Long Walk to Freedom (book)
Encyclopedia
Long Walk to Freedom is an autobiographical
work written by Nelson Mandela
, and published in 1995 by Little Brown & Co. The book profiles his early life, coming of age, education and 27 years in prison. Mandela was once regarded as a terrorist but he is now regarded as uncontroversial. The last chapters of the book describe his political ascension, and his belief that the struggle continues against apartheid in South Africa
.
, and being connected to the royal Thembu
dynasty. His childhood name was Rolihlahla, which is loosely translated as "pulling the branch of a tree," or a euphemism
for "troublemaker."
Later in the text, Mandela describes his education at a Thembu
college called Clarkebury, and later at the strict Healdtown school, where students were rigorously put in routines. He mentions his education at the University of Fort Hare
, and his practice of law later on.
Within the second part of the book, Mandela introduces political and social aspects of apartheid in South Africa, and the influences of politicians such as Daniel François Malan
who implemented the nadir of African freedoms, as he officially commenced the apartheid policies. Mandela joined the African National Congress
in 1950 and describes his organization of guerrilla
tactics and underground organizations to battle against apartheid.
In 1961, Mandela was convicted for inciting people to strike and leaving the country without a passport and sentenced to five years imprisonment. However, Mandela was shortly thereafter sentenced to life imprisonment
for sabotage
in what was known as the "Rivonia Trial
," by Justice Dr. Quartus de Wet
, instead of a possible death sentence
. (p. 159)
Mandela describes prison time on Robben Island
and Pollsmoor Prison
. His 28 year tenure in prison was marked by the cruelty of Afrikaner
guards, backbreaking labor, and sleeping in minuscule cells which were nearly uninhabitable. Unlike his biographer Anthony Sampson
, Mandela does not accuse the warder James Gregory
of fabricating a friendship with his prisoner. Gregory's book Goodbye Bafana
discussed Mandela's family life and described Gregory as a close personal friend of Mandela. According to Mandela: The Authorised Biography
, Gregory's position was to censor the letters delivered to the future president, and he thereby discovered the details of Mandela's personal life, which he then made money from by means of his book Goodbye Bafana. Mandela considered suing Gregory for this breach of trust. In Long Walk to Freedom Mandela remarks of Gregory only that
'I had not known him terribly well, but he knew us, because he had been responsible for reviewing our incoming and outgoing mail.'
Later on in his sentence, Mandela met South African president, Frederik Willem de Klerk
, and was released from prison in 1990. Unlike his friend Anthony Sampson's account
, Mandela's book does not discuss the alleged complicity of de Klerk in the violence of the eighties and nineties, or the role of his ex-wife Winnie Mandela in that bloodshed. Mandela became the South African president in 1994.
Mandela dedicated his book to "my six children, Madiba and Makaziwe (my first daughter) who are now deceased, and to Makgatho, Makaziwe, Zenani and Zindzi, whose support and love I treasure; to my twenty-one grandchildren and three great-grandchildren who give me great pleasure; and to all my comrades, friends and fellow South Africans whom I serve and whose courage determination and patriotism remain my source of inspiration."
in 1995, and is published in numerous languages, including an Afrikaans
translation by Antjie Krog
.
, written by William Nicholson
, and produced by Anant Singh. Mandela personally awarded the film rights to the book to Singh's company some years before 2009. Hooper and Mandela met in March 2009. Singh believes that as the film is based on Mandela's own writing, it will be the "definitive" biopic of him.
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
work written by Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
, and published in 1995 by Little Brown & Co. The book profiles his early life, coming of age, education and 27 years in prison. Mandela was once regarded as a terrorist but he is now regarded as uncontroversial. The last chapters of the book describe his political ascension, and his belief that the struggle continues against apartheid in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Content
Within the first parts of the autobiography, Mandela describes his upbringing as a child and adolescent in South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and being connected to the royal Thembu
Thembu
The Thimbu are one of the handful of nations and population groups which speak Xhosa in South Africa. In Xhosa the name is abaThembu, aba- being a common prefix for peoples....
dynasty. His childhood name was Rolihlahla, which is loosely translated as "pulling the branch of a tree," or a euphemism
Euphemism
A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, inoffensive, relatively uncontroversial phrase for another more frank expression that might offend or otherwise suggest something unpleasant to the audience...
for "troublemaker."
Later in the text, Mandela describes his education at a Thembu
Thembu
The Thimbu are one of the handful of nations and population groups which speak Xhosa in South Africa. In Xhosa the name is abaThembu, aba- being a common prefix for peoples....
college called Clarkebury, and later at the strict Healdtown school, where students were rigorously put in routines. He mentions his education at the University of Fort Hare
University of Fort Hare
The University of Fort Hare is a public university in Alice, Eastern Cape, South Africa. It was a key institution in higher education for black Africans from 1916 to 1959. It offered a Western-style, academically excellent education to students from across sub-Saharan Africa, creating a black...
, and his practice of law later on.
Within the second part of the book, Mandela introduces political and social aspects of apartheid in South Africa, and the influences of politicians such as Daniel François Malan
Daniel François Malan
Daniel François Malan , more commonly known as D.F. Malan, was the Prime Minister of South Africa from 1948 to 1954. He is seen as a champion of Afrikaner nationalism. His National Party government came to power on the program of apartheid and began its comprehensive implementation.- Biography...
who implemented the nadir of African freedoms, as he officially commenced the apartheid policies. Mandela joined the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
in 1950 and describes his organization of guerrilla
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
tactics and underground organizations to battle against apartheid.
In 1961, Mandela was convicted for inciting people to strike and leaving the country without a passport and sentenced to five years imprisonment. However, Mandela was shortly thereafter sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
for sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
in what was known as the "Rivonia Trial
Rivonia Trial
The Rivonia Trial was a trial that took place in South Africa between 1963 and 1964, in which ten leaders of the African National Congress were tried for 221 acts of sabotage designed to overthrow the apartheid system.-Origins:...
," by Justice Dr. Quartus de Wet
Quartus de Wet
Dr. Quartus de Wet , South African judge-president of the high court of the Transvaal.Born in 1899 in Pretoria, he was the son of Nicolaas Jacobus de Wet, Chief Justice of South Africa and acting Governor-General and Ella Scheepers , who is reputed to have composed the popular Afrikaans song Sarie...
, instead of a possible death sentence
Death Sentence
Death Sentence is a short story by the American science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the November 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov.-Plot summary:...
. (p. 159)
Mandela describes prison time on Robben Island
Robben Island
Robben Island is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 km west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, Cape Town, South Africa. The name is Dutch for "seal island". Robben Island is roughly oval in shape, 3.3 km long north-south, and 1.9 km wide, with an area of 5.07 km². It is flat and only a...
and Pollsmoor Prison
Pollsmoor Prison
Pollsmoor Prison, officially, Pollsmoor Maximum Security Prison is a prison in the Cape Town suburb of Tokai in South Africa. Nelson Mandela was the most famous inmate of the prison...
. His 28 year tenure in prison was marked by the cruelty of Afrikaner
Afrikaner
Afrikaners are an ethnic group in Southern Africa descended from almost equal numbers of Dutch, French and German settlers whose native tongue is Afrikaans: a Germanic language which derives primarily from 17th century Dutch, and a variety of other languages.-Related ethno-linguistic groups:The...
guards, backbreaking labor, and sleeping in minuscule cells which were nearly uninhabitable. Unlike his biographer Anthony Sampson
Anthony Sampson
Anthony Terrell Seward Sampson was a British writer and journalist. He was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford and served with the Royal Navy from 1944-47. During the 1950s he edited the magazine Drum in Johannesburg, South Africa...
, Mandela does not accuse the warder James Gregory
James Gregory (writer)
James Gregory was the censor officer and prison guard of Nelson Mandela for many years of his captivity.Gregory wrote the book Goodbye Bafana: Nelson Mandela, My Prisoner, My Friend, on which the 2007 film Goodbye Bafana was based.In his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, Mandela mentions...
of fabricating a friendship with his prisoner. Gregory's book Goodbye Bafana
Goodbye Bafana
Goodbye Bafana, also released under the name The Color of Freedom, is a 2007 drama film, about the relationship between Nelson Mandela and James Gregory , his censor officer and prison guard, based on Gregory's book Goodbye Bafana: Nelson Mandela, My Prisoner, My Friend.Bafana means 'boys'...
discussed Mandela's family life and described Gregory as a close personal friend of Mandela. According to Mandela: The Authorised Biography
Mandela: The Authorised Biography
Mandela: The Authorised Biography is a study of Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa, by the late journalist Anthony Sampson....
, Gregory's position was to censor the letters delivered to the future president, and he thereby discovered the details of Mandela's personal life, which he then made money from by means of his book Goodbye Bafana. Mandela considered suing Gregory for this breach of trust. In Long Walk to Freedom Mandela remarks of Gregory only that
'I had not known him terribly well, but he knew us, because he had been responsible for reviewing our incoming and outgoing mail.'
Later on in his sentence, Mandela met South African president, Frederik Willem de Klerk
Frederik Willem de Klerk
Frederik Willem de Klerk , often known as F. W. de Klerk, is the former seventh and last State President of apartheid-era South Africa, serving from September 1989 to May 1994...
, and was released from prison in 1990. Unlike his friend Anthony Sampson's account
Mandela: The Authorised Biography
Mandela: The Authorised Biography is a study of Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa, by the late journalist Anthony Sampson....
, Mandela's book does not discuss the alleged complicity of de Klerk in the violence of the eighties and nineties, or the role of his ex-wife Winnie Mandela in that bloodshed. Mandela became the South African president in 1994.
Mandela dedicated his book to "my six children, Madiba and Makaziwe (my first daughter) who are now deceased, and to Makgatho, Makaziwe, Zenani and Zindzi, whose support and love I treasure; to my twenty-one grandchildren and three great-grandchildren who give me great pleasure; and to all my comrades, friends and fellow South Africans whom I serve and whose courage determination and patriotism remain my source of inspiration."
Reviews
The book won the Alan Paton AwardAlan Paton Award
The Alan Paton Award is a South African literary award that been conferred annually since 1989 for meritorious works of non-fiction. Sponsored by the Johannesburg weekly the Sunday Times, recipients represent the cream of contemporary South African writers who produce works that are judged to...
in 1995, and is published in numerous languages, including an Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
translation by Antjie Krog
Antjie Krog
Antjie Krog, born October 23, 1952 in Kroonstad, Orange Free State, South Africa, is a prominent South African poet, academic and writer. In 2004 she joined the Arts faculty of the University of the Western Cape.- Early life :...
.
Film adaptation
Long Walk to Freedom is to be adapted into a film directed by Tom HooperTom Hooper (director)
Thomas George "Tom" Hooper is a British film and television director of English and Australian background. Hooper began making short films at the age of 13, and had his first professional short, Painted Faces, broadcast on Channel 4 in 1992. At Oxford University Hooper directed plays and...
, written by William Nicholson
William Nicholson (writer)
William Nicholson FRSL is a British screenwriter, playwright, and novelist.-Family:A native of Lewes, Sussex, William Nicholson was raised in a Catholic family in Gloucestershire. By the time he reached his tenth birthday, he had decided to become a writer. He was educated at Downside School,...
, and produced by Anant Singh. Mandela personally awarded the film rights to the book to Singh's company some years before 2009. Hooper and Mandela met in March 2009. Singh believes that as the film is based on Mandela's own writing, it will be the "definitive" biopic of him.
See also
- Mandela: The Authorised BiographyMandela: The Authorised BiographyMandela: The Authorised Biography is a study of Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa, by the late journalist Anthony Sampson....
- Nelson MandelaNelson MandelaNelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
- South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
- Apartheid
- F.W. de Klerk
Further reading
- Anthony Sampson Mandela: The Authorised Biography; HarperCollins; ISBN 0-00-638845-0(1999)
- Nelson Mandela; Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela; Little Brown & Co; ISBN 0-316-54818-9 (paperback, 1995)