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.
About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and
style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of
life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer,
they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central
problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud,
quantum theory to Islam.
