This book review is written by Eugene Kernes
Book can be found in:
Genre = History
Genre = History
Intriguing Connections = 1) Get To Know The Peoples Of The World (South Africa) 2) Biographies: Auto, Memoir, and Other Types,
Short Description
Elaborate Description
Overview:
Nelson Mandela admired and emulated his father who was in a leadership position. After his father’s death, Mandela came to be under the care of a cousin, at which Mandela was treated as part of the royal household. Learning the nuances of traditional leadership of a large and diverse tribe. Learning about governance, justice, and conflict resolution. Mandela became a political activist during academic studies, for which he got into trouble. Mandela’s early activism inspired many similar campaigns domestically and internationally, but it was inspired by the campaigns of Mahatma Gandhi. Activism got Mandela and other activist leaders thrown in jail and put on trial for treason. The activists appreciated their time in jail exchanging ideas about politics and strategies. The verdict of the Treason trials was not guilty, but it had caused the members to be banned and go underground. Later, Mandela and others started an armed group. For this, Mandela was put in jail, but not even this stopped his passion and determination for freedom. The activist group which Mandela belong to decided to break tradition of not celebrating any individual above another, and use Mandela as the personalized representative for the struggle for freedom. This paved the way for Mandela’s release, and popularity with which he became South Africa’s first democratically elected president.
Caveats?
This is a very short book, which means that there are a lot of details being left out. This book is a good start to an understanding of the background of South Africa, but additional sources would be needed.
Questions to Consider while Reading the Book
•What is the raison d’etre of the book? For what purpose did the author write the book?
•Who was Nelson Mandela?
•What was Mandela’s childhood like?
•What influence did Mandela’s father have on him and the community?
•Where did Mandela learn about leadership?
•Why did Mandela become and activists?
•Why was Mandela put in jail?
•Why was Mandela used as the representative for the activist groups?
•Why did South Africa fight in WW2?
Book Details
Edition ISBN: 2940153546483
Pages to read: 39
Publication: 2017
1st Edition: 2017
Format: eBook
Ratings out of 5:
Readability 5
Content 3
Overall 3
