The Struggle is My Life

by Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela's speeches and political writings from his days as a leader of the African National Congress Youth League in 1944 until his release from prison in 1990.

Genres: History, South Africa, Nonfiction, Africa, Politics, Banned Books, Biography

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a former President of South Africa, the first to be elected in a fully representative democratic election, who held office from 1994–99.

Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of the African National Congress's armed wing Umkhonto we Sizwe. The South African courts convicted him on charges of sabotage, as well as other crimes committed while he led the movement against apartheid. In accordance with his conviction, Mandela served 27 years in prison, spending many of these years on Robben Island.

In South Africa he is often known as Madiba, an honorary title adopted by elders of Mandela's clan. The title has come to be synonymous with Nelson Mandela.

Following his release from prison on 11 February 1990, Mandela supported reconciliation and negotiation, and helped lead the transition towards multi-racial democracy in South Africa. Since the end of apartheid, many have frequently praised Mandela, including former opponents. Mandela has received more than one hundred awards over four decades, most notably the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/nelson...

Reviews

[Walter Victor · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first this book was tough to start. But I think it was just processing all of the unfamiliar information that was being presented to me. After a while things became easier to understand. Reading this book was yet another awakening for sure. I’ve always known what apartheid was and who Nelson Mandela was but in my opinion it was very general knowledge, I didn’t know many details about what actually happened. Of course, it was worse than I thought. And also longer than I thought. I always put apartheid within the same timeline as the civil right moment for some reason I don’t even know why. They say apartheid started in 1948 when the Nationalist government took over. But I feel as though it started earlier, noting the Native Lands Act of 1913 where South Africa restricted black people from owning land and made them only have options to own land in “Reserves”. The blatant racism that black people and anyone who wasn’t white or Afrikaans had to deal with is really scary. South Africa was a nation that was out numbered by African Names by something like 70% yet the country still thrived off and promoted white supremacy. Even looking at Bantu Education and how through segregation they did their best to curtail the correct education to native Africans and saved that for white students. I am glad to see that through all of this, the people did persevere. The Native Lands Act was in 1913 but the African National Congress started around that time as well. Eventually joining with the South African Indian Congress and the Coloured Peoples Congress to make the South African Congress Alliance and promote the Freedom Charter, their core principles. Nelson joined the ANC in 1944 and ever since remained an advocate for political and human rights. The government did their best to suppress pushback from natives through blunt force and trials and acts such as the Communism Suppression Act and the Treason/Sabotage trials. But the people continued to fight. The non violent ANC eventually created an off shoot called the “Umkhonto we Siwe” which used sabotage as their weapon in attacking empty buildings but not people. Nelson was arrested in the early 60s and stayed in jail for the next 30 years, unwilling to give up on his people and their rights. They could not sway him no matter what they offered him. He stayed ten toes down in the face of terror. An inspiration to his country and to every liberation movement of the past, present and future.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much information for my brain to handle. Really good, just, hard for me to follow...

I am sure someone with law background would love the detailed speeches and letters.

[Marc Lichtman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read Mandela's autobiography Long Walk to Freedom but his political development is perhaps even sharper in this book, which contains all the most important speeches before his long imprisonment (and just a few from after, which is when this third edition of the book came out). His early speeches as leader of the ANC Youth League are African Nationalist, showing just a hint of interest in other segments of the population. He sounds like the young Malcolm X, and just like Malcolm X, his vision broadened, and his interest becomes the fate of humanity. Brilliant speeches by the best of so many outstanding leaders South Africa produced.

This is a facsimile edition published under license from the International Defense and Aid Fund for Southern Africa, which managed to provide aid for thousands of political prisoners and their families for decades, as well as putting out a large amount of educational material. Follow this up with 'Nelson Mandela Speaks' which covers from his release in February 1990 into April 1993, when he was still campaigning for the presidency. These are the speeches which inspired and led the campaign of mass action which finally ended apartheid. And they still inspire and provide lessons for all struggling against racism and other forms of oppression.

Also worth reading is a later collection Nelson Mandela Speaks: Forging a Democratic, Nonracial South Africa.

So different from "Wokeism" which is trying to make whites feel guilty--he is trying to build a new nation in which differences of skin color will play no role.

[Jim]

“Those who prefer abstractions or empty phrases, or fanciful—supposedly political—ideas, would do best to avoid this book, because Nelson Mandela is not a Quixotic fighter of windmills and imaginary monsters but a man who is fighting the bitter reality of the apartheid monster that is destroying the essence of his own beloved people, in the same way that colonialism is destroying the essence of my own people. In this book we meet an idealist with his feet firmly planted in the earth.”—Rafael Cancel Miranda

“A useful addition to both public and college libraries.”—Library Journal

“Reveals the patience, thoughtfulness and wisdom of the man who is the real leader of South Africa …. Especially valuable for the insights into his character and the character of those fighting for freedom in South Africa ….”—Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize winner, author of The Color Purple

“A useful introduction to Mandela’s life and work through his speeches and writing.”—Los Angeles Times/The Book Review

“A concise, low-cost updated documentary study of the man, his life and thought …. There is a solid index and thirty-four evocative photos to enhance the text.”—The International Journal of African Historical Studies

“Perhaps the most riveting and revealing documents are the transcripts of Mandela’s trials …. They give the reader a better understanding of Pretoria’s fear of Nelson Mandela.”—Christian Science Monitor

[Sergio GRANDE · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was published more than a decade before Madiba was released and it is a collection of his speeches.
For many of us it was the only source of information to gain some insight into the character of this man whom we didn't know. We didn't know if he was ever going to be released; if he'd come out blood-thirsty screaming for revenge; if he'd be politically active or even compos mentis.
Getting this book in South Africa was nay impossible; getting caught with it was a sure stay behind bars. A great historical document.