Shreyas Jagtap

Garware College of Commerce (SYBBA)

Roll NO : 14069

Book Review

Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela

Introduction of the book:

Long Walk to Freedom is an autobiographical book written by former South African President Nelson Mandela, which was published in the year 1995. The book talks about his early life, primitive years, education and 27 years in prison. Under the apartheid government, Nelson Mandela was regarded as a terrorist and jailed for about 30 years .The last chapters of the book talks about his political involvement and South African Presidency office.Mandela dedicated his book to his six children who he believes were his source of inspiration in his life and to all his comrades throughout his

struggle in the fight against apartheid in South Africa and all the South African people.

Summary of the book:

Mandela begins his book with the description of his ancestors and how he is intended to be the leader of the Xhosa people which is one of the largest cultural people in South Africa. Mandela goes on to describe his early childhood, which was spent herding cattle and practicing traditional Xhosa fighting. When Mandela was old enough, his father sent him to school, which was a relatively rare privilege for a child in his village. Mandela excelled at school and an uncle paid for him to continue his education at a series of elite boarding schools.

In the next two sections of the book, Mandela describes his young adulthood and how he transforms into a leader of South Africa’s freedom movement. He then takes an active part in the African National Congress to fight against the discrimination against the black Africans.

South Africa had long been ruled by unjust racial laws, but the situation changed even more bad in 1948, when an all-white vote brought the conservative National Party into power. From that time onward, the National Party codified and expanded South Africa’s racist laws, creating the system of apartheid, which means separateness. Apartheid laws were not only designed to keep the members of South Africa’s many racial groups separate; they were also specifically crafted to keep the country’s white minority in a position of power and privilege.

Apartheid laws prevented black South Africans from leaving their tiny homes until and unless they had the necessary documents to move freely which was very unjust. After learning that violent methods would not help him to achieve his goal he then resorted to peaceful methods. He then started boarding all white trains in protest due to which he had to serve prison sentence. In 1962, he was arrested for conspiring to overthrow the state, and sentenced to life imprisonment. After serving 27 years in prison,

the then president of South Africa feared the outbreak of a civil war in the country and therefore Nelson Mandela was released from prison.

After his release as he was part of the African National Congress Nelson Mandela contested the presidency elections with his party in the year 1994 and won them. He acted as the president of South Africa from 1994-1999.After this he windrow from politics due to health reasons. He passed away in December of 2013 at the age of 95.

Views of the reader:

Nelson Mandela was a great leader because he recognized that the movement against apartheid had become a civil war and therefore he resorted to peaceful methods. He spent 27 years of his life in a prison for his love for South Africa and fight against apartheid. Spending 27 years in prison shows the grit and determination of Nelson Mandela and his giving nature. But because of the decisions he took and his violent methods before plenty of innocent people lost their lives. He supported Dictators around the world when he was the president of South Africa .Therefore I think he has been very unethical in his life but has also did good things for South Africa.

Conclusion:

Nelson Mandela was an inspiring leader in the struggle against apartheid discrimination in South Africa and to achieve his goal of a South Africa without discrimination on race he resorted to violent methods. This resulted in the deaths of plenty of innocent people. He ultimately realized his mistake and then started using peaceful methods. He gave 27 years of his life in prison which shows a lot of sacrifices that he made for the love of country. He has made mistakes but then he also corrected them.

Thank You.