Long Walk to Freedom Lib/E: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela

Mandela, Nelson

ISBN 10: 1478987081 ISBN 13: 9781478987086

Publisher: Hachette Book Group, 2014

Synopsis

Nelson Mandela is one of the great moral and political leaders of our time: an international hero whose lifelong dedication to the fight against racial oppression in South Africa won him the Nobel Peace Prize and the presidency of his country. Since his triumphant release in 1990 from more than a quarter-century of imprisonment, Mandela has been at the center of the most compelling and inspiring political drama in the world. As president of the African National Congress and head of South Africa's anti-apartheid movement, he was instrumental in moving the nation toward multiracial government and majority rule. He is revered everywhere as a vital force in the fight for human rights and racial equality.

Long Walk to Freedom is his moving and exhilarating autobiography, destined to take its place among the finest memoirs of history's greatest figures. Here for the first time, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela tells the extraordinary story of his life-an epic of struggle, setback, renewed hope, and ultimate triumph.

About this title

About the Author

Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) won the Novel Peace Prize in 1993 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from US President George W. Bush, among many other accolades. He became the first freely elected president of South Africa in 1994. He gained popularity while in prison for being a prominent member of the African National Congress and became a leading figure in the anti-apartheid movement. He authored numerous works, including the New York Times bestseller Conversations with Myself, as well as his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom.

RICHARD STENGEL is the editor of Time magazine. He collaborated with Nelson Mandela on Mandela's bestselling 1993 autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, and later served as coproducer of the 1996 Oscar-nominated documentary Mandela. He is also the author of January Sun and You're Too Kind. Stengel is married to Mary Pfaff and they have two sons.

Kofi Annan was the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations-serving two terms from January 1997 to December 2006-and was the first to emerge from the ranks of United Nations staff. He has served the United Nations in various capacities since 1962, including working as the under-secretary-general for peacekeeping operations and the special representative of the secretary-general to the former Yugoslavia. Born in Ghana in 1938, Annan is the first sub-Saharan African to hold the post of secretary-general. In 2001 he and the United Nations were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with a citation praising Annan's leadership for bringing new life to the organization.

Michael Boatman is an Earphones Award-winning narrator and twice winner of the prestigious Audie Award for narration. He is a versatile television, film, and stage actor whose work on the hit TV show Spin City garnered him a GLAAD Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and nominations for two NAACP Image Awards. For his work playing Stanley Babson on the long-running HBO series ARLI$$, he was nominated five times for the Image Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Review

Narrator Michael Boatman has a gentle but insistent voice that suggests a certain grace and is well suited for the memoir of this worldwide symbol of persistence and justice...This is his story, told in his war, and we must take notice.

-- "AudioFile"

Mandela's life was one of the epic stories of the twentieth century. This definitive memoir traces the arc of his life from a small village to his years as a revolutionary to his long imprisonment and ultimately his ascension to unifying president, leader, and global icon. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand history-and then go out and change it.

-- "Barack Obama"

One of the most extraordinary political tales of the twentieth century and well worth the investment for anyone truly interested in the genesis of greatness.

-- "Financial Times (London)"

Should be read by every person alive.

-- "Boston Globe"

Enthralling....Mandela emulates the few great political leaders such as Lincoln and Gandhi, who go beyond mere consensus and move out ahead of their followers to break new ground.

-- "Sunday Times (London)"

An engrossing tapestry of recent South African history that grips the reader from the first pages...Riveting and sometimes painfully honest.

-- "San Francisco Chronicle"

The famously taciturn South African president reveals much of himself in Long Walk to Freedom. A good deal of this autobiography was written secretly while Mandela was imprisoned for twenty-seven years.

-- "Amazon.com"

To read of Nelson Mandela's fascinating journey...is to be reminded of the indomitable human spirit. Yet the reminder is delivered with such grace and subtlety that it intensifies its meaning.

-- "San Diego Union-Tribune"

This fluid memoir matches South African President Mandela's stately grace with wise reflection on his life and the freedom struggle that defined it...His belief in repairing his country inspires.

-- "Publishers Weekly (starred review)"

This is an articulate, moving account of Mandela's life...Over a third of Mandela's memoir tells of his twenty-seven years in prison, an account that could stand alone as a prison narrative. He ends his book with the conclusion that his 'long walk' for freedom has just begun.

-- "Library Journal"

About this edition

• Publisher: Hachette Book Group
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1478987081
• ISBN 13: 9781478987086
• Binding: Audio CD