Mary Benson, Nelson Mandela

Mary Benson, Nelson Mandela. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1982.

Paperback, 269 pages, a few illustrations.

Text browned, a little foxing on the edges. Good.

'During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society ... It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if need be it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die' - Nelson Mandela 

'Imprisoned since 1962, Nelson Mandela has become a legend in his own lifetime; the embodiment of the struggle for liberation in South Africa and a vital symbol of a new society. As the international campaign for his release grows, he and his wife, Winnie, continue to triumph over unremitting persecution. 

'In this timely and absorbing biography, Mary Benson describes Mandela's life, work and ideas from his childhood in the royal family of the Thembu people to his membership and eventual leadership of the African National Congress. Her book sheds important light on the man whose release is widely regarded as the essential first step towards averting catastrophe in that tragic land.'