Dimensions
129 x 198 x 43mm
The Authorised Biography.
The life of Nelson Mandela, from the personal and the global perspective, is one of the epic stories of the 20th century. It is also one of the most inspiring. Twenty years ago, Mandela was an almost forgotten figure languishing in jail on Robben Island; today, as he leaves office as President of South Africa, he is one of the most widely admired leaders on earth.
Anthony Sampson, who has known Mandela since 1951, was given unprecedented access to his subject, including extensive conversations with him, and inspection of all his letters through 27 years in prison, his original unpublished jail autobiography and the official prison records.
Sampson has unearthed for the first time British and American diplomatic and intelligence reports on his political influence; and he has been able to interview hundreds of colleagues, friends and family - including Mandela's three wives - to provide candid insights into his domestic life. He thus provides a quite new picture of Mandela's private and public life, and the tragic tension between them.
Contains 24 black and white illustrations.