South Africa Books

This is a great book, written by a guy who has more combat jumps than ANYONE in the US or UK military (well, that's unsubstanitated...but I'm pretty sure.) The book's about a conscript who signs on to become a regular in the Rhodesian Security Forces, Rhodesian Light Infantry. These guys jumped in combat several times a week. The American Paratroopers who had the most jumps in WW2 had maybe 5 combat jumps. The author had close to 40. I cannot say enought good things about this book. It's well written and easy to read. Very informative and full of good information. I'm reading these books to get insight on how to win against guerillas. The Rhodesians won militarily, but lost due to politics. It's the typical story of how the military does the right thing, fights well and wins, but is held back by gutless politicians. OK enough rant from me. The book is good. Lots of action, lots of detail. I'm not a professional reviewer (as if you couldn't tell), but this book was great! One of those that I didn't want to be over! The only better book I've read on the Rhodesian Bush War is At The Going Down Of The Sun, by Charlie Warren, another trooper that served with the author in the same unit. Both books are good and highly reccomended.

The first time I could find this book at a reasonable price I jumped right on it. For some reason I have a fascination with the Rhodesian Bush War, so I was really happy to see this edition available. The story and the writing are compelling. Chris Cocks does a very good job of making you feel like you're jumping on to helicopters and going on patrols with him -- and the frustration at every turn. Highly recommended.

Story of a time when the world looked the other way and a lot of good people got s*****d over by Politicians, as usual. This is the inside detail of one of the finest Regiments ever to exist.
Spot on Chris, could see the barracks gates again and, almost smell it.
Good job.

For those (like me) who are not familiar with the war in Rhodesia, this is a good introduction. It's readable, interesting, and insightful. Worth the $.

The previous reviewer,Rueben, is obviously basing his review on a personal dislike of the author. This book contains true facts about how communism infiltrates a society and the intimidation tactics they use to make people cooperate with them. It shows how they use class and race envy as a tool to motivate people to their cause. This book shows the atrocities committed to both the blacks and the whites, and those who call it racist have definitely not read the book too carefully.Even on the website, the author shows the horrible tragedy of the many lives lost amongst all races due to the communist thirst for power at any cost. There is more to this story than race; its greed. The book will serve as a warning to Americans not to listen to the Marxism that is touted in the country that supposedly makes everything equal. In this book he shows how communism creates crop failure, and how it prevents any country, not just African countries, from fully developing their rich resources. While they blame their economic failures on drought, it is easy to see by the evidence this man presents, that though many countries have drought, it is how the land is managed that makes is prosperous, something that communism has failed to do.If you really are open minded to truth, this book will provide a true history of the region. Whether or not one likes the author, is not the point.

It was with great interest I read the work of author Jan Lamprecht, a former Rhodesian who has lived in South Africa since the take-over by Mugabe in the early 1980's. I first read Mr. Lamprecht's work on the Rense.com website, and found it easy to read, personal and informative.

When Government By Deception was completed and offered to the public, I bought six copies for friends of mine. Two of them live in South Africa. The others are from the states. All have found the book to be an interesting and informative read. They are glad to see someone offering some real information on southern Africa. Mr. Lamprecht has good sources of information and some very interesting interviews are scattered throughout the book.

If you like history, you will find interesting historical facts on southern Africa. The book was carefully researched and has many quotes by well known political players in this bloody and tension filled arena. Due to this book and articles by Mr. Lamprecht, the American people will, if they choose, see the many similarities between our countries. They will learn how the communists have pitted the blacks and whites against each other in a war that neither will benefit from. The destruction and suffering going on in southern Africa at this time will serve only a few who seek power and wealth for themselves alone. There is a message here for American's. This book will help you understand more clearly the signifigance of how little truthful news we are exposed here in the states, regarding southern Africa. How much do we hear regarding the brutal murders of some 1400 white Afrikaner farmers in South Africa? More recently the farm murders and the takeover of white farms in Zimbabwe are at last getting some attention. You will read about the workings of socialism and the potent weapon of white guilt. The importance of detecting the mind games and psychological warfare being used on the American as well as the African people each and every day.

I believe you will be surprised and perhaps shocked at some of the information presented in this book. It is an excellent buy, and a great effort by someone who KNOWS first hand what it feels like to see your beloved homeland painted "RED" with the blood of her people.

My suggestion to fellow Americans is to buy the book, read it, learn from it, and act on what you have learned.

The Author of this book has a website, with the latest news, photos, etc regarding Southern Africa.

It is: http://WWW.AfricanCrisis.org

I have read the book Government by Deception by Jan Lamprecht. I found the book had good information on the present day situation in South Africa. Jan is a computer-programming expert and used his talent to give a great analysis of the situation. He lays out the situation with an open mind gives credit where credit is due even though he may not agree with the results. He grew upon farm in Zimbabwe and left there when Mugabe came to power. He now lives in South Africa and has been in the middle of all the changes in Government. He is a great writer and has written a very interesting book

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This book was probably one of the most relevant, gripping and epic history books I have ever read. The numerous parallels between the Iraq war and the Boer War make it all the more powerful.
Most Brit academics are long on tangential, spurious fact and short on prose. This is were Farwell parts with his contemporaries. It can be read by the casual historian (skip some of the long sieges) or the consummate soldier, as Byron fully illustrates the flaws and strength of each protagonist at every major turning point. He does not hold back personal judgment which adds much needed context. He imbues these real characters with life allowing this to become more Epic than history book.
As an avid reader of insurgent doctrine this ranks up there with: Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife, A War Like No Other and Guerrilla Warfare (Che not Mao).
While it is a hefty read I dare you to put this down after the first couple chapters. You will not be disappointed.

Simply put, one of the greatest, most detailed and yet most readable histories, military or otherwise, to ever have been published. If you have even a passing interest in history, this book is for you. The parallels that can be drawn to our present day situation in the middle east are shocking, and this book was written quite a while ago.

Quite easily the best book on the topic of the second Anglo-Boer war. If there were but one book you read concerning this timely subject, it is this one. The author leads the reader on a fast-paced but thorough and enjoyable tour of the people and places involved. The intermixture of battlefield strategic and tactical decisions are interspersed with human stories of the men who carried out the orders and the political forces that fueled the conflict. A must have for the panoramic big picture with detail enough to satisfy the most avid military historian. It is a work I come back to again and again.

This is an absorbing, well written account of a neglected (by American readers anyways) war at the turn of the last century. Rather than being a dry academic text, Farwell's writing style serves to bring the war to life 100 years after the fact.

Coupled with other accounts of the war, like Goodbye Dolly Gray (another excellent book) written by Rayne Kruger, the average reader can understand some of the causal factors of South Africa's apartied system and gain an insight into the history of a long troubled region.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to any reader looking for a fast-paced non-academic history of the Boer War. You won't go wrong.

"A Handful of Summers" is the most informative and entertaining book on tennis I've read.

But the 1997 HarperCollins edition is dreadful: the paper quality is poor, and -- most importantly -- all the photographs are missing. I was so disgusted with it I returned it to Amazon and bought a second-hand copy instead.

The five-star rating is for the writing, not the edition.

Be warned.

I think this book was named the best book on tennis by some or other panel. Though I have not read all that many books on the sport, I cannot imagine a better book on tennis, or any other sport for that matter. Forbes is a delightful author, writing with gentle wit and charm about his childhood on a farm in the Eastern Cape, his tennis career and his life after tennis. Reading the book it is impossible not to mourn the passing of an era when sport was played for the enjoyment thereof, and sports star were friends.

A book that should be read by everybody, not only people interested in tennis or sport.

Gordon Forbes has captured the essence of what sport used to and should still be. From South African farmlands to the lawns of Wimbledon "Forbsie" paints a humorous picture of tennis in the fifties and sixtys. The cast of characters become personal friends and the author like a big brother. A Handful of Summers is among the classics on my bookshelf.

This is a journey through one man's life in an era so different from today. An insight into the world of 'amateur' tennis and its twists of professionalism. An era when tennis was played for the joy of the game, travelling, a varied existence, and a lack of anything better to do!

This traces the realities of life on the tennis tour in the 50s and 60s and the ups and downs which went with it, especially given that Gordon Forbes was from a culture as complex as that of South Africa.

This books gets you really involved in the lives of some of the greatest tennis legends of all time, and others who strove to reach their heady heights, but never quite made it to the top! This book contains so much passion and honesty that it draws you in. You can almost believe that you are right beside these tennis greats, treading in their every footstep, hearing their every breath. You feel as if you grew up with them, laughed their every laugh, and suffered their every defeat.

This is a must for every lover of tennis, and should not be written off by those who have no interest in the game. This is no ordinary tennis chronicle.

Deon Meyer's American debut novel, HEART OF THE HUNTER, is a first-rate thriller, worthy to be on a bestseller list. Not only does Meyer write a fast-moving story, he also acquaints his readers with the landscape of South Africa. He writes suspense that moves quickly and delves deep into the heart of his characters. They jump from the page and involve his reader with immediacy. Meyer invokes sympathy for minor characters as well as his protagonist, Tiny Mpayipheli.

Tiny is a six-foot three strongman, retired from a life of killing for hire to that of a mechanic in a motorcycle shop in a small town. He lives with the woman who changes his life, Miriam Nzululwazi, and her son, Pakamile. All three are drawn into a spider web of life changes that none can control. Tiny's former life seeks him in the form of an old friend, held captive by persons unknown, who is desperate and contacts the quiet giant.

In 1984, the complicated government of a South Africa that has emerged from its struggle for independence is the undercurrent for Meyer's plot. Distrust among competing agencies leads to players with ambition seeking their own dynasties within government departments. Prime among these is Janina Mentz, officer in charge of the Ops Room's special unit of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). Her agency intercepts a phone call from Tiny's friend, Johnny Kleintjes, to his daughter and rolls into action. Mentz's mission is to stop Tiny from delivering a disk, believed to contain sensitive government information. Mentz calls on the diabolical Tiger Mazibuko, a marine officer with no scruples, for help in the Ops mission.

Tiny's skills as a former assassin and KGB operative come into play when he sets forth on a stolen BMW motorcycle across the Cape country to deliver the tape and rescue his old friend. Adrenalin long suppressed by his present pastoral life bursts into activity when he leads his pursuers across the South African veld on a chase for survival. Meyer's description of the terrain makes his audience a part of the story, cheering for Tiny's success and the return to his new life. But we want to witness the strength and skill he possesses as part of the old. We're not disappointed.

HEART OF THE HUNTER is a wealth of information about South Africa's struggle, disparity within her infant government and identity crises in both public and private sectors. Meyer's capable scripting weaves images with identity and blends the two with incredible skill. Chapter breaks blend portions of the story into a continuous thread that connects the characters through common word bonds. For example, Tiny waits for the subject of his first assassination. "The door, dark wood, was shut again...This was not the way to wage war...not right." A section break follows. Then, "There was a bar on the door, white letters on a green background that read PUSH/DRUK, and Miriam obeyed...She realized she was in a dead end."

HEART OF THE HUNTER should be in strong demand in the American market. We'll look for more from this outstanding author.

--- Reviewed by Judy Gigstad

In Cape Town, South Africa, former freedom fighter (or assassin depending on which side you supported) during the "Struggle", Thobela "Tiny" Mpayipheli has become a dedicated family man. He contentedly works at a low paying job because he looks forward to going home every night to his beloved Miriam Nzuluwazi and her son.

His violent past returns when a distraught Monica Kleintjes informs him that his old compatriot in arms her father Johnny needs his help. Tiny owes Johnny so when Monica asks him to deliver a disc to terrorists because if they are not handed over to them by a certain time they will kill her father. He accepts the mission bur the CIA, al Qaeda, the government, and other agencies also want the disk. Killing a retired assassin to obtain what they want is fine by everyone involved as Tiny learns how perilous a friend in need is and how deadly competition can be to the "supplier".

This exciting post apartheid and 9/11 thriller never slows down especially when everyone seems to be chasing after Tiny (actually he is sort of a South African Little John) fleeing on a stolen motorcycle. Tiny is a terrific center of gravity as he keeps the tale moving and focused while the support cast either enables a deep look into the HEART OF THE HUNTER or want to kill him. Cape Town and the surrounding countryside make a fabulous background to the escapades. Though over the top at times, Deon Meyer provides an action packed suspense thriller starring a fabulous hero.

Harriet Klausner

Thobela Mpayipheli is an African giant, ex-spy, who is now living with his fiancé and her son in a small town in South Africa, called Guguletu. He has vowed never to go back to his old life, but his peaceful existence is broken when Monica Kleintjes, the daughter of one of his dear friends from the past, asks for his help. Johnny Kleintjes has been kidnapped and will only be released upon the delivery of a disk containing information that is crucial to national security. Kleintjes gathered this information when working in an integration project in an effort to document the real history relating to the events that took place in the dark era of the Apartheid.

Thobela, or Tiny as his friends call him, is a mysterious man that shows great kindness at moments, and cold-blooded violence at others. In a world when everyone wants to see things white or black, he presents a solid gray. This can be clearly appreciated by the reaction of the people as he goes on his quest, mounted on a powerful motorbike. Some see him as a hero, while others regard him as a dangerous man who cannot be good because he used to work as a "collector" for a drug baron. There is one reporter for the Cape Times, Allison Healy, who tries to answer the question: Is Tiny good or bad? This will provide us with valuable insight regarding the main character, but: can the question be answered with certainty?

One would thing that helping a friend that has been kidnapped would be hard enough, but Thobela has other problems too. Janina Metz, a high ranked officer in one of the intelligence agencies, had a wire that allowed her to listen to the conversation between the kidnappers and Monica. Therefore, she activated a special forces group led by a violent and vicious captain named Mazibuko. The idea is to prevent Tiny from delivering the information to the kidnappers. Thus, he is drawn into a mission filled with dangers and violence; a mission in which he will be faced with a worthy opponent in the relentless captain Mazibuko.

The exotic setting, the cleverly crafted plot, the exciting action, and the rich and complex main character, make this a novel that has it all. Deon Meyer has created a real masterpiece that is not even one notch below the work of some great authors in the genre, like John le Carré. I will be eagerly looking forward to this Meyer's new book!

A man contacts an old friend asking for his assistance; with that one action, a government agency is set in motion, tracking all activity, assessing security and setting safeguards in place, so finely tuned as to be error-proof. In one simple act of acquiescence, lives are irrevocably changed.

A society is defined by the agencies that conduct the business of the people. Developed by the South African Presidential Intelligence Unit (PIU), designed from an intelligence-specific prototype, the Reaction Unit (RU) falls somewhere between a counter-terrorist organization and hostage rescue unit, similar to the British Special Air Services. The creators of the RU have dark dreams of redemption from a shameful past in South African human relations and, given an opportunity to prove the superiority of the unit, envision new beginnings for a country struggling to redefine its political and social systems.

Thobela Mpayipheli, a six-foot-three giant of a man with a gentle heart, has finally found contentment in his life, living quietly with his woman and her young son. A former member of Umkhonto we Sizwe ("the spear of the nation"), part of the black resistance when South Africa was fighting for racial balance and equality. Thobela, AKA Tiny, has made a covenant with himself and those he loves, putting the violence forever behind him. But when an old friend from the past makes a request, it is a call to honor that must be met. Thobela must act as his conscience dictates, aware of what is at stake when he allows his natural instincts to resurface. Tiny is the unknown quantity in the equation, the one man to test the raison d'etre of the RU.

Like all bureaucracies, once set in motion with agendas activated, everything proceeds as planned, inexorable. Regardless of nuance or human complications, these pseudo-machines are incapable of subtlety, or changing plans to adapt to exigent circumstances. Whatever and whoever is in the way is simply collateral damage.

"Contact. Action. Control." Protect the State at all costs. The action man of the Reaction Unit is Tiger Mazibuko, who lives for the thrill of the chase and a worthy opponent. He's been training his team relentlessly, preparing for just such an opportunity. Mpayipheli is the perfect adversary, a man who challenges all the skills Tiger has honed. As long as Tiger's supervisor, Janina Mentz, dehumanizes Mpayipheli, Tiger can behave dispassionately, impossible to stop. Meanwhile, Mentz sits in the catbird seat, answerable only to her Director, watching the machinations as the RU goes into overdrive, tracking Mpaypheli. This is a high-stakes chess game, and it is deadly serious.

The contretemps between man and "machine" balances in fragile stasis before chaos erupts and the forces collide, uncontrollable. Special interests, driven by self-preservation and pride, are motivated by the arrogance bred of power, corrupted, a somnolent decay that destroys the integrity of the agency itself. Meanwhile Mpaypheli's only desire is to fulfill his mission and return home, but circumstances conspire to isolate him, returning him to that state of existence he inhabited when he was a killing machine.

Meyer's complex characterizations are excellent, introspective and compassionate, revealing the underlying humanity that is at war with rigorous indoctrination. These people are multi-faceted, troubled, dealing with the demands of duty vs. personal integrity. Meyer uncovers the layers that form the whole of the human heart and the violence that destroys innocence, fomenting intolerance and distrust. Luan Gaines/2004.

I first learned about Madam & Eve when taking the African Politics class at my school. When it came time to do term papers, I ended up exploring the issues in Madam & Eve (which meant I read all the books my prof had - and scared my roommates because I kept breaking into laughter). Madam & Eve is a wonderful comic, very smart and VERY funny. I recommend it to anyone who likes political commentary, as well as a good laugh.

The best of the first five years of South Africa's (and a few other places) favourite couple, Madam & Eve. This book provides a history, a deeper look into and of course, their greatest hits. I've got em all, mostly all signed by the authors and i'm told my collection is getting worth a few hundred dollars now! New edition out every year, get em while you can, you won't be disappointed.

All Madam and Eve comic books are great. They are full of comics about things happening in South Africa, toyi toyi, government, hijacking and problems between white and black people. These books are really funny, but you have to know certain things aboutt the country to understand some of the comics.

If you are a South African, former South African, or anyone, this book is a MUST HAVE! These are some of the best comics on Earth. This is the type of book that you pick up and read in one sitting, even though it is a comic book. This book is actually a wonderful collection of most of the comics past, and includes commentary of how the comic has changed and just tid bits of knowledge from the author. This is a must have for any Madam and Eve fans and for anyone who has never heard of Madam and Eve. You will love this book. I gaurantee it.

Ms. Alden is a talented writer who transports the reader to the South Africa of her youth with vivid, fascinating and absorbing descriptions and details. She had me "hooked" from the first pages and I could not put the book down until I'd read it all.

What a beautifully written account of this place and time. Bea makes this all the more poignant by showing the disturbing truth and subtle self deceptions of apartheid policy from the innocent view of a young child. It is telling that her child's heart knew that 'something was wrong' while the grown-ups were pretending that all was well. This is a wonderfully written view into the world of accepted social separation and the heartache it inevitably causes. Well done!

This is so well written about a place and time I had never considered. It is so easy to ignore what is commonplace to each of us in our every day life and not even notice when there is discrimination or injustice. Now I would like to read 'the rest of the story' and find out what happens when there is more than just unrest in the country and how it affected the lives of Bea and her family.

LIONGOLD "vividly chronicles the troubled life of a white family in the suburbs of Johannesburg...during South Africa's pivotal years of apartheid." Bea Alden's true story is told from her childhood perspective, from about age 4 to her twenties. People often wonder, "How could those white Christian Africans have treated blacks as they did?" Bea answers this question by ushering us into the perspective of white privilege, where "that's just the way things are." But uncomfortable questions inevitably arise as she approaches adulthood.

In addition to being a compelling story, LIONGOLD is beautifully written. Alden has an artist's eye for detail and a gift for description. Letty, their "girl," is "all sharp elbows and spiky energy. ... Her bright brown eyes survey the world suspiciously, with a nuanced, guarded look of discontent." Though the tale centers on Alden's white family, she also weaves in a respectful look at what life was like for blacks.

This is a gem of a book with a valuable and rare perspective on this tragic period in modern history.

This is a breathtakingly beautiful view of the animals of the South African Lowveld. Ms. Lumry and Mr. Thom have captured the unique experience of an African Safari with a stunning collection of photos that make you feel like you could reach out and touch the animals. If you're thinking about an African Safari or want to relive the thrill of one you've taken, this is a "must have" book.

This is an excellent example of what it is like at the game reserve. My wife and I spent 10 days at Malamala, and this book brought back all of the memorable experiences we had in the bush. We spent some time with Jamie while we were there and he is a true artist with a camera, as well as an enjoyable dinner companion.

My family and I just returned from a photographic safari on the MalaMala game reserve. We purchased the book from the onsite gift store as it represented so many wonderful memories of our adventure in South Africa. Jamie Thom is a wonderful guide and truely has a wonderful gift for photographing these many amazing animals. We highly recommend this photographic work of art to all who love nature.

This is a breathtakingly beautiful view of the animals of the South African Lowveld. Ms. Lumry and Mr. Thom have captured the unique experience of an African Safari with a stunning collection of photos that make you feel like you could reach out and touch the animals. If you're thinking about an African Safari or want to relive the thrill of one you've taken, this is a "must have" book.

As a European historian who was preparing to travel to South Africa for the first time in the spring of 1998, I found Sparks's analysis of South African thought, culture, and society since the mid-17th century to be extremely helpful. The book is both informative and lively, and I recommend it without hesitation.

I suppose that this was the book that I most wanted to find after my trip to South Africa. I wanted something that would try to explain what the white South Africans were thinking. I wanted to know how a system as pernicious and self-evidently evil emerged-- because basically I don't accept that people are evil. No bad dogs or kids, that sort of thinking.

I'm not going to say that Allister Sparks totally succeeds in providing an explanation. However, he at least explained the combination of religious and political beliefs that led up to the system being instituted. It was fascinating (as an expat in the Netherlands) to read how much influence Holland has really had on the country. Wacky conservative Dutch leaders seemed to find open arms there, particularly after the war. And this is, of course, one of the points of the book. Before WWII, South Africa was more or less in step with world thinking. The real divergence came post-WWII, as they rejected the message of freedom and the end of the colonial era that was sweeping the rest of the world.

The book is also interesting in that it was originally written in 1990, on the very eve of the change. So, of course, although some predictions and fears turned out to be true, others are less so. Mugabe, for instance, turned out to be much less benign than Sparks hoped based on the events of the 1980s.

It helped me put some of the thinking behind the historical facts of the apartheid era. Sparks (a well-established and experienced journalist) is a good writer, if not a great one. The Mind of Africa flowed well and was relatively easy to read. Recommended.

Okay, so we all know what took place once the Afrikaaners came to South Africa, but just exactly 'why' did they feel so superior to all people and all races. Where did this mentality come from? Allistar Sparks goes into great detail about the minds of Afrikaaners before they came to South Africa and after. I have read many a book about South Africa and by far this is one of the best. Truthful, and holding nothing back. I applaud Mr. Sparks !

As a black South African I have read a lot of history books about my country and found a lot of distortions. Allister Sparks has come out with the most straight story of how it all came to be. This book tells you both sides of the story: Thank you Allister for representing the truth.

Lovers of good political writing will enjoy this. I was greatly inspired by the first edition of this while I was a college student in the 1980s (when Mr. Mandela was still imprisoned).

Among the highlights are "Bantu Education" (1950s), a look at how the educational system for Black South Africans was designed to produce a class of cheap labor (as a Black South Carolinian, I can relate). Mandela's court speech prior to his imprisonment in 1964 reads like a South African "I Have A Dream" as he eloquently states the case of Black S/Africans and his willingness to be a martyr for that cause. (Check the actual sound recording of this on the CD "The Voice of Nelson Mandela" for the full effect).

Later, we see the level of principle of Mr. Mandela as he spurns offers for freedom under the conditions set by the S/A government in the 80s. We also read his post-release speech as well as his calls for peace among warring factions in S/A.

Makes you wish for eloquent, principled, and effective leaders like this in America. At least it can inspire future generations toward that direction. By all means, read it.

What a bottomless well of encouragement and inspiration one gets from its reading! Nelson Mandela, basing himself on the mass of Black, Colored and Indian, workers, peasants and other democrats of South Africa, was unbreakable at the hands of the horrific, murderous and terrorist system of aparthied. Akin to Nazis Germany, the Jim Crow USA South and Zionist Israel, South Africa enjoyed the backing of the US and British and Israeli governments until it was overthrown.

Joining the African National Congress in 1944 at age 26, he and other youth would lead its transformation from and organization of " gentlemen with clean hands" to the mass revolutionary democratic movement that would lead the revolution over apartheid. Doing so even while in prison for nearly 30 years. He was finally released in 1990 at age 72 and was soon after elected South Africa's president.

For decades, a popular demand in South Africa and around the world was: Free Nelson Mandela! This book does an excellent job of showing just why Mandela was so popular among the masses in his country and so feared and hated by apartheid's rulers. He was a first-class revolutionary who fought for decades for his country's freedom and always believed in the power of the masses of people to make change. This book is so inspiring because you read Mandela in his own words, starting as a student leader in the 1940s to a leader of the African National Congress's armed wing in the 1960s to an internationally known political prisoner in the 1980s. He never gave up and he outlasted the vicious apartheid system. The photos in the book also do a great job of showing what the struggle against apartheid was like.

What a wonderful experience-- reading and studying speeches and documents prepared by Nelson Mandela during five decades of struggle against the apartheid regime in South Africa! Here are key documents of the African National Congress, including the Freedom Charter that became the central document of the mass movement that brought down apartheid. Also Mandela's speeches at different stages of the struggle, including historic courtroom addresses when he was on trial for his life; documents Mandela prepared as the apartheid regime was forced to negotiate with him and the ANC in the late 1980s; and his first speeches after he was released from prison in 1990.
These speeches give a vivid reminder of the brutal, racist regime that was apartheid (and we should never forget that the South African regime was a pillar of U.S. domination in Africa from the 1940s on.) Mandela gives us a real feel for the determined, difficult, and courageous struggle of millions of people who never accepted submission to apartheid and the world-wide importance of the fight for a democratic, nonracial South Africa. And you see truly inspiring leadership in the persons of Mandela and his fellow leaders in the ANC.
Don't miss the 32-pages of photos that really help bring this rich struggle to life as well!