Author Description

This timely documentary history provides a unique analysis of contemporary South African politics, covering the forty-two-year period between the ruling National Party's electoral victory of 1948 and the subsequent institution of apartheid, to the recent release from prison of Nelson Mandela. The book follows the changing nature of the African nationalist movement over these years, focusing on the central roles Mandela and Oliver Tambo have played in the African National Congress and the ANC's success in overcoming government opposition and persecution to reemerge as the recognized voice of the anti-apartheid movement. Representative writings and public statements of Mandela and Tambo, together with key ANC documents and lucid interpretive essays by the editors, help bring this continuing struggle to life. Also included are compelling accounts from Mandela's fellow prisoners and visitors that show how Mandela's conduct in prison enhanced his leadership status and helped make him one of the world's most famous political prisoners. Providing a clear background necessary for an understanding of the present negotiations between the ANC and the South African government, Mandela, Tambo, and the African National Congress is invaluable to anyone interested in black South Africa's struggle to free itself from apartheid.