Nelson Mandela is one of the world's most revered & popular public figures, a man synonymous with the long, bitter struggle to rid South Africa of a racist regime & replace it with a multi-racial democracy. He was seen as a symbol of world freedom, an ambassador for civil rights, a heroic liberator whose influence & image of moral integrity that extended beyond his homel&. Fully illustrated, this book chronicles his remarkable life, from his days as a student activist & guerrilla leader to the position as an iconic statesman. From his infamous trial for treason & his 27 year imprisonment, to the euphoria that greeted his eventual release & then his election as South Africa's first black president.