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Conversations with Myself Paperback – May 1, 2011
by Nelson Mandela (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 269 ratings
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Biography
Nelson Mandela was born in Transkei, South Africa, on 18 July 1918. He joined the African National Congress in 1944 and was engaged in resistance against the ruling National Party’s apartheid policies after 1948 before being arrested in August 1962. In November 1962 he was sentenced to five years in prison and started serving his sentence at Robben Island Prison in 1963 before being returned to Pretoria, where he was to later stand in the Rivonia Trial. From 1964 to 1982, he was again incarcerated at Robben Island Prison and then later moved to Pollsmoor Prison, during which his reputation as a potent symbol of resistance to the anti-apartheid movement grew steadily.
Released from prison in 1990, Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 and was inaugurated as the first democratically elected president of South Africa in 1994. He is the author of the international bestsellers Long Walk to Freedom and Conversations with Myself.
© Nelson R. Mandela and the Nelson Mandela Foundation / PQ Blackwell Ltd
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Top reviews from the United States
Corey Bayne
5.0 out of 5 stars Important reading on a man that needs to be discussed more-SHOULD BE REQ'D READING
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2019
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This was a fantastic read, but the composition of it is what truly made it enjoyable. These are actual translated letters that he wrote over the course of his life and address some of the most important and interesting topics of the man himself and the continent he was looking to unite. Furthermore, the letters are all arranged in a time logical sense that takes you through the motions of Mandela and his trials and tribulations as best as his literary talents could. This should be required reading for anyone interested in Afro-Studies, Mandela, history, war, triumph and just about anyone out there who enjoys a good, easy non-fiction piece. One of my favorite reads of the year thus far!
12 people found this helpful
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Michael Griswold
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
4.0 out of 5 stars An Unconventional Conversation
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2015
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Conversations with Myself by Nelson Mandela is far from a conventional biography. Actually one could make the case its not a biography at all, but rather a collection of writings and interviews that give one an admittedly pretty good view of Nelson Mandela’s mindset both as a fighter for a multi-ethnic South Africa, political prisoner, and towards the end of the book the respected president of South Africa.
Fair warning, while there exists a definite attempt to group everything together by certain themes, the rather quick speed at which the collection moves from one document to the next may leave readers who look for a more linear flow to books feeling quite frustrated, as I was for the first third or so of book because I couldn’t tie the broader picture together. But I kept at it, very slowly but eventually my perseverance paid off and I ended up with a rather intimate portrait of a complex man. I just worry some readers won’t have the needed patience.
14 people found this helpful
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5.0 out of 5 stars A must read
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2018
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Wonderful insight into the mind of a beautiful human being that tapped into every emotion in both the dark and lighter spectrum of humanity and lived to tell about it.
6 people found this helpful
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Carol Sacks
4.0 out of 5 stars A truly important book.
Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2016
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This is a truly important book. Mandela is as one would expect, honest and thoroughly admirable in every way. This is deeply significant recent history and a man with real vision and decency, which lord knows we could use a great deal more of today. The only reason I haven't marked this 5 star is because the writing is not terrific. However, what he has to say, his descriptions and explanations of what he and South Africa went through are so vital and true and nuanced, that this is a must read book.
5 people found this helpful
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L Power
5.0 out of 5 stars Mandela is a symbol of Selflessness and Sacrificial Life
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2019
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Where does one start with a such a man who never only had himself to think about, but the entire wellbeing of South Africa especially for black people.
If we could even apply a chapter on his values and believes our country would be on path to greatness.
The book doesn't have a good sequence or flow to events, but it does make you focus more on his personal thoughts and challenges he had in the struggle for freedom.
Personally I found the book very heart breaking therefore it took me long to finish it. It is worth reading.
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N. Jobity
3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed
Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2018
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This book isnt what I thought it was going to be. I really wanted an inside look at Mandela's heart and mind . The book is a random collection of his musinfs in journal and conversations, but so haphazard to me, that I don't feel inspured to read it at all.
4 people found this helpful
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Carole G. Allen
5.0 out of 5 stars So glad to see that President Obama wrote the introduction
Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2017
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Purchased this book for a dear friend. So glad to see that President Obama wrote the introduction. She loves the book. On her recommendation, I am purchasing a copy for myself, being that I am a Nelson Mandela fan.
3 people found this helpful
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D. White
5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful, Historic Book and Cover Picture
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2014
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This book is beautiful. It was the picture that caught my initial attention over all the other books by or about Mandela. The detail of the close-up picture of a smiling Mandela, with a face full of beauty and wisdom is breathtaking. Of course I'm reading it, but it is definitely of table-top quality. And it is a large book, bigger than I thought. The content, his conversations and words of wisdom so inspiring. I'm glad I bought this book. I've actually bought another one as a gift for a friend. She absolutely loves it!
4 people found this helpful
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3.0 out of 5 stars it could have been better edited in my opinion
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 20, 2011
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my first impression is that this book is to be read in conjunction with his autobiography 'long walk to freedom' which I have not yet read, the book is often mentioned - this fact however did not stop me from understanding or enjoying the book in question.
"Conversations with myself" seems to be a collection of bits and pieces scattered along not always in chronological order, letters and events do not seem to follow any order at all, it jumps a lot, for example at the end of Chapter 6 it follows events in 1962 only to jump to the 80s in Chapter 7, in chapter 9 letters are firstly dated 1970, 1976, 1980
only to come back to 1979 at the very end.
let's have a look at the technical side of this audio book:
I would have separated the tracks differently, for example I would have given each letter and each session of conversation its own individual track don't matter how short.
I understand the reader is Southafrican, even though I had to get used to his accent and do not find it 100% easy.
this audio book features always the same reader which does not really make sense especially in the conversations sessions, one does not always understand who is the interviewer and who is Mandela, where does the questions and comments start and where are his answers? one does not understand who is saying what.
sometimes he stammers in a conversational way (although I suspect he is litterary copying Mandela's answers).
at the beginning there is music and music is also used at the end of every chapter to mark the end of each chapter and this is great but when the music starts the reader has not yet finished the sentence, the music is so loud that it is not easy to hear the end of the sentence - basically they should have in my opinion either inserted the music after the sentence is finished or if they wanted to mix the reader with the music I would have put the music at a lower volume to put the listener in the position to understand what has been read. as it is now one cannot hear the end of the sentence because the music is too loud.
on a technicality being a professional reader myself, I noticed that although the reader does his best he probably has not been trained to swallow the saliva in the mouth before starting to read, to me it's a bit irritating as I listen to words with the letter c and k like can and speaker: not everyone notices these things but I do!!!!
it's better when one swallows the moisture in the mouth especially before pronouncing words with c and k because the reading is smoother and cleaner.
the extremely interesting thing is that in the last CD this audio book contains extracts from original interviews where Nelson Mandela himself is talking, it's nothing new to what one has listened to so far but at least it's him talking although the quality is not always great.
the book does not seem to be particularly revealing about the private man, he is declining all questions about his ex-wife or should I say ex-wives? I understand he wants to keep certain things private but I don't agree with people who say this book is particularly revealing, but then again I have not read his autobiography perhaps 'along walk to freedom' is even less revealing so that one can define this book as revealing about himself?
Overall this is a great book but in my opinion it could have been better edited and organized.
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Rev. M. R. Hodge
3.0 out of 5 stars Behind the scenes with Nelson Mandela
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 4, 2013
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Interesting background information on one of the 20th Century's greatest people. However, drawing on a large number of sources, it is not always brought together in as helpful way as it could have been. "Background information": not a starting place for finding out about Nelson Mandela.
2 people found this helpful
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Ike
5.0 out of 5 stars World States Man .A man that you can trust to keep his words
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 15, 2013
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This is man that put christainity teaching in to practice by forgiven those that prosecuted and killed many of his ancestors and friends. He was able to avoid a blood bath by properly managing the anger and the expectation of the black people/ others with that of the insecurity of the white population who committed unquotable atrocities.
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Margaret Masterman
4.0 out of 5 stars It is the sort of book that it is good to refer to on a regular basis
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 28, 2015
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I am still reading this book. It is the sort of book that it is good to refer to on a regular basis.
It is good to be able to have first hand knowledge of this great man,.
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robert britton
5.0 out of 5 stars mandela-critique
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 23, 2013
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excellent foreword by barack obama.Gives an interesting insight into mandela's world of incarseration and of his resilience.Most enlightening as to his ideas and solutions to a renewed South Africa.A must for all followers of his story.
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