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Conversations with myself

This historic collection of documents archived at the Nelson Mandela Foundation offers an unprecedented insight into Mandela's remarkable life--from his first stirrings of political consciousness to his galvanizing role on the world stage.

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Main Author: Mandela, Nelson, 1918-2013
Corporate Author: Nelson Mandela Foundation. Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory and Dialogue (South Africa)
Format: Books Print Book
Language:English
Published: New York : Farrar Straus & Giroux, 2010.
Edition:1st ed.
Subjects:
Mandela, Nelson, > 1918-2013.
Presidents > South Africa > Biography.
Political prisoners > South Africa > Biography.
South Africa > Politics and government > 20th century.
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Summary:This historic collection of documents archived at the Nelson Mandela Foundation offers an unprecedented insight into Mandela's remarkable life--from his first stirrings of political consciousness to his galvanizing role on the world stage.
Physical Description:xxi, 454 p. : ill., maps ; 24 cm.
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references (p. 443) and index.
ISBN:9780374128951 :
0374128952
Author Notes:Nelson Mandela was born Rolihlahla Mandela on July 18, 1918 in Mvezo, South Africa. His teacher later named him Nelson as part of a custom to give all schoolchildren Christian names. He briefly attended University College of Fort Hare but was expelled after taking part in a protest with Oliver Tambo, with whom he later operated the nation's first black law firm. He eventually completed a bachelor's degree through correspondence courses and studied law at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He left without graduating in 1948.

Mandela was part of the African National Congress (ANC) and spent many years as a freedom fighter. When the South African government outlawed the ANC after the Sharpeville Massacre, he went underground to form a new military wing of the organization. In 1964, he was sentenced to life in prison for sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government. Instead of testifying at the trial, he opted to give a speech that was more than four hours long and ended with a defiant statement. While in prison, he received a bachelor's degree in law in absentia from the University of South Africa.

In 1990, Mandela was released from prison after 27 years. He served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with former South African President F.W. de Klerk in 1993 for transitioning the nation from a system of racial segregation. After leaving the presidency, Mandela retired from active politics, but continued championing causes such as human rights, world peace and the fight against AIDS. He died on November 5, 2013 at the age of 95.

(Bowker Author Biography)

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