Summary
This historic collection of documents archived at the Nelson Mandela Foundation offers an unprecedented insight into Mandela's remarkable life--from his first stirrings of political consciousness to his galvanizing role on the world stage. Full description
Summary: |
This historic collection of documents archived at the Nelson Mandela Foundation offers an unprecedented insight into Mandela's remarkable life--from his first stirrings of political consciousness to his galvanizing role on the world stage. |
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Physical Description: |
xxi, 454 p. : ill., maps ; 24 cm. |
Bibliography: |
Includes bibliographical references (p. 443) and index. |
ISBN: |
9780374128951 : 0374128952 |
Author Notes: |
Mandela was part of the African National Congress (ANC) and spent many years as a freedom fighter. When the South African government outlawed the ANC after the Sharpeville Massacre, he went underground to form a new military wing of the organization. In 1964, he was sentenced to life in prison for sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government. Instead of testifying at the trial, he opted to give a speech that was more than four hours long and ended with a defiant statement. While in prison, he received a bachelor's degree in law in absentia from the University of South Africa. In 1990, Mandela was released from prison after 27 years. He 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. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with former South African President F.W. de Klerk in 1993 for transitioning the nation from a system of racial segregation. After leaving the presidency, Mandela retired from active politics, but continued championing causes such as human rights, world peace and the fight against AIDS. He died on November 5, 2013 at the age of 95. (Bowker Author Biography) |