Young Mandela: The Revolutionary Years

by David James Smith

Nelson Mandela is well-known throughout the world as a heroic leader who symbolizes freedom and moral authority. He is fixed in the public mind as the world's elder statesman -- the gray-haired man with a kindly smile who spent 27 years in prison before becoming the first black president in South Africa.

But Nelson Mandela was not always elderly or benign. And, in Young Mandela , award-winning journalist and author David James Smith takes us deep into the heart of racist South Africa to paint a portrait of the Mandela that many have the committed revolutionary who left his family behind to live on the run, adopting false names and disguises and organizing the first strikes to overthrow the apartheid state. Young Mandela lifts the curtain on an icon's first steps to greatness.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Politics, South Africa, Africa, Audiobook

416 pages, Hardcover

First published February 5, 2010

About the author

David James Smith is the author of six acclaimed non-fiction books and is an award-wining journalist for The Sunday Times Magazine of London. His latest book LET US PREY - A TRUE STORY OF MURDER AND DECEPTION is an Audible Original, available exclusively on Audible read by the author. It is an account of the Maids Moreton case. His first book, THE SLEEP OF REASON - THE JAMES BULGER CASE is in a new edition from Faber (2017) and remains the definitive account of the 1993 murder of a child by two ten year old boys. David has a close interest in criminal justice and served five years (2013-2018) as a Commissioner at The Criminal Cases Review Commission, appointed by HM The Queen to oversee investigations into miscarriages of justice. He was a local newspaper reporter and wrote for the monthly magazine Esquire before joining The Sunday Times Magazine, for whom he travelled around the world writing cover stories, investigative articles, reportage and profiles. It was an article for the Magazine that led to his second book, ALL ABOUT JILL: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF JILL DANDO, which was published by Little Brown in 2002. Barry George was convicted and later acquitted of the infamous 1999 shooting of the television presenter on the doorstep of her London home. SUPPER WITH THE CRIPPENS, about the notorious Edwardian crime was published by Orion in 2005 and is currently in development as a drama series for television. ONE MORNING IN SARAJEVO made a gripping non-fiction thriller out of the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in June, 1914: it was published by Weidenfeld & Nicholson in 2008. YOUNG MANDELA is the story of the early life of the iconic South African activist and leader who died in 2013. The biography was published in 2010 by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in the UK and Little Brown in the US. David’s research involved interviews with most of Mandela’s close family and comrades, including Winnie Madikezela-Mandela, and culminated in a meeting with Nelson Mandela himself.

Reviews

[Susan (aka Just My Op) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Nelson Mandela as a young man is fascinating. Most of us have a vision of him later in his life, after finally being released from prison, after becoming president of South Africa. This book is the story of his younger life, his burgeoning political life, his change from a non-violent approach to militancy. The book ends around the time he was sentenced to life imprisonment. It was interesting to read about the different factions, about the role of communism in the uprisings, and racism on both sides of the fence, about political infighting. As far as personal information about Mandela, I don't know that I would have liked him very much if I had been part of his family. He withheld so much from them, and could, it seems, be quite emotionally distant and even cruel. There was a short reference to a criminal act by his wife Winnie, and I would have liked to know more about that.

Although I am very glad I read this book, I didn't love the writing style. For my tastes, it was dry in places. The time line occasionally jumped around and I sometimes had trouble understanding what the author was writing. While I enjoyed the writing in parts, other parts seemed choppy and confusing. To me, it was an uneven effort. Of course, this could reflect a deficiency of the reader rather than the writer.

I have on my bookshelf Nelson Mandela's Conversations with Myself, not yet read, and it will be interesting to compare that book with this one. I was given an ARC of this book by the publisher through the Goodreads giveaway program. The ARC had quite a few typographical errors that I trust have been corrected in the published edition. It also had some lovely photographs, and I very much appreciated those.

[Yasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The details were amazing and to have the book laid out in such a way as to have all the days leading up to his fateful arrest. When I concluded this book I thought my opening remark for this review would be "Every saint has a past and every sinner a future", well I've saved it for this moment. I first became aware of the name Mandela and only a fraction of the man in 1994, I was very young when the elections happened. As I grew older he already became a living legend. Feelings of the man for everyone is mixed. How to separate man from legend, legend from myth, man from hero even. It's not an easy task, fought with peril, to be concise, unbiased, aloof from your subject almost. With a man like Mandela is that possible? Even now there are people who will not say the full details of events and happenings of what occurred in the past no matter how many ghosts, there is always someone left that needs to be spared. However tricky the subject I think David James Smith did as fair and best job as he could with this book.

[Elliot Ratzman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nelson Mandela is even more my hero after this warts-and-all biography. Not too many warts: a failed first marriage, some hanky-panky, lack of physical affection for his children and perhaps the bad decision to start a family while trying to free his country from, oh, white supremacy. If nothing else, read the first chapter—scenes from his trial—and you’ll get most of Mandela right there: dignified, eloquent, charismatic, decent, even Christ-like. The biography draws on new material and zooms in on picayune details only a historian can love. We follow Mandela as he joins the ANC, embraces white (mostly all Jewish!) and Indian comrades, pushing the ANC to radicalize. After non-violence leads to more violence by the apartheid state, he and his bumbling Communist comrades (never a Communist, but his Jewish allies were) start the ‘armed struggle’—bombs in post offices, amateur stuff. The bio ends as Mandela at 47 starts his 26 years in jail. How did evil apartheid endure all those decades?

[Ron Thibeault · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an enlightening book about Nelson Mandela. Having read a couple of other books by him, I had placed him on a pedestal. I’m better informed today. The diferent characters in his life, seemed quite confusing alongside the different African names which I found difficult for me to pronounce.

[Stephanie Harv · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made it halfway through this book. Interesting subject and incredibly detailed, definitely learned new things. But the minutiae got monotonous for me and decided to bail.

[John Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nelson Mandela is no Steve Biko, as far as I'm concerned, but this book intrigued me because it claims to be a real-to-life portrayal of Mandela rather than a mythical depiction--I've never thought Mandela to be the great hero that everyone thinks he is. Besides, it was a Christmas gift.

If anyone has read my reviews before, which is unlikely, they'd know that I'm not one to talk about the actual content of the books, as any good review should. I'll simply say that anyone interested in South Africa, Mandela, or the personal life of political revolutionaries of any kind should find this book quite useful. Rather than detailing the course of events in Mandela's life, Smith jumps behind the scenes. The reader gets to see what his family thought and felt about Mandela throughout as well as Mandela's own emotional responses to events. Smith also tries to sift through public opinion and other facts that Mandela-lovers and ANC supporters generally either downplay or ignore.

My great frustration with this book has nothing to do with it. I continue to be frustrated that so much ink is spilled over Mandela and hardly anyone pays any attention to Steve Biko simply because Mandela's ANC "won." The ANC skillfully worked the political game to receive the attention and the praise. Thankfully Smith's telling shows all the sometimes trivial political battles involved in the struggle for democracy, that Mandela and the ANC and all other political organizations involved didn't, as is normally thought, only have the country's best interest at heart. The ANC, and others, generally argued against, many times with Mandela's approval, other organizations and movements simply because they were not the ANC. That's why I wish people like Biko received more attention precisely because he wasn't exactly political. Oh well.

I also had a problem with the enormous amount of typos in the book. Typos happen, even in the best of books with the best publishers, but it was ridiculous in this book. Since it is a relatively new book, I suggest that interested readers wait until a possible second edition is published.

Typos aside, I also took issue with some grammatical issues. That is probably only a personal issue, though.

I do wish, too, that Smith had more organizing principles for each chapter. For the most part the book follows chronology, but the latter half of some chapters take on a life of their own, expanding on or simply following up in an almost tangent on something that came up during the telling of the story. There's nothing wrong with that, but the chapters are only given numbers and no other indication of what dictated the organization. This is especially frustrating when Smith sometimes seems to repeat himself, giving the same information in a later chapter that he already provided in an earlier chapter.

Clearly I'm very technique-focused. I don't think that we can deny that style greatly affects reception of the content. But, I do think this book is, on the whole, very well done. Lots of interviews with Mandela's family and with his living colleagues, as well as lots of research, clearly informs the writing of this book. Reading the words of those that Smith interviewed is very fascinating all on its own and enough to recommend the book.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished reading Young Mandela: The Revolutionary Years, by David James Smith, and I loved it, but there was so much information in this book including ALL of the people who worked along with Mr. Mandela that at times my head would start spinning while reading this. I learned so much about Nelson Mandela, beginning with his childhood and all through his revolutionary years, and I also learned a great deal about South Africa during the first half of the 20th Century (actually, up until around 1964.) In addition, Mandela had traveled around the African continent prior to his imprisonment, and I learned some fascinating things about some of the other African nations. Most importantly, I learned of the struggle and sacrifice of Mr. Mandela, and the importance of really believing in a cause (and, in this case, a very worthy cause -- the abolishment of apartheid in South Africa.) It's really an amazing and extremely inspiring story, which I would recommend to everyone.

It took me a long time to read this book, probably due to the fact that I'm not the fastest reader in the world, but also because David James Smith really fills up every one of the 362 (or so) pages with tons and tons of detailed information about Mandela's life prior to his arrest in 1962 which led to 27 years of imprisonment. It was fascinating to learn so much about Nelson Mandela, the man (as opposed to "the hero" or "the icon" or "the President.") I've learned quite a lot about his relationships with his first two wifes, Evelyn and Winnie, and his children from both marriages. It seems that his dedication to his cause and all of the work he did to abolish apartheid really took quite a toll on his family.

I have always known Nelson Mandela as a man who has accomplished more than would seem possible for one person to do, and he definitely is one of the most important people of all time, but it's nice to see his "human" side as well -- that he actually has flaws and faults.

David James Smith shares so many stories which inform the reader of exactly what apartheid really meant and really felt like for Africans during that time. I think it's so important for people who truly do not understand what discrimination or segregation feels like to read this book in order to get a better insight on what it would be like. This biography is so inspiring because so many people would have just said "OK, there is nothing we can do about this, so let's just accept things as they are," but Mandela and his many supporters refused to accept the horrible way that Africans were treated in their own country. (Let alone the fact that no human being should be treated differently than other human beings, whether in their own country or not.) Mandela and his supporters really put their lives on the line and stood up for what they believed in.

This book really meant so much to me, and I'm so happy to have had an opportunity to read about and learn so much about a truly amazing man, and to discover how "real" and "human" he is.

Thank you to Literanista and The Hachette Book Group, and thank you to Goodreads for choosing me as a First Reads winner of this very interesting and important book. I enjoyed it so much.

[John Martindale · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew very little about Mandela and his struggle, thats why I listen to this audiobook. If I followed it correctly, Mandela did not fully embrace communism, but it was communist revolutionaries that he primarily worked with, they were influenced by Gandhi and tried non-violent civil disobedience, but eventually felt it was not working and thus decided to try a violent revolution, but their preparation and attempts were laughable. They were amateurs and poor, and it did not take long for them to get caught. Mandela was sentence for life, but after 20 something years the political scene changed and he was released and became president. Mandela, was unique among most of the Africans he worked with, for a majority were just as racist as the white, they just wanted to be the oppressors instead of being the oppressed. Mandela wanted equality. This book showed his messed up personal life, he was horrible to his wives and was a womanizer and most of those he worked with had very colored personal lives as well and yet high political ideals. Most sacrificed their families for the high cause.

You know, to me it does seem Mandela could have avoided 27 years of prison and near execution if we continued with the Gandhi method, instead of a decision in favor of guerrilla warfare. And one could argue the result would be the same, the apartheid would have still ended. So his choice for violence likely resulted in lots of unnecessary suffering for him and his family. now I think it was the same to Bonhoeffer and the others who tried to assassinate Hitler, it cost Bonhoeffer his life and it did not change anything, Hitler eventually reached his downfall anyways. I get the impression that activist see what they are doing is not bringing any change, so they then turn to more desperate means are great cost to themselves. While if they just continued what they were doing and were patient, all would be good in the end. I am sure its not that simple, but yeah, thats what comes to mind.

[Saara · Rating 4 out of 5]

.5 star subtracted because of the ridiculous Madiba impersonation by the narrator. Another .5 gone because of the circuitous, drawn out ending by the author.

I learned a lot. I appreciate that. The author obviously spent copious amounts of time poring over all of the historical information.

[Charles Barragan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first of many good reads during my last stay on Moorea in 2013. Many of us are well aware of the achievements of Nelson Mandela as a seasoned activist and politician in pre- and post- South Africa. This book is a very detailed account of a young man finding his place in a society that would not accept him as an equal. The description of his transition from non-violence to a recognition that violence may be the last driver of change is a rich one. David James Smith captures nicely the principles that guided Nelson's moral and political development over time. While acknowledging his accomplishments later in life, he casts an objective eye on some of the lapses that Nelson engaged in that only illustrates how complex and human Nelson Mandela was. I left the book behind so that others could appreciate it, but one of these days I will acquire another copy and add it to my library of books that matter.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like a lot of people in my generation I know Nelson Mandela solely as the legend, the peaceful elder statesman, the first black President of South Africa, but I know almost nothing of who his was before his release from decades in prison. David James Smith not only shows who this younger version of Mandela was, but he does so without leaving out anything, giving us a nuanced portrait of Mandela the man, not just Mandela the hero. Really the only problem about this book is that because it is so detailed, it's not great for a reader like me who knows almost nothing about the struggle against apartheid in South Africa before the 1980s. Otherwise, it's a great work that pulls together numerous interviews Mandela and those close to him to bring together a very comprehensive picture of Nelson Mandela's early life.

[Cameron Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nelson Mandela is well-known throughout the world as a heroic leader who symbolizes freedom and moral authority. He is fixed in the public mind as the world's elder statesman--the gray-haired man with a kindly smile who spent 27 years in prison before becoming the first black president in South Africa. But Nelson Mandela was not always elderly or benign. And, in YOUNG MANDELA, award-winning journalist and author David James Smith takes us deep into the heart of racist South Africa to paint a portrait of the Mandela that many have forgotten: the committed revolutionary who left his family behind to live on the run, adopting false names and disguises and organizing the first strikes to overthrow the apartheid state. YOUNG MANDELA lifts the curtain on an icon's first steps to greatness.

[Jayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

GR/First Reads win- Nov 2010- awaiting delivery
Received 11/29
Well, this took me 3 years to finally finish! (it was misplaced for a few of those years, but once I did start, I had a hard time finishing. The book jumped around a bit, making it confusing and it was hard to pick back up once I set it down. Additionally, there was a lot of information about other people that helped Mandela and the ANC so keeping those straight also was difficult.

I did get a good understanding of Mandela, to include his flaws, not just the hero everyone considers him to be. Wish there would have been a bit more info on Winnie and her part.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

As other reviewers noted, this is a book of serious research and I perhaps needed an abbreviated version. Mandela is an extraordinary human both in the manner in which he freed himself to experience and learn and pursue beliefs into happenings. He sure learned from his mistakes and kept trying. I have been to the Apartheid Museum and places in & around Johannesburg including Soweto. That visit was a strong lesson in how conditions were for blacks during the era in this book. Every part of the book rings true. I would have liked more on his formative years to better understand how his passion grew.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent introductory history to Nelson Mandela's life. I learned a great deal about apartheid and the fight against it. I’m very much looking forward to reading “Long Walk to Freedom” to compare narratives. Highly recommended. It is hard to imagine that such a thing ever happened in the world.
This book is neither muckraking nor hagiography. An honest attempt at a nuanced and de-mythologized understanding of Mandela’s life, times, and work.

[Jake Parent · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned a lot about Mandela, his family, South Africa, and the ANC. I thought the author spent too much time focused on "humanizing" Mandela (it seems like about 1/3 of the book is used to talk about what a bad father/husband he was), and not nearly enough time talking about the experiences and situations that shaped Mandela's view of the world.

Definitely worth a read, but I was left wanting a lot more.

[Trudi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew very little about Mandela's life - especially his early life as a revolutionary; so I found this informative. I guess I never realized how militant he was and how much he embraced violence during his struggle to free his people. And his family (wives and children) made great sacrifices as a result of Mandela's position. The book definitely showed the evils of apartheid.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

David James Smith brought a legend to life by allowing us to see his humanity. Although we view Nelson Mandela in the leadership role, there were many involved in the struggle for freedom. Freedom, as an idea is greater than one person - it belongs to a global world.

For more check out:
http://ontheroadbookclub.com/2012/05/...

[Suzanne Mordue · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very disappointing as so repetitive with a lot of unnecessary detail. I felt that this has been badly edited. there were constant shifts in time, yet always ending up at the same 10 year time period, which made it feel that you were re-visiting the same information; rather than building on what had come before. I couldn't finish it.

[Stuart Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biography covers Nelson Mandela's early years up to his imprisonment in 1964. Smith's discussion of Mandela's private life seems to depend too much on suppositions and speculation. What is interesting to me is the ANC's move from non-violence to armed struggle and the close, working relationship between the ANC (African National Congress) and the South African Communist Party.

[Kai Weber · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing style appears to be a bit jumpy and assuming some prior knowledge about South African history of the 1950's and 1960's. Without this knowledge I felt a little bit excluded from this book's target group. I also can't estimate the quality and originality of the research work done by the author.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

I recently read Mandela's autobiography so I find this book to be a bit repetitive because David James smith quotes liberally from the autobiography. So far the only bit of new information was an interview from a sister in law that had very little to say. I'm going to step away from the book for a while, hopefully it will be better at detailing the "Black Pimpernel" days

[Shanna]

This book is intimidating me. I skimmed through it and read a little bit, and it seems like a book for someone who is truly interested in Mandela - not someone who wants to read it casually for fun, like me.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

profound, poignant, inspiring. I learned so much about Mandela and about South Africa.

[Mkrone · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing was weird but the story is worth knowing. It's so interesting to learn the good and the bad of someone's role models.

[Richard H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

NON-FICTION

[Dillon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not exactly readable, but gives a true, honest depiction of Mandela before the Rivonia trial, shedding light on his not-so-perfect side.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book about the early years of Mandela's life. I haven't read much about Mandela but hope to do more in the future.

[Miguel Dias · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recomendo, permite descobrir o homem que nos deu Mandela

[Elan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read - fills in the gaps of Mandela's life story. Less the myth and more the human story but shows how great we all can be despite our supposed shortcomings.