Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela

If after reading this book you do not come away with a greater sense of admiration and respect for this outstanding human being, then you are not human.


The revelations of a great man   May 28, 2005
Cecelia E Connally (Cleveland, Ohio USA)
27 out of 33 found this review helpful

I recently visited South Africa and saw LONG ROAD TO FREEDOM in the book stores. I decided that due to its length I'd buy it when I got home or get it from the library. However, as I was leaving the country I had a couple of hundred rand, so I decided to spend it on this book. Frankly, it was one of those books that you buy and I figured that I would never get through it. However, on the 12 hour flight from Cape Town to London I became enthralled with Mandela and his life.

The book is well worth the read and moves along very quickly. Having visited Robin Island and experienced South Africa, reading the book was extremely meaningful. The feelings of reconcilation that are prevelant at least with the people I spoke with have their roots in Mandela's philosophy.

I always thought that Mandela was a great man, but reading this book put his stock up a lot higher.

He is truly a national treasure of the world.


Well worth the length   June 2, 2003
Josh Benson (Sewickley, PA)
23 out of 26 found this review helpful

I was required to read Long Walk to Freedom for a class in school. I had heard from students who were previously required to read the book that it was too long, and very bad. I did not go into this book with high expectations, which made Long Walk to Freedom a pleasant surprise.

Written by Nelson Mandela over the course of several years, beginning with a first draft written in prison (which was lost to authorities), the book covers each stage of Nelson's life. Beginning with his early childhood in an African tribe, through his education and career as one of the first black lawyers of Africa, and eventually his decision to join the famed political party, the African National Congress, where Nelson began his struggle for equal rights for his people. From there Nelson goes on to describe his life fighting for the freedom of the native people of Africa. Harassed and `banned' by the authorities for his actions, Mr. Mandela's struggle is not an easy one. He would be put on trial three separate times for crimes stemming from his political views, his third trial landing him a life sentence. But with Nelson's natural resiliency in bad situations, and nations all over the world calling for his release, he did not fear spending the rest of his life in prison. His years spent in prison would be long and hard, but he knew upon his release that the long walk to freedom would near an end.

The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela is written well, and its length is not of issue, especially when taking into account how expansive the story of his life really is. The pacing of the story is actually very well done, years are written away in a few pages without anything seeming to be missed. In my opinion, even if this book had the worst writing of any novel, it would still be worth reading; its story holds so much importance and teaches so much about so many aspects of life, that it would lose nothing.

Long Walk to Freedom leaves one feeling refreshed; if the racist policies of the government of an entire nation can be taken down by a group of common citizens, perhaps there is hope for reform in any nation that is going through a period of strife.


He is like every one of us afterall   June 16, 1999
21 out of 21 found this review helpful

I spent the whole of last weekend reading 'Long Walk to freedom'. For two days I didnot leave the world Nelson had trapped me in. As I finished the book and took a walk outside, I stopped seeing people as Hausas or Yorubas, Northerners or Southerners(ethnic groups in Nigeria). All I saw were brothers who could bury the hatchets of ethnicity and forge a country of love and peace. Before I read the book I saw Mandela as a super human with no flaws at all. In the book he painted himself in true colours; accepting his flaws and proclaiming his successes. He is afterall human. I have always believed that life is worth nothing if one can not stand up for what one believes in. I have always advocated to the Marcus Garvey/ Malcolm X forms of freedom fighting. I always thought that peaceful protests were for the spineless. Why would I like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., watch while the enemy unleashes violence on my people? Nelson in the book took me through the intricacies of peaceful civil disturbance and I have come to realise that this form of protest is even more demanding than sheer brute force. 'Long walk...' is a must-read for any one who still has humanity in his being... If you want to share more on 'Long Walk to Freedom' or the struggle of African progressives against oppresive governments, you can reach me at pokigbo3@hotmail.com










The Greatest Man in the World   April 20, 2006
Elijah Chingosho (Nairobi, Kenya)
21 out of 23 found this review helpful


After reading this book, I was absolutely thrilled. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is this remarkable person that you kind of feel a personal relationship to as you go through this great piece of work. Mandela represents the struggle of the oppressed South Africans to regain their pride and freedom and it is fantastic that Mandela has lived his ideals, a unique achievement by a mere mortal.

Going through the book reveals that you are reading about someone who is not trying to exalt himself but someone who is really human and makes mistakes, is man enough to admit to them and goes to show that even after spending a generation in prison, he neither lost his humanity nor was brutalised by the nasty experience.

Mandela was the first president of a truly democratic South Africa but as soon as he was President, be broke with traditional African leaders practice and started grooming a successor. After only one term in office, he voluntarily gave up power, a rarity on the continent.

Mandela is a man of disarming simplicity, very honest and has done Africa proud. I sometimes day dream of what the African continent would be like if most countries were blessed with half a Mandela leader each (it would be asking too much to ask for a full Mandela.

This is an inspirational book to the whole of humanity that is well written that I strongly recommend to everyone.