Product Description

Striking in appearance--six foot four and physically imposing--with an aristocratic bearing and incredible charm and self-assurance, Nelson Mandela is the greatest African leader in modern history, an iconic figure the world over.
Now, in this new and highly revealing biography, Tom Lodge draws on a wide range of original sources to uncover a host of fresh insights about the shaping of Mandela's personality and public persona, from his childhood days and early activism, through his twenty-seven years of imprisonment, to his presidency of the new South Africa. The book follows Mandela from his education at two elite Methodist boarding schools to his role as a moderating but powerful force in the African National Congress. Throughout, Lodge emphasizes the crucial interplay between Mandela's public career and his private world, revealing how Mandela drew moral and political strength from encounters in which everyday courtesy and even generosity softened conflict. Indeed, the lessons Mandela learned as a child about the importance of defeating ones opponents without dishonoring them were deeply engrained. They shaped a politics of grace and honor that was probably the only approach that could have enabled South Africa's relatively peaceful transition to democracy.
Here then is a penetrating look at one of the most celebrated political figures of our time, illuminating a pivotal moment in recent world history.
"Authoritative and fair-minded...deserves to be read widely."
--Adam Roberts, The Economist
"A fascinating, indeed riveting, and plausible as well as persuasive examination of why Nelson Mandela should have acquired a world following and can remain as he does an iconic figure even in the 21st century. It is certain to provoke much heated debate."
--Desmond Tutu

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #680848 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Nelson Mandela is perhaps the world's most revered living political figure for his role in transforming South Africa into a true democracy. In this illuminating bio, University of Limerick professor Lodge (Politics in South Africa) shows how Mandela's struggle for equality brought him to prominence. Though Mandela is hardly lacking biographers, Lodge makes an important contribution with his argument that Mandela's appeal rests on his ability to personify his political beliefs. Mandela's politics, which emphasize a mix of authority, empathy and respect for all people, are mirrored by his actions and behavior toward everyone he's come in contact with, thereby allowing his personal grace and dignity to be a political gesture. According to Lodge, Mandela's magnanimity serves as a model for a new kind of citizenship, one that embraces difference and the messiness of democracy without sacrificing the gentlemanly restraint Mandela associated with English political institutions. Lodge is careful to give Mandela an assertive role in this process, showing how he cultivated his own life story and his status as a martyr for justice in order to hasten the coming of democracy to his country. Vivid descriptions of the daily horrors of apartheid and the men and women around Mandela, such as his ex-wife Winnie and the troubled F.W. de Klerk, reveal the complicated world that Mandela ultimately and triumphantly managed to change. 17 b&w photos not seen by PW. (Sept. 30)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
For those who want much more than the view of Mandela as a global public hero, this biography combines a chronological account of his life with dense critical analysis of his political and personal roles. Lodge is a well-known scholar of South African history, and he draws on a wealth of testimonies, letters, and interviews from a wide range of sources, as well as the acclaimed authorized biographies, including Antony Sampson's Mandela (1999). Of course Lodge also draws extensively on Mandela's best-selling memoir, Long Walk to Freedom (1994), even while pointing out that "autobiography is not always good history." Then there are the recent news events, including Mandela's commitment to combating the AIDS pandemic and how that effort became tragically personal when his son died of the illness. One question raised is how much the messianic image was carefully crafted. The analysis in no way belittles Mandela; rather, it humanizes the man who, after 27 years in prison, led his country in a nonviolent transition to democracy. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"A fascinating, indeed riveting, and plausible as well as persuasive examination of why Nelson Mandela should have acquired a world following and can remain as he does an iconic figure even in the 21st century. It is certain to provoke much heated debate."--Desmond Tutu
"Unquestionably the most analytically incisive and discerning of the Nelson Mandela biographies."--Bill Nasson, University of Cape Town
"Illuminating.... An important contribution.... Vivid descriptions of the daily horrors of apartheid and the men and women around Mandela, such as his ex-wife Winnie and the troubled F.W. de Klerk, reveal the complicated world that Mandela ultimately and triumphantly managed to change."--Publishers Weekly
"Authoritative and fair-minded...deserves to be read widely."-- Adam Roberts, The Economist
"Mandela may raise a few eyebrows for its human portrayal and occasional gentle criticism of a man whom many regard as a secular saint.... Lodge reminds us that this moral giant is also human."--Washington Post

Customer Reviews

Excellent second book on Mandela's life.
I had read Nelson Mandela's autobiography "Long Walk to Freedom" some time ago. I was hoping to find an objective and complimentary third party analysis of his extraordinary story. I am happy to say that Tom Lodge's book provided me exactly with what I was looking for. Lodge has authored a persuasive and unbiased examination of the public and private life of one of 20th century's greatest men.

The book provides a fascinating view on the crafting of the Mandela icon by himself and those around him. It is also interesting to understand the details that Mandela has consciously chosen not to include in his autobiography, such as, for example, some of the more humiliating treatments inflicted on him by South African prison guards.

Considering the book's relatively short length, Lodge's assessment of the important events underlying Mandela's life is, in many cases, remarkably extensive, often considering the view of multiple sources from varying stand points. That being said, Mandela's political development, especially in the period of time prior to his long term imprisonment, is multifaceted and involves a large number of people and organizations. As a result, readers for whom this is an introduction to Mandela's story might be better off starting with his autobiography, "Long Walk to Freedom", and reading Lodge's work as an excellent second book on this subject.

Profound But Not For Beginners
In just a little over 200 pages, "Mandela: A Critical Life" tells the story of how Nelson Mandela rose to the top of the African National Congress and emerged as an icon in South African politics. The author taught political science at Wits University, has good contacts in the ANC, and is an expert on black politics in South Africa. His book is a masterpiece of insight and compression. That said, it is not for beginners looking for straightforward biography. The text follows Mandela's life and career chronologically, but the analysis/biography ratio is high, and readers without background knowledge of 20th century South African history would be quite lost.