Mandela: A Critical Life
by Tom Lodge
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Book Summary Information
Author: Tom LodgeEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-10-01
ISBN: 0199219354
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Book Reviews of Mandela: A Critical Life
Book Review: A solid narrative that fails to deliver the real Mandela
Summary: 3 Stars
Mandela, A critical life is a good biography of the man. It tells us the story of his life with enough detail to enable us to have an intelligent conversation about the subject with reasonably well informed people. I appreciated the author's ability to cover vast amounts of material without having to use huge amounts of words. It has been a few weeks since I finished the book and the main points are still with me, a good sign that the relevant material was covered well.
What is missing from the narrative are deeper dives in certain portions of Mandela's persona looking for more insights into the man; it is easily understood that much of Mandela was molded by his patrician upbringing and his flair for the British way of life. Is this all? I don't think so. There must be deeper forces that drove Mandela to choose armed rebellion; once the choice for armed rebellion was made the author fails to make a case as to why Mandela chose to risk a life in prison instead that of a freedom fighter? After all, Castro has finished demonstrating the possibilities. We all know there were significantly differences between Cuba and South Africa and that a man of Mandela's caliber and experience would have understood it? On the other hand, was Mandela's choice made due his experience, statesmanship, a lack of courage, or some other reason?
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