well as to other unpublished writings including [Mandela's] original, suppressed, autobiography.' I want to know where it all went! Aside from a few photographs, almost no primary source material has been reprinted in this book. It's all secondary information, told to us through Sampson's point of view. For example, there are no speeches. We are told about the speeches, and made to believe that they were important, and yet we are barely given a segment of them to read ourselves. Likewise there are no complete letters, and the longest quote runs for half a page.
Next on my list is his autobiography; so, until then...
But I did feel that Nelson Mandela 'the person' gets a little lost amongst all this comprehensive political coverage. The blurb says that Sampson was given '...unprecedented access to 27 years' worth of unpublished correspondence from prison, as well as to other unpublished writings including [Mandela's] original, suppressed, autobiography.' I want to know where it all went! Aside from a few photographs, almost no primary source material has been reprinted in this book. It's all secondary information, told to us through Sampson's point of view. For example, there are no speeches. We are told about the speeches, and made to believe that they were important, and yet we are barely given a segment of them to read ourselves. Likewise there are no complete letters, and the longest quote runs for half a page.
Next on my list is his autobiography; so, until then...
November 22, 2021
This completes Task 18: Read a book by/about a non-Western world leader of Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge. And this was my final task to complete! Officially done with the Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge.
My first thought when I saw this task was Mandela. As a kid in America growing up in the 80s, I saw anti-apartheid and free Mandela ads and shirts everywhere. But I never really knew the story or the leader. I watched Invictus when it came out mainly because of rugby, but I was fascinated about Mandela after the movie.
This book was great and informative, but very long. I liked that the author got mistake fixed from Mandela, but Mandela refused to steer the book or give his perspective. He wanted the author to come up with it on his own. And the book was a fact dump. The author put everything in there and I never felt like I was being steered one way or the other. You were left to make up your own mind. It is also creepy to see things happening then similar to the same things happening here in current times.
The things I didn’t like were the long Introduction with acknowledgements (which i skipped) and sometimes, the book was too much information. I almost felt overwhelmed with the information and people, especially when he went off on a history of someone that well didn’t have much to do with the story of Mandela except to show this one criticism. The timeline of events for the most part, was on point, but there were times, I felt like it kept going back and forth and I never really knew what year was the current time (especially in jail).
However, this was a great biography that dealt with the myth, the person, and the criticisms (which he definitely has) of Mandela. You will learn a lot, except maybe the rugby; that was the one thing where I was short changed on and it was a significant thing in history. But just know, this book is LONG.
My first thought when I saw this task was Mandela. As a kid in America growing up in the 80s, I saw anti-apartheid and free Mandela ads and shirts everywhere. But I never really knew the story or the leader. I watched Invictus when it came out mainly because of rugby, but I was fascinated about Mandela after the movie.
This book was great and informative, but very long. I liked that the author got mistake fixed from Mandela, but Mandela refused to steer the book or give his perspective. He wanted the author to come up with it on his own. And the book was a fact dump. The author put everything in there and I never felt like I was being steered one way or the other. You were left to make up your own mind. It is also creepy to see things happening then similar to the same things happening here in current times.
The things I didn’t like were the long Introduction with acknowledgements (which i skipped) and sometimes, the book was too much information. I almost felt overwhelmed with the information and people, especially when he went off on a history of someone that well didn’t have much to do with the story of Mandela except to show this one criticism. The timeline of events for the most part, was on point, but there were times, I felt like it kept going back and forth and I never really knew what year was the current time (especially in jail).
However, this was a great biography that dealt with the myth, the person, and the criticisms (which he definitely has) of Mandela. You will learn a lot, except maybe the rugby; that was the one thing where I was short changed on and it was a significant thing in history. But just know, this book is LONG.
March 12, 2022
I have long been fascinated with the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela, but my interested was piqued after the Nobel Peace Prize-winner’s death in 2013 at 95 years of age. I selected this “authorized” biography on the basis of a friend’s recommendation, although the work was published in 1999 prior to Mandela’s death (and therefore unfortunately did not include that portion of his life). Biographer Anthony Sampson had the advantage of knowing Mandela since 1951, and had unlimited access to information, papers, and correspondence unavailable to many other historians at that time. One of my concerns, however, was whether Sampson could provide an objective analysis of Mandela, the ANC (African National Congress), and those who surrounded and influenced the future South African president (especially his controversial second wife, Winnie). Objectivity remained the major reason why I could not give the biography a full five star rating. Given those concerns, I still highly rate this informative and readable work on a man who helped change the course of history for South Africa, Africa, and the world. Nelson Mandela (“Madiba”), was born into the Thembu royal family of the Xhosa tribe, which provided the future president with a royal, chiefly bearing which never failed to impress those with whom he worked with, and confronted. Mandela was raised as a Methodist, and trained as a lawyer at the University of Witwatersrand, though he claimed his greatest education was obtained at the “University of Robben Island,” the prison where Mandela was held captive for much of his 27 years of incarceration. He was arrested for his involvement with the ANC, which the Afrikaner apartheid government had declared to be illegal. This is where I found the biography to be most informative. The main charges against the ANC was that it was communist and promoted violence. According to Sampson, Mandela was never a member of the South African Communist Party (SACP), though he was highly influenced by communist economic theory and beliefs. The major challenge for the ANC was to find support for their cause, and the SACP was one of the few multiracial parties in the country, or the world, who would remain unflinchingly loyal to the cause of dismantling apartheid (segregation). The other major issue was the ANC’s use of violence or terrorism. Mandela, also known as the “Black Pimpernel,” was responsible for organizing a terrorist unit (MK) to combat the massacres and violent tactics of the ruling Nationalist Party. He refused to dismantle this wing of the ANC as long as Afrikaner government attacks, torture, and killings continued unabated. Later, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission chaired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu would cite atrocities committed by both sides and supported by leaders of both factions. However Mandela’s growing desire was to use “brains, not blood” to solve South Africa’s problems. In prison, he gained the respect and trust of fellow prisoners as well as guards and wardens. He was a man who sincerely believed that by listening and building relationships, current enemies could “turn 180” to become future friends. He was a man who believed that individuals and society could never forget the past, but that the future was paved by means of forgiveness. Nelson Mandela was not a saint, but a sinner who learned leadership in the way of servanthood. Herein lie the importance and genius of Nelson Mandela. As the Irish poet Seamus Heaney wrote,
“But then, once in a lifetime
The longed-for tidal wave
Of justice can rise up,
And hope and history rhyme.”
“But then, once in a lifetime
The longed-for tidal wave
Of justice can rise up,
And hope and history rhyme.”
January 3, 2011
I took a class in law school about Mandela- he was a lawyer, did you know?- and it was taught by an amazing professor who was the former Dean of the University of Zambia law school. This professor actually KNEW alot of the political figures mentioned in this biography. Just amazing. I think this is the best Mandela biography out there.
June 25, 2014
Fascinating book. I wasn't into the ANC and the Afrikaner political power struggle but I did find Mandela's view on armed struggle interesting. He believed that armed struggle was a useful tool in providing leverage to change. What I also found interesting was his relationship with Winnie and his actual attempt at governance after he endured so much.
For Winnie, what I found interesting was Mandela's intense loyalty when she was both disloyal sexually with him and also got involved in murders and killing with her band of thugs known as the Football Club.
However, what really fascinated me was the struggle in prison. How he became the leader and endured after so long. I recently read good to great and Anthony Sampson was another fascinating character. He was a two-time POW survivor in the Vietnam war and he said it was important to believe that the ending will be beneficial to you but to never forget the grim reality of the situation. He continued to say that the first people to die are the optimists. They hope for their release to occur at Winter, then it comes and goes, then they hope for release to occur at Easter, and that comes and goes, and then Thanksgiving, and as that comes and goes, their spirits are broken and they will be dead before Christmas.
But back to Mandela. Him and his prison mates persevered, survived, and flourished through harsh conditions and inadequate food. Mandela taught the Victorian poem "Invictus" by W.E. Henley to a cellmate of his.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul.
"When you read words of that nature you become encouraged," Mandela said later. "It puts life in you." He wrote in his memoir in prison: "There is a profound truth in the idea that 'man makes himself,' a truth bound up with the whole history of mankind, that has shaped our own history." Each prisoner had his own story usually linked with ancient epics of survival to keep their way. I actually thought there was more of this than just his one page but maybe not...
Mandela also handled several situations extremely well...and others not so well. One of the situations he handled really well was in 1992, when Chris Hani, the General Secretary of the Communist Party and former commander of MK, who was see as the second most popular black leader, was shot dead in Boksburg, near Johannesburg. He wrote, "A white man, full of prejudice and hate, came to our country and committed a deed so foul that our whole nation now teeters on the brink of disaster. A white woman, of Afrikaner origin, risked her life so that we may know, and bring to justice, this assassin."
Well spoken and eloquent, Mandela is a man that all men should aspire to be. Not necessarily his viewpoints and his world-renown status, but the qualities of loyalty, leadership, courage, confidence, and forgiveness that we all struggle with on a day to day basis.
For Winnie, what I found interesting was Mandela's intense loyalty when she was both disloyal sexually with him and also got involved in murders and killing with her band of thugs known as the Football Club.
However, what really fascinated me was the struggle in prison. How he became the leader and endured after so long. I recently read good to great and Anthony Sampson was another fascinating character. He was a two-time POW survivor in the Vietnam war and he said it was important to believe that the ending will be beneficial to you but to never forget the grim reality of the situation. He continued to say that the first people to die are the optimists. They hope for their release to occur at Winter, then it comes and goes, then they hope for release to occur at Easter, and that comes and goes, and then Thanksgiving, and as that comes and goes, their spirits are broken and they will be dead before Christmas.
But back to Mandela. Him and his prison mates persevered, survived, and flourished through harsh conditions and inadequate food. Mandela taught the Victorian poem "Invictus" by W.E. Henley to a cellmate of his.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul.
"When you read words of that nature you become encouraged," Mandela said later. "It puts life in you." He wrote in his memoir in prison: "There is a profound truth in the idea that 'man makes himself,' a truth bound up with the whole history of mankind, that has shaped our own history." Each prisoner had his own story usually linked with ancient epics of survival to keep their way. I actually thought there was more of this than just his one page but maybe not...
Mandela also handled several situations extremely well...and others not so well. One of the situations he handled really well was in 1992, when Chris Hani, the General Secretary of the Communist Party and former commander of MK, who was see as the second most popular black leader, was shot dead in Boksburg, near Johannesburg. He wrote, "A white man, full of prejudice and hate, came to our country and committed a deed so foul that our whole nation now teeters on the brink of disaster. A white woman, of Afrikaner origin, risked her life so that we may know, and bring to justice, this assassin."
Well spoken and eloquent, Mandela is a man that all men should aspire to be. Not necessarily his viewpoints and his world-renown status, but the qualities of loyalty, leadership, courage, confidence, and forgiveness that we all struggle with on a day to day basis.
October 23, 2008
Just 200 pages in, but the content is informative, the writing flows well and what a great and complicated and conflicted and amazing human being this guy is. Good to read about the nuances that we didn't get in the news. My comment on why I read Orwell has progressed. I think reading about people's lives reminds us that it is very difficult to categorize or judge anyone, ever, when their intentions are ultimately good, even when misguided. Reading about the lives of great and famous allows me -an ordinary and average man- to forgive myself for the mistakes I have made and helps build the courage to take the chances and risks in life that lead to potentially good things. Need to work that out some more...
...haven't worked that out much more..but finished the Mandela book last night and I have a new hero (my definition of hero usually involves paying as much attention to the major faults as the great accomplishments) to add to my list. This guy didn't become President until the same age Reagan was when he left office (wasn't he like, 104?). Certainly 30 years in prison is no cakewalk, but to me it sounded as if his election was only the beginning of his most difficult time in life. And he shined like the wise old bird that he is. 90 years in, he still looks as beautiful and as strong as ever. Happy belated birthday, Madiba.
...haven't worked that out much more..but finished the Mandela book last night and I have a new hero (my definition of hero usually involves paying as much attention to the major faults as the great accomplishments) to add to my list. This guy didn't become President until the same age Reagan was when he left office (wasn't he like, 104?). Certainly 30 years in prison is no cakewalk, but to me it sounded as if his election was only the beginning of his most difficult time in life. And he shined like the wise old bird that he is. 90 years in, he still looks as beautiful and as strong as ever. Happy belated birthday, Madiba.
October 1, 2020
This book not only gives the complete account of Mandela's life, but also briefly describes the apartheid South Africa under the Afrikaner regime. Unlike other biographies of world leaders where the author only focuses on the myth that became of them, this book presents Mandela with a friendly tone, delineating his journey from his tribal village to ultimately leading South Africa out of apartheid and still throughout mentions his shortcomings, biases and prejudices and how he tried to improve himself during his imprisonment in Robben Island.
This book gives a very great detailed account of how Mandela, the tribal boy, became Mandela, the myth. I believe this book should be a precursor to reading Mandela's books "Long Walk To Freedom" or "Conversations with Myself" because it is important to get the context of his struggle and society of his time.
This book gives a very great detailed account of how Mandela, the tribal boy, became Mandela, the myth. I believe this book should be a precursor to reading Mandela's books "Long Walk To Freedom" or "Conversations with Myself" because it is important to get the context of his struggle and society of his time.
February 26, 2019
I haven't meet anyone that haven heard the name Nelson Mandela. Fighting apartheid was one of the victories for the world . The fact that this book present the hard task that represent this freedom in South Africa, the cost of achieving it, the fear - I believe- for the change, gives us a only a glimpse.
The book describes Mandela before jail, Mandela being in jail and the free man. This last momentum under no circumstances an easy phase.
It also gives us perspective that no all fights for liberation actually achieve the objective itself. And that could have been the end of South Africa.
Only forgiveness, reconciliation and dialogue can drive a country to peace. The sensitive message of the book...
The book describes Mandela before jail, Mandela being in jail and the free man. This last momentum under no circumstances an easy phase.
It also gives us perspective that no all fights for liberation actually achieve the objective itself. And that could have been the end of South Africa.
Only forgiveness, reconciliation and dialogue can drive a country to peace. The sensitive message of the book...
September 21, 2019
Nelson Mandela es el padre de la Sudáfrica moderna porque pasó más de 3 décadas en la cárcel. Los blancos racistas no toleraron su lucha por la igualdad racial y lo sometieron a inhumanas condiciones carcelarias en la parte más gélida de ese país, al sur.
Anthony Sampson escribió una detalladísima biografía bien sustentada por el conocimiento que tiene de ese héroe sudafricano, ¡se conocen desde que Mandela trabajaba como abogado en su juventud! Abundan datos sobre la vida privada de Mandela, sus vínculos con el Congreso Nacional Africano y los intensos debates al seno del mismo entre las diversas corrientes políticas que lo conforman.
Despreciado por el imperio inglés en su juventud, Mandela fue recibido hipócritamente por Margaret Thatcher al percatarse ella de la relevancia internacional de este gran líder, sin cuyo movimiento no podría hablarse de una Sudáfrica evolucionada. Es increíble cómo alguien condenado al olvido en la sureña Isla Robben fue ganando popularidad en los movimientos de liberación desde los años 60's hasta convertirse en icono de la lucha y restencia contra el Apratheid. Posteriormente pudo gobernar a su país ante la adversidad haciendo confluir a blancos y negros por una sociedad mejor. Cuando se hable del africano más influyente, definitivamente tendrá que hablarse de Nelson Mandela.
Las etnias que habitan Sudáfrica ejercen su influencia mediante vocablos usados en la vida diaria, los cuales aparecen en el libro.
736 páginas publicadas por Vintage. 5 de 5 estrellas posibles.
Anthony Sampson escribió una detalladísima biografía bien sustentada por el conocimiento que tiene de ese héroe sudafricano, ¡se conocen desde que Mandela trabajaba como abogado en su juventud! Abundan datos sobre la vida privada de Mandela, sus vínculos con el Congreso Nacional Africano y los intensos debates al seno del mismo entre las diversas corrientes políticas que lo conforman.
Despreciado por el imperio inglés en su juventud, Mandela fue recibido hipócritamente por Margaret Thatcher al percatarse ella de la relevancia internacional de este gran líder, sin cuyo movimiento no podría hablarse de una Sudáfrica evolucionada. Es increíble cómo alguien condenado al olvido en la sureña Isla Robben fue ganando popularidad en los movimientos de liberación desde los años 60's hasta convertirse en icono de la lucha y restencia contra el Apratheid. Posteriormente pudo gobernar a su país ante la adversidad haciendo confluir a blancos y negros por una sociedad mejor. Cuando se hable del africano más influyente, definitivamente tendrá que hablarse de Nelson Mandela.
Las etnias que habitan Sudáfrica ejercen su influencia mediante vocablos usados en la vida diaria, los cuales aparecen en el libro.
736 páginas publicadas por Vintage. 5 de 5 estrellas posibles.
July 31, 2025
The life of Nelson Mandela isn’t something i was deeply familiar with until I began this book but now I can truly say he is one of my heroes. His pragmatism and unwavering dedication to collaborative unity and the ANC is truly inspiring. I think my generation has been deprived of leaders like him and instead dealt with the rise of populism and the spread of division all through politics as inequality broadens, and it’s truly a shame. I was ashamedly surprised by the focus on the constant emphasis on debate and intellectualism which clearly drove the movement; I think it’s easy to naively view revolution and protest through the lens of a raw reaction to oppression, with little guidance and broad, idealistic goals. The clear focus and discussion within the ANC and broader circles of the church and communists of shared goals as well as idealogical differences and different methods, especially on Robben Island, was what really captivated me.
I wish the book dealt more with the actual methods of oppression, but I think that’s more a flaw of my inadequate knowledge than any writing. I’ve certainly got more reading to do before I can pretend to understand the apartheid or South Africa’s broader history
I wish the book dealt more with the actual methods of oppression, but I think that’s more a flaw of my inadequate knowledge than any writing. I’ve certainly got more reading to do before I can pretend to understand the apartheid or South Africa’s broader history
March 12, 2021
I found this exactly as R.W. Johnson wrote of it in his 1999 review of this book for the LRB - essentially Mandela's life as dictated by the PR department of the ANC, and swallowed by seemingly credulous outsider.
(Johnson's key piece of evidence of this was Sampson's accepting of the then party line that Mandela was never officially a communist, despite many well-placed figures claiming otherwise. Sampson even defended this position in a rebuttal letter. After Mandela's death, the ANC confirmed in 2013 that he had indeed been a party member, serving on its Central Committee.)
The PR department evidently also demanded propriety - anything too difficult is glossed over as much as possible (Mandela's affairs, Winnie's affairs) and you get no real sense of who the man was personally, or what drove his thinking or beliefs.
(Johnson's key piece of evidence of this was Sampson's accepting of the then party line that Mandela was never officially a communist, despite many well-placed figures claiming otherwise. Sampson even defended this position in a rebuttal letter. After Mandela's death, the ANC confirmed in 2013 that he had indeed been a party member, serving on its Central Committee.)
The PR department evidently also demanded propriety - anything too difficult is glossed over as much as possible (Mandela's affairs, Winnie's affairs) and you get no real sense of who the man was personally, or what drove his thinking or beliefs.
October 11, 2022
Anthony Sampson knew Mandela from the 50s, when he was a correspondent in South Africa. After stepping down as president, Nelson allowed the author to spend time together so that he can correct the information displayed in the book. The main character didn't give a direction or any guidance into the paper, just facts.
Really good book if you want to understand objectively what happened to Nelson Mandela, why he became famous and how he fought for the end of apartheid.
A bit long at times, you won't get much depth into his soul, but you will get a lot of political context, power plays, betrayals and friendships. But most importantly, you will see why he was chosen as the informal, and then formal leader of the anti racist movement. Also you will get to see that he wasn't always the nice and wise person the media portrays him as, but also a very harsh, hot headed and brutal leader.
Really good book if you want to understand objectively what happened to Nelson Mandela, why he became famous and how he fought for the end of apartheid.
A bit long at times, you won't get much depth into his soul, but you will get a lot of political context, power plays, betrayals and friendships. But most importantly, you will see why he was chosen as the informal, and then formal leader of the anti racist movement. Also you will get to see that he wasn't always the nice and wise person the media portrays him as, but also a very harsh, hot headed and brutal leader.
November 3, 2018
Worth the Read
After reading this book, one understands Mandela’s life through Mandela’s own eyes, as well as those who knew him best. Incredibly human, very inspiring and full of varying perspectives, every person who reads this book will see Mandela with his achievements, failures, loyalties and shortcomings in a way that honors not only how Mandela influenced his nation and the world, but how his experiences in his struggle turned a naive tribal leader into a global leader who transcended politics, country and race. An updated version which includes the last part of Mandela’s life would be a great addition.
After reading this book, one understands Mandela’s life through Mandela’s own eyes, as well as those who knew him best. Incredibly human, very inspiring and full of varying perspectives, every person who reads this book will see Mandela with his achievements, failures, loyalties and shortcomings in a way that honors not only how Mandela influenced his nation and the world, but how his experiences in his struggle turned a naive tribal leader into a global leader who transcended politics, country and race. An updated version which includes the last part of Mandela’s life would be a great addition.
May 5, 2022
It's a strange feeling reading history that I have lived through but didn't pay much attention to at the time. I graduated college in 1994, the same year Mandela became South Africa's president so I was aware of him but didn't know his full story. Fascinating. I read about Steve Biko in high school but Mandela had already been in prison for years when Biko was killed so I got a more complete picture of the struggle against apartheid by reading this book. I'm hopeful we can get to Robben Island this summer and see where Mandela was imprisoned for 20+ years.
February 23, 2021
Very dry writing. I must admit that I only read a small portion of this book. I found that the first part went through the formation of political parties with little first-hand information about Mandela himself. The lack of dialogue makes for a boring read. Maybe I was expecting too much from a biography. I much prefer memoirs.
May 30, 2023
I was recommended this book by a colleague and it did not disappoint. I learnt so much about Mandela that I did not know about and it helped me understand how he was so influential in SA but also the world. I appreciated the different perspectives the writer offered, as a autobiography is one sided. Definitely recommend.
May 24, 2025
It was an interesting read but too long in my opinion, I think it could have been cut back as we didn't need to know about every conversation he had in prison. I'm still glad I read it as I grew up knowing about Mandela's fight, his imprisonment, his release and becoming President. I also watched the Free Mandela concert.
October 22, 2025
Very thorough and well-documented history of one of the most influential people of the XXth century. Sometimes it feels repetitive and sometimes it lacks depth, such as in the military part of it, but it is an amazing trip down history lane with a magnetic character such as Morgan Freeman. Excuse me, Nelson Mandela.
March 22, 2020
سيره حياه مانديلا ملهمه جدا تلك الشخصيه الصامده العنيده الغير قابله للانكسار رغم كل الظروف و الممارسات التي تعرض لها، و هذا الكتاب يتناولها بطريقه فريده جدا و غير اعتياديه و ذلك بالتواصل مع الاشخاص الذين عاصرهم و كانوا جزءا من القصه.
July 27, 2020
This book illustrates the resolve, patience and intellect of a true leader. His desire to maintain dignity and continue to learn, especially during his years in prison, should serve as a model to all of us. The character of this man was incredible.
October 17, 2022
I really enjoyed the beginning of this book as I could relate to it and it was very interesting to see the difference between my life and Mandela’s life. One example of this was when Mandela was living in his little village and he was treated very well there as he was the son of the chief but when he moved into the city none of this mattered. This is different to my life as in the village I live in everyone is treated equally and only the seniors are respected more. This would be the same if I were to move into a village.
For me the main key moment was when Mandela was put into prison and then came out again as the experience in prison changed him but not like most people. When most people emerge from prison they become quieter and live a small life but when Mandela emerged from prison he was still acting politically and was protesting. I also found it interesting how in the book communism was also to be shown in Africa and some Russian politicians had influence there.
If I were to do an IA on this book I would say that the main issue would be the racism shown in this book. This book could also link into a dystopian theme as unlike today racism was incredibly prominent so it would be a different world for the worse.
For me the main key moment was when Mandela was put into prison and then came out again as the experience in prison changed him but not like most people. When most people emerge from prison they become quieter and live a small life but when Mandela emerged from prison he was still acting politically and was protesting. I also found it interesting how in the book communism was also to be shown in Africa and some Russian politicians had influence there.
If I were to do an IA on this book I would say that the main issue would be the racism shown in this book. This book could also link into a dystopian theme as unlike today racism was incredibly prominent so it would be a different world for the worse.
January 10, 2025
Great biography
Fantastic, extensively researched thorough account and analysis of Nelson Mandela’s life and global impact. Sampson had a front row seat to Nelson Mandela and South Africa’s struggle to end apartheid.
Fantastic, extensively researched thorough account and analysis of Nelson Mandela’s life and global impact. Sampson had a front row seat to Nelson Mandela and South Africa’s struggle to end apartheid.
February 1, 2020
Took me from ignoramus to insider (I think). A definitive text, awe-inspiring in its detail and research, even if the third half, post Mandela's release, lags a tad.
January 7, 2022
If given the opportunity to read this again, I would probably not, and just read Mandela's own biography. Took me a while to slug this one out.
February 6, 2023
Terrific biography, very detailed. It gave more insight to the great man and proved that he was human.
October 1, 2023
Brilliant biography of Mandela with great piece of research ! Anthony Sampson is a terrific author!
April 14, 2024
I learned a great deal about Nelson Mandela by reading this biography.
July 27, 2011
I remember South Africa's first post-apartheid elections in 1994. I went to hear Former President FW De Klerk speak when he was on the University of Iowa campus when I was a freshman. I remember hearing the stories about the life of Nelson Mandela and how he had lead the fight against apartheid and spent nearly two decades in prison. I remember my mother listening to Ladysmith Black Mambazo and watching Sarafina. So I knew about South Africa and I knew about apartheid, but it wasn't until the World Cup kicked off in early June that I realized that I actually knew very little about Nelson Mandela himself.
So, I ran to the local book store and snagged a biography of what the Boston Globe accurately called 'one of the century's most extraordinary lives.' And appropriately, Anthony Sampson's biography lives up to the billing. Sampson, who spent decades in South Africa as a journalist first met Nelson Mandela in 1952 and was given unprecedented access to Mandela's papers and accounts of his time in jail in what is billed as an 'authorized biography.' What emerges is an incredibly detailed portrait of an iconic man that told me so much that I didn't know about Mandela.
The first thing that stands out about this biography is that its essentially a meticulous history of contemporary South Africa stretching from before World War II right up until the present day. Things like the Defiance Campaign, the Sharpeville Massacre, the Soweto Riots in the late 70s/early 80s that reignited the fight against apartheid- events that had previously been merely words on a page swung into sharp focus and put together with the regional turmoil that came from the white South African government policy of holding and buttressing the so-called White Redoubt of Rhodesia, Angola and Mozambique- a policy that became more difficult with the collapse of Portuguese rule in the latter two countries after 1975. Cuban intervention in the Angolan Civil War became a Cold War flashpoint and Namibia's (then Southwest Africa) fight for independence put even more pressure on the white government and domestic pressures to end apartheid helped bring the situation to a boiling point by the 1980s that eventually saw Mandela released and apartheid end.
However, appropriately because after all it is a biography of the man, the meat of this volume concerns Nelson Mandela. Popular perception, at least in my head seems to think that Mandela has been presented to the world as a sort of Gandhi-like, Martin Luther King Jr-type of figure. Non-violent with gobs of moral authority that lead his country peacefully out of apartheid and into democracy- and while some of that is true, what surprised me was that throughout the struggle against apartheid, Mandela and the ANC never renounced the use of violence. As terrorist groups go, the ANC was far from what I would call successful, never really being able to mount a sustained campaign within South Africa's borders. This failure to renounce violence only perpetrated criticism of Mandela and the ANC as merely a terrorist organization and made it all too easy for the apartheid government to use them as a whipping boy to maintain their hold on power.
Were they communists, as many more conservative critics of the ANC and Mandela had charged? Well, yes and no. Early on Mandela seems to have been influenced by socialist thinkers and certainly the Communists within South Africa were important allies in the struggle against apartheid, but unlike many Communist Parties, they didn't really take their marching orders from Moscow. And to his credit, Sampson takes pains to illustrate Mandela's evolution in thinking throughout his time in jail- Mandela's imprisonment being covered in greater detail for the first time.
The real astonishing feat of Nelson Mandela came after his release from prison, where he managed to negotiate an end to apartheid and hold his country together, despite the threat of Civil War, which seemed very real in the early 90s. That and the continued stability of South Africa to this day is a testament to his leadership, moral authority and strength in leading first the fight against apartheid and then his country into a democratic future.
Overall: Everything you ever wanted to know about Mandela but were afraid to ask in a detailed, meticulous biography that illuminates Mandela's life and accomplishments to the reader
So, I ran to the local book store and snagged a biography of what the Boston Globe accurately called 'one of the century's most extraordinary lives.' And appropriately, Anthony Sampson's biography lives up to the billing. Sampson, who spent decades in South Africa as a journalist first met Nelson Mandela in 1952 and was given unprecedented access to Mandela's papers and accounts of his time in jail in what is billed as an 'authorized biography.' What emerges is an incredibly detailed portrait of an iconic man that told me so much that I didn't know about Mandela.
The first thing that stands out about this biography is that its essentially a meticulous history of contemporary South Africa stretching from before World War II right up until the present day. Things like the Defiance Campaign, the Sharpeville Massacre, the Soweto Riots in the late 70s/early 80s that reignited the fight against apartheid- events that had previously been merely words on a page swung into sharp focus and put together with the regional turmoil that came from the white South African government policy of holding and buttressing the so-called White Redoubt of Rhodesia, Angola and Mozambique- a policy that became more difficult with the collapse of Portuguese rule in the latter two countries after 1975. Cuban intervention in the Angolan Civil War became a Cold War flashpoint and Namibia's (then Southwest Africa) fight for independence put even more pressure on the white government and domestic pressures to end apartheid helped bring the situation to a boiling point by the 1980s that eventually saw Mandela released and apartheid end.
However, appropriately because after all it is a biography of the man, the meat of this volume concerns Nelson Mandela. Popular perception, at least in my head seems to think that Mandela has been presented to the world as a sort of Gandhi-like, Martin Luther King Jr-type of figure. Non-violent with gobs of moral authority that lead his country peacefully out of apartheid and into democracy- and while some of that is true, what surprised me was that throughout the struggle against apartheid, Mandela and the ANC never renounced the use of violence. As terrorist groups go, the ANC was far from what I would call successful, never really being able to mount a sustained campaign within South Africa's borders. This failure to renounce violence only perpetrated criticism of Mandela and the ANC as merely a terrorist organization and made it all too easy for the apartheid government to use them as a whipping boy to maintain their hold on power.
Were they communists, as many more conservative critics of the ANC and Mandela had charged? Well, yes and no. Early on Mandela seems to have been influenced by socialist thinkers and certainly the Communists within South Africa were important allies in the struggle against apartheid, but unlike many Communist Parties, they didn't really take their marching orders from Moscow. And to his credit, Sampson takes pains to illustrate Mandela's evolution in thinking throughout his time in jail- Mandela's imprisonment being covered in greater detail for the first time.
The real astonishing feat of Nelson Mandela came after his release from prison, where he managed to negotiate an end to apartheid and hold his country together, despite the threat of Civil War, which seemed very real in the early 90s. That and the continued stability of South Africa to this day is a testament to his leadership, moral authority and strength in leading first the fight against apartheid and then his country into a democratic future.
Overall: Everything you ever wanted to know about Mandela but were afraid to ask in a detailed, meticulous biography that illuminates Mandela's life and accomplishments to the reader
June 30, 2011
As one of the most important political figures of the 20th century, it's no suprise that the autobiography of Nelson Mandela weighs in at over 500 pages. His life moves from the poor tribal villages of South Africa, to the bustling city streets, to Robben Island, the prison where he spent two decades locked up by the Afrikaner government, and finally to the stately manors of the government he led. The biography is informative; no one can doubt that. Anthony Sampson documents Mandela's life in startling detail, which in some cases is the problem. It's the perenial problem of a biographer to choose what is written about a man with such a historic legacy. Sampson seems to think that more content equals more quality. In many cases, he is right. The depth of information is incredible. You're able to see Mandela's subtle working of his close friends and political allies to accomplish gains for black South Africans. Yet the information becomes tedious. It's not neccessary to catalogue every last conversation or contact Mandela made in his life. It's as if Sampson couldn't make the decision of what to include and what to leave out, so he left it up to the reader to pick out the useful information. In many cases, I had to skim pages looking for important details (unless you want to spend a year studying the man, this is what you'll have to do).
But Sampson seems to realize his mistake towards the latter part of Mandela's life, which is his biggest mistake. After reading page after page of Mandela the child, and then Mandela the student, complete with every last tribal aquaintence, you're ready to immerse yourself in Mandela the politician. It's arguably his most controversial period among his supporters, where he was criticised for being too concilliatory to the previous Afrikaner government. But Sampson leaves out a hefty chunk of the political Mandela, focusing more on his personal life during these times. While no one should expect a detailed political analysis in a biography, leaving out those details leaves behind a serious part of Nelson Mandella.
But Sampson seems to realize his mistake towards the latter part of Mandela's life, which is his biggest mistake. After reading page after page of Mandela the child, and then Mandela the student, complete with every last tribal aquaintence, you're ready to immerse yourself in Mandela the politician. It's arguably his most controversial period among his supporters, where he was criticised for being too concilliatory to the previous Afrikaner government. But Sampson leaves out a hefty chunk of the political Mandela, focusing more on his personal life during these times. While no one should expect a detailed political analysis in a biography, leaving out those details leaves behind a serious part of Nelson Mandella.
May 22, 2013
Rarely do revered leaders not fall from their pedestal after leaving the office from which they could control their image. I have always had the impression Nelson Mandela is an exception to that rule; and wondering why that is made me start reading this book.
Historically, I believe the book gives a good overview of Mandela's role in the struggle against apartheid. A comprehensive view on apartheid, however, misses the Afrikaner perspective.
Insight provided why Mandela escapes the fate of much of his kin, is discussed, but remains shallow and leaves me wanting. More of a character study would have been appropriate.
HarperCollins publishes an interview with the writer in which this is debated further.
Perhaps the best recommendation for aspiring leaders is to spend 27 years in jail. Part two's opening chapter 'Master of my Fate' lists the undeniable benefits:
[...] At an age, at which most politicians, on their way to power, are inclined to forget their early ideals, Mandela was forced to think about his principles and ideals. In the microcosm of prison, detached from political temptations - stages, megaphones, newspapers, crowds, business suits - and restricted to contact with his colleagues only, he could, as he himself described, learn and see his person as others did[...] ( my translation from Dutch ).
Historically, I believe the book gives a good overview of Mandela's role in the struggle against apartheid. A comprehensive view on apartheid, however, misses the Afrikaner perspective.
Insight provided why Mandela escapes the fate of much of his kin, is discussed, but remains shallow and leaves me wanting. More of a character study would have been appropriate.
HarperCollins publishes an interview with the writer in which this is debated further.
Perhaps the best recommendation for aspiring leaders is to spend 27 years in jail. Part two's opening chapter 'Master of my Fate' lists the undeniable benefits:
[...] At an age, at which most politicians, on their way to power, are inclined to forget their early ideals, Mandela was forced to think about his principles and ideals. In the microcosm of prison, detached from political temptations - stages, megaphones, newspapers, crowds, business suits - and restricted to contact with his colleagues only, he could, as he himself described, learn and see his person as others did[...] ( my translation from Dutch ).
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