I began writing it clandestinely in 1974 during my imprisonment on Robben Island.” In his acknowledgements, he writes: “As readers will discover, this book has a long history. In 500-plus pages, Mandela tells the story of his experiences and how they helped shape him into the man he became. The most well-known book on Mandela is, of course, Long Walk to Freedom, his autobiography published in 1994, four years after his release. Novels, biographies, autobiographies, children’s books and business books have been written since then – and his death will inevitably cause another flurry of publishing. It was no surprise, then, that the release of Madiba in 1990 triggered an avalanche of books, both authorised and unauthorised, documenting his life and speculating about events on Robben Island during those long years. The longer he stayed behind bars, the more curiosity about him grew. What was it like in prison for 27 years? What made him the man of peace he became? For 27 years he disappeared from view, hidden away in prison by the apartheid government. While Nelson Mandela’s public persona is well-known worldwide, the man was also an enigma.

“Nelson Mandela: An Authorised Portrait” draws on extensive interviews with family members and other people of influence in Mandela’s life.(Images: Nelson Mandela Foundation) Taken together, they tell a story of a life that towers above others, yet also reveal the more private experiences of the great man. There are plenty of books about Nelson Mandela – written by himself, by people who knew him and by historians and journalists.

Books written by nelson mandela