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peacefixation 's review for:
Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela
by Nelson Mandela
This was a fantastic read. It was given to me as a Christmas gift, and well timed. Nelson Mandela passed away recently, and it occurred to me that I didn't know much about his story, beyond the events of the last 20 years, after he was released from close to 30 years in prison, a sentence that began when he was already 44 years old, with much life, and struggle behind him.
The writing is not particularly colourful, he's fairly succinct, and matter of fact, as he talks about his childhood, coming of age, his rebellion against his benefactor's wishes, becoming a practising lawyer and slowly but surely devoting more and more of his life to the struggle against apartheid. It's a warts and all story, and he doesn't shy away from illuminating the mistakes he made, the poor decisions, he's very humble in acknowledging his flaws, and it only serves to strengthen the impact of his many bold and selfless acts. His great spirit is unbreakable, and this is made more apparent as he his put through wringer of the apartheid 'justice' system.
There were many passages in the book that I would like to quote, but I didn't mark them and I can't find them so quickly now. There's a beautiful remark on the last page that brought a tear to my eye:
"When I walked out of prison, that was my mission, to liberate the oppressed and the oppressor both. Some say that has now been achieved. But I know that that is not the case. The truth is that we are not yet free; we have merely achieved the freedom to be free, the right not to be oppressed. We have not taken the final step of our journey, but the first step on a longer and even more difficult road. For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. The true test of our devotion to freedom is just beginning."
Nelson Mandela was not the most peaceful of men. He was involved in a fight against oppression, and one does not win a fight against a tyrannical regime with just a gentle soul and an intelligent argument. But he had both of those things, and that he held on to them throughout, that he managed to finish the race without relinquishing them to cynicism and hatred, it warms my heart. What a beautiful person he was, a true inspiration.
Rest in peace Nelson Mandela, you surely earned it. <3
The writing is not particularly colourful, he's fairly succinct, and matter of fact, as he talks about his childhood, coming of age, his rebellion against his benefactor's wishes, becoming a practising lawyer and slowly but surely devoting more and more of his life to the struggle against apartheid. It's a warts and all story, and he doesn't shy away from illuminating the mistakes he made, the poor decisions, he's very humble in acknowledging his flaws, and it only serves to strengthen the impact of his many bold and selfless acts. His great spirit is unbreakable, and this is made more apparent as he his put through wringer of the apartheid 'justice' system.
There were many passages in the book that I would like to quote, but I didn't mark them and I can't find them so quickly now. There's a beautiful remark on the last page that brought a tear to my eye:
"When I walked out of prison, that was my mission, to liberate the oppressed and the oppressor both. Some say that has now been achieved. But I know that that is not the case. The truth is that we are not yet free; we have merely achieved the freedom to be free, the right not to be oppressed. We have not taken the final step of our journey, but the first step on a longer and even more difficult road. For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. The true test of our devotion to freedom is just beginning."
Nelson Mandela was not the most peaceful of men. He was involved in a fight against oppression, and one does not win a fight against a tyrannical regime with just a gentle soul and an intelligent argument. But he had both of those things, and that he held on to them throughout, that he managed to finish the race without relinquishing them to cynicism and hatred, it warms my heart. What a beautiful person he was, a true inspiration.
Rest in peace Nelson Mandela, you surely earned it. <3