Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela

⭐ 8.0/10

(Originally written by Joseph)

This is Nelson Mandela's autobiography. I had a bit of a tough time getting into it to start. His early life was interesting I think, especially as it gives you a look into a very different upbringing, but throughout the book I had a hard time understanding everything that was going on due to unfamiliar names and places. Additionally, much of this book was hard to get through as it was super legal or political. There were hundreds of pages detailing court proceedings and legal battles that I couldn't really get into.

But as the book goes on, especially around the half way point when Mandela starts to rise in prominence and you get more attached to the character, the book was pretty irresistible. South Africa is astonishing in its history. I couldn't believe what was going on there, especially because it was so recent! Decades after LBJ signed the Civil Rights act, black people were still not able to vote in a country in which they were the majority?! So against this villainous backdrop it is super easy to be a hero, and Mandela fills that role amazingly. It struck me just how principled he was, never backing down from what he believed even when it led to some incredible suffering. As a reader, you are always begging him to make concessions so that this agony can end, yet he doesn't budge and is then rewarded at the end. It really is a story you wouldn't think is true if wikipedia didn't exist - it's one of the more perfect non-fiction narrative arcs I've read.

Despite the score, I would say this is one of the most essential books I've read this year. Not only is this guy important to learn about, but it's a great course in South African history and culture.