Nelson Mandela: A Very Short Introduction (very Short Introductions)
by Elleke Boehmer /
2008 / English / PDF
3.4 MB Download
Nelson Mandela--is it possible to say who or what he is? Yes, he
was one of the world's longest-detained political prisoners. He is
a universal symbol of social justice certainly; an exemplary figure
connoting non-racialism and democracy; a moral giant. For years a
man cut off from the world, Mandela became after his 1990 release
an internationally recognizable icon. But why should his story be
important to us in the world at large today? What do his
achievements signify not only nationally in South Africa but also
internationally? This book is about the different, interconnected
stories, histories, values and symbols that Nelson Mandela
embodies. Across his life Mandela has filled a rich range of roles:
handsome city-slicker, dashing guerrilla, the millennial saviour
figure. By examining these different roles as well as the
principles which lie behind and motivate them, this Very Short
Introduction presents an analytical portrait of a shape-shifting
life. Set within a biographical frame, the book offers a more
deeply personal analysis of Mandela than biographies centred on the
towering public figure have been able provide.
Nelson Mandela--is it possible to say who or what he is? Yes, he
was one of the world's longest-detained political prisoners. He is
a universal symbol of social justice certainly; an exemplary figure
connoting non-racialism and democracy; a moral giant. For years a
man cut off from the world, Mandela became after his 1990 release
an internationally recognizable icon. But why should his story be
important to us in the world at large today? What do his
achievements signify not only nationally in South Africa but also
internationally? This book is about the different, interconnected
stories, histories, values and symbols that Nelson Mandela
embodies. Across his life Mandela has filled a rich range of roles:
handsome city-slicker, dashing guerrilla, the millennial saviour
figure. By examining these different roles as well as the
principles which lie behind and motivate them, this Very Short
Introduction presents an analytical portrait of a shape-shifting
life. Set within a biographical frame, the book offers a more
deeply personal analysis of Mandela than biographies centred on the
towering public figure have been able provide.