"Those who prefer abstractions or empty phrases, or fanciful-supposedly political-ideas, would do best to avoid this book, because Nelson Mandela is not a Quixotic fighter of windmills and imaginary monsters but a man who is fighting the bitter reality of the apartheid monster that is destroying the essence of his own beloved people, in the same way that colonialism is destroying the essence of my own people. In this book we meet an idealist with his feet firmly planted in the earth."-Rafael Cancel Miranda

"A useful addition to both public and college libraries."-Library Journal

"Reveals the patience, thoughtfulness and wisdom of the man who is the real leader of South Africa . . . . Especially valuable for the insights into his character and the character of those fighting for freedom in South Africa . . . ."-Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize winner, author of The Color Purple

"A useful introduction to Mandela's life and work through his speeches and writing."-Los Angeles Times/The Book Review

"A concise, low-cost updated documentary study of the man, his life and thought . . . . There is a solid index and thirty-four evocative photos to enhance the text."-The International Journal of African Historical Studies

"Perhaps the most riveting and revealing documents are the transcripts of Mandela's trials . . . . They give the reader a better understanding of Pretoria's fear of Nelson Mandela."-Christian Science Monitor

Index, Photos