Amazon.com
Kaffir Boy does for apartheid-era South Africa what Richard Wright's Black Boy did for the segregated American South. In stark prose, Mathabane describes his life growing up in a nonwhite ghetto outside Johannesburg--and how he escaped its horrors. Hard work and faith in education played key roles, and Mathabane eventually won a tennis scholarship to an American university. This is not, needless to say, an opportunity afforded to many of the poor blacks who make up most of South Africa's population. And yet Mathabane reveals their troubled world on these pages in a way that only someone who has lived this life can.
Book Description
The Classic Story of Life in Apartheid South Africa
Mark Mathabane was weaned on devastating poverty and schooled in the cruel streets of South Africa's most desperate ghetto, where bloody gang wars and midnight police raids were his rites of passage. Like every other child born in the hopelessness of apartheid, he learned to measure his life in days, not years. Yet Mark Mathabane, armed only with the courage of his family and a hard-won education, raised himself up from the squalor and humiliation to win a scholarship to an American university.
This extraordinary memoir of life under apartheid is a triumph of the human spirit over hatred and unspeakable degradation. For Mark Mathabane did what no physically and psychologically battered "Kaffir" from the rat-infested alleys of Alexandra was supposed to do -- he escaped to tell about it.
Customer Reviews:
A Must read.......2007-09-18
I picked up this book after watching the movie "Tsotsi". I was looking for a book about apartheid in South Africa and stumbled upon this one. And I am so glad I did. The author has done a great job in detailing his childhood and the struggle he and his family went through. Half-way through the book I found it extremely depressing and decided to stop. Later that night I realized that people have courage to actually go through and I can't even complete reading the book? People in Africa still go through horrifying experiences...Yes, it was a depressing read but a definite MUST. An absolute eye opener...
Excellent.......2007-07-19
A truly heartwrenching tale of what life was like growing up under the oppressive system of apartheid in South Africa. Great resource for history classrooms and an excellent read, Mathabane relates a story that was hard to put down.
unique look at apartheid.......2007-07-13
A very valuable, intimate inside look at apartheid direct from the eyes of a poor black boy, aged 6 to 18. Not a view point we in the west often get.
Kaffir Boy: The Balls in his court.......2007-01-29
Kerry O'Callaghan... Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane was truly an eye-opening novel. The author tells his story about being a young black boy in Apartheid, South Africa, and how they used to think, no matter what, dreams would never be successful for the blacks living there. Mark's father then got a new job, which led Mark to go to school, where he succeeded and started to play tennis. Kaffir boy was an amazing novel that led me to understand things that i had never known before. Hearing about the horrible circumstances that happen every day to Black people, even in their own country, where they should feel safe and at home, but in almost all cases, dont. I would reccomend this book, because I feel that people need to understand whats going on, or what did go on in the world that they live in.
Searching for an Escape of Apartheid.......2007-01-29
Honestly, when I chose this book, I thought it was going to be a "whatever" book, like any other autobiography. I expected that I would feel sympathy for reading his the experiences in his life of apartheid, but I ended up feeling so much more than that. The way that Mathabane describes his hardships of the beatings he beared and living in poverty was descriptive, real, and takes an effect on the reader. Mathabane's strength was definitely getting the reader to imagine that one was acutally watching the obstacles he dealt with. There weren't any weaknesses that I personally noticed. Although, in order for the reader to get the full effect of what he went through, Mathabane was graphic and vulgar in his writing. Certain scenes were very graphic which can be uncomfortable to read, but it's showing the reality of this world, how it's nowhere close to perfect. I am interested in reading other books that Mark Mathabane has written, especially after reading Kaffir Boy. This book was very inspiring and motivating. It really showed how if you focus yourself and become determined to achieve something, your chances are great. After reading this autobiography, I feel thankful for everything I have today and anyone who reads this should feel the same.
Book Description
This is Alex Boraine's account of South Africa's acclaimed Truth and Reconciliation Commission which was set up after the collapse of the apartheid regime. The TRC had the monumental task not only of uncovering decades of systematic human rights violations, but of doing so in a way that would help a very damaged nation to reconcile and move forward. Boaraine clearly sets out the process leading to the establishment of the TRC, describes the hearings at which victims and perpetrators testified about human rights violations, and considers reactions - inclusding criticisms - to the TRC and its final report. He analyses the key features that contributed to the Commission's success, and gives an honest assessment of some of its mistakes. This is also a personal story, giving insight into the feelings, disappointments, and rewards that the TRC's participants experienced. This book helps to elucidate and answer the many difficlut questions that were crucial to South Africa's TRC , and that need to be addressed by all people who are working with societies in transition.
Book Description
This book provides both an appraisal of critical moments in South Africa's history and discusses the important issues that still confront the young democracy. The ending of the 'nightmare' of apartheid and the election of Nelson Mandela in 1994 were positive and heartwarming events which captured the attention of international audiences. Yet, as the country sought to overcome the legacy of apartheid and affirm the human rights of all people, some feared South Africa would lapse into violence and bloodshed. Written in a readable and lucid style and based on extensive research, including interviews with leading politicians, this completely up-to-date survey reveals the dramatic and far-reaching changes that have taken place in South Africa during the past decade. For readers interested in South Africa or African Politics.
Customer Reviews:
Good Overview of Modern South African Politics.......2002-07-04
This is a good introduction to post-apartheid South African politics. Deegan reviews the implosion of apartheid in the 1980s and early 1990s, and then analyzes the national elections of 1994 and 1999. The book is crammed with tables on everything from voter attitudes to crime rates. The writing is pedestrian and repetitive but also clear and jargon-free -- something of an accomplishment for a book written by a political scientist. My only real complaint is the unbalanced choice of topics. For example, Deegan devotes pages and pages to gender issues and to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission; however, she has nothing on HIV/AIDS, foreign policy, or the internal workings of the ANC. For a book on politics, there is also a weird lack of political biography, with the exception of sections on Nelson Mandela.
Book Description
A Human Being Died That Night recounts an extraordinary dialogue. Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, a psychologist who grew up in a black South African township, reflects on her interviews with Eugene de Kock, the commanding officer of state-sanctioned death squads under apartheid. Gobodo-Madikizela met with de Kock in Pretoria's maximum-security prison, where he is serving a 212-year sentence for crimes against humanity. In profoundly arresting scenes, Gobodo-Madikizela conveys her struggle with contradictory internal impulses to hold him accountable and to forgive. Ultimately, as she allows us to witness de Kock's extraordinary awakening of conscience, she illuminates the ways in which the encounter compelled her to redefine the value of remorse and the limits of forgiveness.
Customer Reviews:
Expedient.......2006-03-11
Expedient is one word I can use to describe this transaction. I got the book within one week of purchase. The book was in as good a state as the seller had said it would be. Totally satisfied with the purchase.
A Profound Reflection on our capacity for Reconciation.......2004-11-05
Pumla Gobodo-Madikezela reflects on central human issues such as the nature of individual and social evil, the possibility of social reconciliation, the individual's ability to move from participation in violent evil to remorse, and the capacity to meet one another with forgiveness. As urgent at these issues are, her narrative makes compelling reading -- both her accounts of her face-to-face meetings with de Kock and her reflections on her personal story. She raises important questions. How are we to achieve reconciliation in an environment of domonization and divisiveness? Is the Nuremburg model of seeking justice for crimes against humanity actually a way of moving towards reconciliation? While she does not come to clear and definitive conclusions, her experiences and reflections raise some of the most urgent questions facing us as a human community.
Book Description
South's Africa's violent and complex history is chronicled in the five-volume Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa Report, a chilling record of the hearings that exposed atrocities perpetrated by the South African apartheid government and opposing parties over the thirty-four year period of 1960-1994. A guide to using the report, synopsis, glossary, table of key events, an index, and a fully searchable and networkable CD-ROM have been added to this edition, enhancing its value for educators and scholars.
Amazon.com
Like many white South Africans of his generation, Rian Malan fled his country to dodge the draft. He felt incredibly guilty for this act, but would have felt equally guilty for not doing it: "I ran because I wouldn't carry a gun for apartheid, and because I wouldn't carry a gun against it." Malan, the product of a well-known Afrikaner family, returned to South Africa and produced My Traitor's Heart, which explores the literal and figurative brutalities of apartheid. Death is a constant presence on these pages, and the narrative is driven by Malan's criminal reportage. This acclaimed book intends to illuminate South Africa's poisonous race relations under apartheid, and few books do it this well.
Book Description
A classic of literary nonfiction, My Traitor's Heart has been acclaimed as a masterpiece by readers around the world. Rian Malan is an Afrikaner, scion of a centuries-old clan and relative of the architect of apartheid, who fled South Africa after coming face-to-face with the atrocities and terrors of an undeclared civil war between the races. This book is the searing account of his return after eight years of uneasy exile. Armed with new insight and clarity, Malan explores apartheid's legacy of hatred and suffering, bearing witness to the extensive physical and emotional damage it has caused to generations of South Africans on both sides of the color line. Plumbing the darkest recesses of the white and black South African psyches, Malan ultimately finds his way toward the light of redemption and healing. My Traitor's Heart is an astonishing book -- beautiful, horrifying, profound, and impossible to put down.
Customer Reviews:
An insight into the tortured soul of a typical liberal wooftah.........2007-02-28
White liberal draft-dodger hard at work. He's a good writer and the book's a painful look into the heart of a white liberal. My admiration goes rather to those who fought to defend their country.... but it's an insight into the tortured soul of a typical liberal wooftah. Why people put themselves thru all this inner torment I have no idea - have a beer and get over it, bloke! If you'd just done your time in the armed forces like pretty much every other south african had to do instead of taking the chicken run, you wouldn;t be going thru all this turmoil.
memoirs of an Africaaner-1970-1990.......2006-02-24
Before a recent visit to S. Africa, this book was recommended as an introduction to the political climate in S. Africa, especially after Apartheid. This very personal account told by Rian Malan, whose ancestors were directly responsible for the formation of the Apartheid society, traces his teenage rebellion against Apartheid, his career as a liberal newspaper reporter and his ultimate rejection of the violence that the new government has spawned. Be prepared for graphic descriptions of violence committed by both whites and blacks.
A good introduction to the complicated history of S. Africa and leaves the reader with questions regarding the future of that sad country.
A Rare Look into the Afrikaner Mind..........2006-01-27
I really enjoyed this book, although I do have some problems with it. First and foremost I will recommend it because I think it offers amazing insight into the psychology of Afrikaners and should be read-by any serious student of South African History. It is a valid historical document in that sense, because it is an honest and well-written, and sometimes deeply moving, biographical account of a "liberal" Afrikaner who has to struggle with his progressive ideals and his residual prejudices.
Rian Malan is a fascinating individual who fully accepts the humanity of all his fellow men and loves people of all colors-but in a way he has also rather unapologetically bought into the idea of some deep and maybe unsurpassable "cultural differences" between "us and them". This involves repeating a traditional refrain about how outsiders "don't understand" how "they" really are. While I agree that outside observers tended to see things in only one dimension, I also think that Malan is somewhat won over to the colonial discourse of "Darkest Africa", that place where savagery reigns.
What about white savagery? Although Malan talks about some white atrocities and even explicitly says they are savage-e.g., a white man forces a black man to castrate himself at gunpoint and then flicks the testicles away with a stick-and although he suggests the Afrikaner is also "savage", he never seems to make this part of "white" South African character. It is always that the whites are acting from fear, because they are "swamped". But clearly the countless cases of white human rights atrocities cannot be attributed to fear. Somehow the violence of "natives" becomes assimilated to their "culture" in his mind-some ancient "African" culture outside observers can't understand, but white inhumanity, no matter how many instances of it there are, and there are countless, is not portrayed the same way, as an offshoot of "culture" that is somehow independent of environment. Whites are always granted a context for their actions; Zulus are simply doing things the way Zulus "always have".
Still, I do think it's a beautiful book in a number of ways, despite these serious flaws, and if you want to know how some Afrikaners think, I think this is a book to look at. I recently talked to a white South African and found his discourse to be similar to Malan's-talk of fear, talk of "strange cultural rites", talk of profound differences that are unbridgeable, upsetting things I generally disagree with, but this discourse is part of the white South African self-understanding. And although poverty and crime are very real in South Africa, I still believe that white South Africans often have a self-justifying ideology that simply refuses to look at what they've done to bring about the problems of modern South Africa and prefers to look at the problems they are faced with, as if they emerged from a vacuum. (Obviously, I'm not excusing anyone's violence of any kind here, just making a point).
This is only human that people prefer to avoid examining their own consciences, and Malan has more humanity, kindness, compassion and insight than most people do anywhere, but you will see what I mean about his essentializing of difference if you read the book, and you should. He loves these "native" men and women, he jokes with them, he finds some brilliant, and at the end of the book he accepts that he has to let go of his fear if he wants to move forward. But he has somewhat convinced me prior to these last pages that he isn't really ready to make that leap, and that his faith in building a new nation could be easily shattered, as of course it will be, if you think in terms of black and white.
Magnificent, brooding work.......2004-12-24
This book came out when I was working in South Africa. It explores in an uncompromising way two rival phenomena: the hopes of 'white liberalism' and some harsh realities of South Africa's 'African-ness' which many urban liberals at that point seemed to pretend either were not there or were somehow only a function of apartheid.
The passages on Creina Alcock, a 'white' South African who stepped far away from her background to live as a Zulu are are especially poignant, even stunning. I visited Creina in her remote hut on the strength of this book and was astonished by her courage and wisdom. Rian captures this extraordinary story in a moving if (for the average reader?) pessimistic way
This book has universalist insights for anyone interested in whether Civilisations really do Clash. Rian Malan was on to something very profound in this book. It is vivid and appalling in places, and not always easy reading. So what? These issues are as difficult as anything we face. Read it, lots of times.
Disturbing.......2004-02-29
This book is an investigation into the attitudes of a liberal who was raised in South Africa. In the book, Malan tells us that his original charge was to write the history of his racist ancestors, who were among the first Boer settlers in the region. But when Malan began his project, he found he needed to first explore and develop his own perspective on race in South Africa before he could begin. And once he began doing this, he never really got around to the history project.
The book is divided into 3 sections. In the first, Malan describes his own childhood and adolescence, leading up to his forced flight from South Africa, with a major focus on his youthful love for Blacks (especially in the abstract). The second part of the book details a number of violent murders that Malan investigated upon his return to South Africa in 1986 to write this book. In this section, Malan describes the intense violence that was occurring in South Africa at the time, and how all Whites, even doctors providing humanitarian services in the townships, became targets for Black rage. He also explores violence between rival Black political groups. In the closing section, Malan visits a White woman named Creina Alcock, who lived on the border of Msanga, a tribal homeland, where she and her husband had struggled to build a sustainable rural development project with the local Blacks. The woman was widowed after her husband was killed while trying to negotiate peace talks during a tribal disturbance in Msanga.
The book doesn't have a strong narrative thread- -instead it seems that Malan was trying to communicate some of his own confusion and ambivalence about racial questions by presenting so many stories and sides of the picture, and flipping rapidly from one to the next. The loose organization is effective to some degree; the reader slowly comes to understand the enormity and complexity of South Africa's problems. Yes, many Whites provoked anger from Blacks by their abominable behavior and laws. Blacks in turn responded with violence that was so overwhelming that even those Whites who tried as hard as they could to do the right thing were in mortal danger. And the worst and most senseless violence seemed to occur in Black communities that had no White involvement at all. The entire society was so focused on violence that as one White living on a farm in a rural area told Malan "The guy with the bigger stick wins." In closing with Creina Alcock's story, Malan tries to leave us with a little hope. He argues that Alcock's and her late husband's love for their community has made a marginal difference in the social structure, despite the ongoing attacks on them and thefts of their property by children they had adopted and raised as their own, and even the murder of Alcock's husband. With the infinitesimally small improvements that the Alcocks managed to make in their community by giving their entire lives over to the project, how many millions more Alcocks would it take to turn such a country around, and where might they come from?
Book Description
"The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed." Like all of Steve Biko's writings, those words testify to the passion, courage, and keen insight that made him one of the most powerful figures in South Africa's struggle against apartheid. They also reflect his conviction that black people in South Africa could not be liberated until they united to break their chains of servitude, a key tenet of the Black Consciousness movement that he helped found.
I Write What I Like contains a selection of Biko's writings from 1969, when he became the president of the South African Students' Organization, to 1972, when he was prohibited from publishing. The collection also includes a preface by Archbishop Desmond Tutu; an introduction by Malusi and Thoko Mpumlwana, who were both involved with Biko in the Black Consciousness movement; a memoir of Biko by Father Aelred Stubbs, his longtime pastor and friend; and a new foreword by Professor Lewis Gordon.
Biko's writings will inspire and educate anyone concerned with issues of racism, postcolonialism, and black nationalism.
Customer Reviews:
I Liked What He Wrote.......2006-07-28
I enjoyed the book very much. Really gave me a feel for Steven Biko and his brilliance. Also gained some insight into South Africa and its politics during his time. Many of his thoughts are universal and can be applied to the world today. Two thumbs up.
Powerful "Black Consciousness".......2006-02-07
"I Write What I Like" was set on the backdrop of the thankfully defunct system of apartheid, but the parallels to our modern world remain both pertinent and poignant.
While activists such as Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela fought apartheid on the political and economic front, Steve Biko fought it on the most basic psychological level. He rejected the fundamental premise that made racism and subsequent apartheid possible. The premise he rejected was "that one kind of man was superior to another kind of man". The questions he posed and the answers he gave made him the most dangerous man alive to the white minority government of South Africa.
The movement Steve Biko helped found was called "Black Consciousness". Many decried it as a form of afro-centric racism. That characterization could not have been further from the truth. Black Consciousness differed sharply from other anti-apartheid movements in that it advocated the preservation and advancement of black culture from the individual level. Far from being reveres-apartheid, Biko called for blacks to have their own institutions, their own achievements, and preserve their own languages and cultural heritage - not to the exclusion of whites but with a clear assertion that their culture was valid, valuable and should be allowed to thrive and grow.
Biko asked the questions that were too hard to answer for their simplicity. "How can one prevent the lose of respect between child and parent when the child is taught by his know-all white tutors to disregard his family teachings? Who can resist losing respect for his tradition when in school his whole cultural background is summed up in one word - barbarism?"
Blacks struggling for equality in South Africa were labeled "terrorists" by the white minority government. This fact resonates ominous parallels with America today. As we rush to shred the rights enumerated in our constitution under the euphemistically titled "Patriot Act", we should be wary of this history. Surely people demanding equality for themselves by non-violent means were not terrorists. Yet this is how they were defined. Anti-terrorism laws, without an objective definition of "terrorism", can be turned against anyone the government finds... uncomfortable.
Torture is another concept that is being openly discussed these days. The question "would we torture of this reason or that reason?" assumes on some level that torture is effective. Steve Biko had some very important observations on torture, as he was often the subject of it; "If you want to make any progress, the best thing is for us to talk. Don't try any rough stuff, because it won't work." - "If you guys want to do this your way, you have to handcuff me and bind my feet together, so that I can't respond. If you allow me to respond, I'm certainly going to respond. And I'm afraid that you may have to kill me in the process even if it's not your intention."
Steve Biko died September 12, 1977. Authorities initially claimed that his death was the result of a hunger strike. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa Report, published March 1999 stated that: "On 7 September Biko sustained a head injury during interrogation, after which he acted strangely and was uncooperative. The doctors who examined him (naked, lying on a mat and manacled to a metal grille) initially disregarded overt signs of neurological injury." By 11 September Biko had slipped into a continual, semi-conscious state and the police physician recommended he be sent to hospital. Instead he was transported 1,200 km to Pretoria - a 12-hour journey which he made lying naked in the back of a Land Rover. A few hours later, on 12 September, lying on the floor of a cell in the Pretoria Central Prison, Biko died from brain damage. Yet he and his culture were the ones called barbarians.
Biko said, "The most potent weapon in the hand of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed." As we look to our world today, we must be leery of those who seek to mold our impression and thus our beliefs. There are forces out there with much to gain by inciting division and reactionary strife. Divided we fall
A fascinating relic.......2004-07-06
It's good to see this book back in print. The apartheid era might seem like the distant past, but it wasn't so long ago that so many people were knee-deep in this issue - and so many South Africans were suffering and dying.
South Africa today could have used a leader like Steve Biko. His writings show him to be a man of great intelligence, and the accompanying essay by Father Stubbs shows Biko to be a leader of great charisma. Read this book and you'll see what the world lost when Biko was slain.
Good primer for a humanitarian revolution.......2004-06-10
Steve Biko's "I Write What I Like" is an excellent look at ta voice who tried to articulate the struggles of his people and to provide workable solutions. The "Frank Talk" articles and his testimony in the court are highlights, but it is also interesting to read the manifesto of the effects of Christianity on African Religion. Very raw stuff of the Malcolm X school. Overall a very moving and inspiring read. Like Ghandhi and his contemporary Nelson Mandela, Steve Biko's writings are those of a revolutionary with a heart.
A compelling writer on enduring struggle for consciousness.......2002-12-18
As a clear formulator of a useful, modern, Black Consciousness for South Africans, Biko is unimpeachable - his criticism of liberal whites is fundamentally sound, that a racist system, in its import, taints the actions of everyone who works within the system as racist. Biko is working out the nuts and bolts of his theory of African advancement and affirmation while working on the front lines of the struggle. The intensity of the struggle is captivating, because the risks are great and violence is imminent - but Biko should also be captivating because of what he represents as a modern, critical African intellectual.
Criticizing Biko is hard because he was clearly interested, above all, in changing his own people's view of themselves, and re-instilling their necessary sense of self worth. How important to Biko is the cynicism of liberal whites in the present political culture that blacks "may not be doing a good job leading" (xxii)? Is his preferred, future "non-racial" South Africa something that other black leaders sympathize with? I think that we can link his popularity among young blacks inthe apartheid state with a new will to participate in the struggle. Because Biko was so courageous, it is perhaps a hard to get a clear idea of what he saw as the possible end games to the struggle.
This book is non-rhetorical and pragmatic, and the fact that Biko's conception of, and motivation of countless blacks in South Africa around, the idea of Black Consciousness make what Biko is talking about here successfully revolutionary. At times blisteringly critical of black church leadrs who he beleive have acquiesced to apartheid, at times bravely courteous, as when he is being tried before a coutroom full of whites and white security officials and he maintains his awesome collectedness and cutting wit as he indites THEM for crimes. Biko is an exciting writer, and his influence on men like Mandela, as well as his model for grassroots political empoerment, make him an important theorist on what can and should happen to make a better future in Arica. His energy and creativity are still highly applicable, even in the new South Africa and beyond in 21st Century Africa.
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In No Uncertain Terms: A South African Memoir
Helen Suzman
Manufacturer: Knopf
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ASIN: 0679409858
Release Date: 1993-10-26 |
Amazon.com
The famously taciturn South African president reveals much of himself in Long Walk to Freedom. A good deal of this autobiography was written secretly while Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years on Robben Island by South Africa's apartheid regime. Among the book's interesting revelations is Mandela's ambivalence toward his lifetime of devotion to public works. It cost him two marriages and kept him distant from a family life he might otherwise have cherished. Long Walk to Freedom also discloses a strong and generous spirit that refused to be broken under the most trying circumstances--a spirit in which just about everybody can find something to admire.
Customer Reviews:
A fascinating book that should be read by everyone.......2007-07-03
It is not very often that I set to read non-fiction. This book, however, was originally recommended to me by a Rwanda refugee and so I made an exception. What a good decision that was.
Although I was familiar with Mandela's life and South Africa's struggle against the apartheid regime, this book provided me with much more profound understanding of the struggle and the historical events leading to the eventual overthrow of the racist regime. This book, however, is much more than an account of a dark time period in the history of humanity. Above all, this book is an amazing portrayal of a life of a man, an exceptional man who is much too human. We are taken through time, from Mandela's childhood to his presidency, blessed with a unique view of a man marked to die in a secluded prison. His struggle to become a "first-class" citizen and the brutal force with which the then government crushes the hopes of the young men and women is only but a part of the story. Most importantly, we are allowed a unique window into Mandela's psyche and his philosophy, for this book, to me, is mostly about human spirit, its strengths and its weaknesses. Mandela's contemplations regarding the social order, humanity, law, schools and his personal approaches are fascinating and profound. He delves into the depths of human behaviour in a fluid, understandable way; his words flow on the pages from one event onto the next, while maintaining a uniform message. Although he did engage in securing financing for a possible armed conflict, his hopes and faith reside in a non-violent solution. Mandela's life is, after all, one giant wound on the face of mankind. Neglected and abandoned by the superpowers of the world, the people of South Africa never lost hope and Mandela is a fascinating and shining example of a man, stripped of everything, who, no matter what life threw in his way, maintained his dignity and his sight not only on the problems, but also on the solutions. An amazing read I am happy to recommend. This book should be read by everyone.
The story behind legends.......2007-06-15
I had always heard that Nelson Mandela was a living legend, yet I knew so little about him. This book confirmed the legend.
The book takes you through the journey of his life. From his upbringing, to his entering the political life, his 27 years in prison and finally his return from prison to lead the nation. It is very interesting to read his rationale and thought process behind every decision, personal or political. He was a strong-willed man with an exceptionally strong sense of what is right and wrong. He spent 27 years in jail without ever applying for an appeal and rejecting every offer of release. He never lost his resolve even in the most trying of times. He believed that equality and freedom are every human's birthright and he was willing to die for the freedom of his people. The book has countless lessons not only for political leaders who lead nations but for common people for their day to day lives.
A must read for everybody. I would highly recommend it.
Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela.......2007-05-07
An excellent autobio by one of the few truly great men of the 20th century. Details his boyhood, early adulthood, and 27 (?) years in prison as a political prisoner of the apartheid government of South
Africa, followed by release and eventual President of the country. The amazing part is how, as President, he avoided revenge and eventually brought re conciliation to the races.
Very inspiring.......2007-04-10
There are all kinds of inspiring biographies and autobiographies. This one is unique. Most biographies lean toward the spiritual and base their inspiration on some divine energy or God. This is the most grounded in life biography that you can read. Not much about God, just about his own passion for equal rights. Even mindedness, even in the face of incredible pain.
Polit thriller.......2007-01-17
Despite due respect for a great leader, I did not really expect to like this autobiography very much. Mandela is no great speaker, his TV presence is rather flat, his English apparently not masterful. The life story in summary does not seem to have that much interest either, considering the long jail time and the fact that most of the "hot action" of the anti-apartheid movement happened while he was on Robben Island.
All wrong. The writing is surprisingly fluent, the story telling surprisingly efficient and free of waste as well as redundancies. Also free of sentimentality and exaggerated pathos.
If there is anything that I wished to be more detailed it is the period of his childhood and youth. This period is described in a rather remote way and with a sometimes irritating lack of explanation or reflection. I realized that may have happened due to the conditions under which the book was written: in jail. Also I could imagine that editors suggested some shortening: after all the book is still quite hefty.
If there is one negative comment that I have to make, it refers to NM's insistence that all trouble between black groups, such as the Inkatha violence problems, or tribal conflicts, have been caused by the perfidy of the whites. As much as I can understand the psychology behind this wishful thinking, I do not think it is a realistic approach.
Despite this comment and despite the book's size, it is never boring. Highly recommendable.
Customer Reviews:
I have been searching.................2006-08-18
...........for this book for 8 years. I read it 8 years ago, but I borrowed it at someone's house. Since then, I have been searching for my own copy that I can read over and over. This is by far, one of the best books that I have EVER read. I alsmost felt the characters as they jumped from the pages at you.
Reads like it was written by a twelve-year-old........2006-03-29
This book is terrible.
Every character sounds exactly the same: men, women, 90-year-olds, ten-year-olds. They all speak with exactly the same voice, same personality, same attitudes, same vocabulary same maturity. And since it's written in first-person, but the narration jumps between three women (grandmother, mother, daughter) I constantly had to flip to the beginning of the chapters to remind myself who was speaking (the chapter's are named after the person currently narrating). This is not only because Mathabane lacks the ability to write with any depth, but because each woman's story is virtually identical. Chapter after chapter after excruciating chapter you will find yourself reading the same story over and over and over again with almost no variation whatsoever.
The characters are all two-dimensional and comically absurd and unrealistic. The only two characters with their own personalities, though these two were also identical twins of eachother, were Aunt Matinana and Elizabeth. These two were hilariously evil. They were like diabolical villians out of a James Bond movie. They were supposed to be serious characters, but I couldn't help but expect one of them at any moment to put her pinky to her mouth and demand, "ONE MILLION DOLLARS." Comedy gold.
Mathabane's prose is lazy and immature, constantly using American slang and goofy clichés not only in dialog, but throughout the narration. As if this wasn't out-of-place as it was in a novel about South African women, these clichés were also often used incorectly such as:
"There was no possibility of reconciliation between my parents. Too much water had already flowed under the bridge." (page 194)
Of course, if it's water under the bridge reconciliation has already taken place. That's the whole point of the "water under the bridge" idiom. It refers to things that no longer matter because they happened and are now in the past and insignificant -- like water under the bridge.
And speaking of dialog, I can only describe it as something like frozen dialog concentrate. I kept wondering if I could just add water and stir to get an entire realistic conversation.
To add insult to injury, the editing is atrocious. The book is filled with absurd mistakes such as the following story about white oppression:
"And recently, in one factory in Natal, black female employees had to submit to monthly injections of Depo Provera -- a crude form of birth control with dangerous side effects -- every three months or lose their jobs" (page 11)
When I began reading this the first thought that went through my mind was, "Monthly? Depo Provera is only given on a tri-monthly basis..." Then I reached the end of the paragraph and realized that they were apparently being given the shot monthly every three months, whatever that's supposed to mean. This kind of sloppy writing and non-existent editing is pervasive throughout.
It's really a shame that this book is so bad as it's incredibly important for these peoples' stories to be heard. People around the world should understand what apartheid was and, particularly, how bad women had it and continue to suffer in South Africa. But this is not the book to accomplish this task.
Possibly recommended for junior-high school level reading as it reads like it was written with a pre-teen audience in mind (though this was not deliberate). In fact, much of the dialog sounds like it was plaigerized directly from little girls playing house or having tea parties with dolls.
Oppression of Women is Widespread in South Africa.......2002-04-06
Mark Mathabane writes that the oppression of women is widespread in South Africa. This is largely because apartheid over the years emasculated and degraded black men and stripped them of their manhood by depriving them of the means to provide for their families and loved ones. Many of these men found convenient targets for their rage, frustrations, and bitterness in those under their immediate and absolute control, their wives and children. This abuse of women and children was made easy because apartheid, for its own devious ends, encouraged and rewarded tribalism among blacks. Husbands and fathers continued to cling to customs and traditions that had long outlived their usefulness, mainly out of a sense of desperation. Under tribalism men have power, authority, and respect, while in the modern world ruled by the white man they were powerless, got no respect, were called "boys," and were treated as less than dirt. African Women is a harrowing, poignant, heroic, and inspiring saga of three women who, in their individual ways, refused to buckle under to tradition, custom, and oppression. They fought against daunting odds to preserve their individuality and independence, their dignity and pride, their hearts and souls. They worked and raised children in a culture and society where black women had hardly any rights, were daily discriminated against by apartheid, and were regarded as the property of their husbands or fathers by custom. Any attempts to liberate themselves were condemned and harshly dealt with.
phenomenal.......1999-04-07
this book is awsome. i actually felt what the women were feeling. growing up in america, this book allowed me to count my blessings!
Outstanding.......1997-07-03
Couldn't put this book down! It read like an African Waiting to Exhale only the characters were real. This really showed how over 3 generations more things remained the same than not. These women were very, very strong women who overcame a great deal
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