A Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela (ISBN 0349106533)

Good Book - But be open minded:
INTRO: This is the first book of this size that I have read about S. Africa. Having many relatives from S. Africa , I've heard the white side of the story about post-apartheid atrocities and unfairness, but this is the first history I've read of the history before 1994. This book really is fascinating in seeing the black perspective of the problem as well as chronologically laying out the evolution of the struggle. BODY: An important thing to keep in mind is that this book is written by Nelson Mandela himself who is not a partial bystander. Many times in fact, the book reads like a training manual for aspiring revolutionaries. While the history of the book is not in question, you need to understand that he paints them in a very specific light. At the end of the book, you hear nothing about any killings on behalf of the ANC only about the killings which were done to them. Another example of the political agenda of this book is near the beginning when Nelson Mandela makes the statement that the tribal politics that existed before the white man was "democracy in it's purest form". CONCLUSION: You should enjoy this book and admire Nelson Mandela for his lifetime of sacrifice and devotion to racial equality. However, don't place all your eggs in one basket and realize that there is more to the story than that of the radical revolutionary Mandela's. This book has inspired me to look further into S. Africa's present and past history.

A Must for Everyone:
Can there be any question that the wisdom and life of this man is worthy of five stars?