Dare Not Linger: The Presidential Years - Softcover

A rare human being who, in freeing himself of his demons, also became free to give his extraordinary leadership to his country and the world. -- Bill Clinton Underneath the history that has been made, there is a human being who chose hope over fear - progress over the prisons of the past . . . Even as he became a legend, to know the man - Nelson Mandela - is to respect him even more. -- Barack Obama Reveals why Mandela was irreplaceable . . . he was so unique and he made it look so easy. -- Gillian Slovo * Observer * Reveals the struggles, setbacks and frustrations that to this very day thwart the progress of Africa. -- Gordon Brown * Guardian Best Books of 2017 *

`I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.' Long Walk to Freedom In 1994, Nelson Mandela became the first president of democratic South Africa. Five years later, he stood down. In that time, he and his government wrought the most extraordinary transformation, turning a nation riven by centuries of colonialism and apartheid into a fully functioning democracy in which all South Africa's citizens, black and white, were equal before the law. Dare Not Linger is the story of Mandela's presidential years, drawing heavily on the memoir he began to write as he prepared to finish his term of office, but was unable to finish. Now, the acclaimed South African writer Mandla Langa has completed the task using Mandela's unfinished draft, detailed notes that Mandela made as events were unfolding and a wealth of previously unseen archival material. With a prologue by Mandela's widow, Graca Machel, the result is a vivid and inspirational account of Mandela's presidency, a country in flux and the creation of a new democracy. It tells the extraordinary story of the transition from decades of apartheid rule and the challenges Mandela overcame to make a reality of his cherished vision for a liberated South Africa.