Dare Not Linger, Nelson Mandela
Dare Not Linger, Nelson Mandela
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Dare Not Linger
The Presidential Years

Author: Nelson Mandela, Mandla Langa

Narrator: Adrian Lester

Unabridged: 13 hr 22 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/24/2017


Synopsis

The long-awaited second volume of Nelson Mandela’s memoirs, left unfinished at his death and never before available, are here completed and expanded with notes and speeches written by Mandela during his historic presidency, making for a moving sequel to his worldwide bestseller Long Walk to Freedom.

“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.”

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 presidency, drawing heavily on the memoir he began to write as he prepared to finish his term as president, but was unable to finish. Now the acclaimed South African author 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. The result is a vivid and inspirational account of Mandela’s presidency: years during which he overcame the challenges of transition and made a reality of his cherished vision for a liberated South Africa.

About Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was a former President of South Africa, the first to be elected in fully representative democratic elections. He was born in Transkei, South Africa, in 1918. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist and leader of the African National Congress. In 1964, he was convicted of crimes including sabotage committed in the struggle against apartheid. He was imprisoned for 27 years at Robben Island prison and Pollsmoor prison. During his incarceration, his reputation as a potent symbol of resistance to apartheid grew steadily. Released from prison in 1990, Mandela received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 and was inaugurated as President of South Africa in 1994. He is the author of the internationally bestselling autobiography Long Walk to Freedom and Conversations with Myself, a collection of his personal papers. Mandela died in December 2013.

About Adrian Lester

Adrian Lester, OBE, is a British actor, director and writer. His theatre credits include: Cheek by Jowl's As You Like It, Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Company - for which he won an Olivier Award, Hamlet, Henry V, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Othello. His television credits include Hustle, Girlfriends, The Ghost Squad, Bonekickers and Trauma. His film credits include Primary Colours, Love's Labour's Lost and The Day After Tomorrow.

About Mandla Langa

Mandla Langa was born in 1950 in Durban, South Africa. After being arrested in 1976, he went into exile and has lived in Botswana, Mozambique, and Angola, as well as Hungary, Zambia, and the United Kingdom, where he was the ANC’s Cultural Representative. A writer and journalist, he was the first South African to be awarded the Arts Council of Great Britain bursary for creative writing and has been a columnist for the Sunday Independent and the New Nation. He is also the author of several acclaimed novels, including The Lost Colours of the Chameleon, which won the 2009 Commonwealth Prize for Best Book in the African Region.

About Graça Machel

Graça Machel is a Mozambican politician and humanitarian. She is the widow of former South African president Nelson Mandela and of Mozambican president Samora Machel.


Reviews

Goodreads review by David on November 06, 2017

This is the long-awaited second volume of the autobiography of Nelson Mandela. It has been put together from what he had written before his death, and from his notes. It has been edited with great skill, devotion and commitment by Mandla Langa, the author of “Lost Colours of the Chameleon” and a num......more

Goodreads review by Sainang on February 16, 2022

It's a beautifully written book, no doubt Mandla Langa is one of the most celebrated authors in SA. I liked it, it made me appreciate the sacrifices our struggle heroes and heroines made to get South Africa to where it is today, and how things could have easily gone bad for South Africa had those he......more

Goodreads review by Sindy on March 01, 2022

"El color de la libertad" narra los años presidenciales de Nelson Mandela durante el primer gobierno democrático de Sudáfrica. Es edificante ver su paciencia, su compromiso y su lucha para lograr el respeto a la dignidad de toda persona humana y a sus derechos. Sus ideales, los objetivos que propuso......more

Goodreads review by Joss on November 26, 2017

I loved Long Walk to Freedom and I had high expectations for this book. It was just factual and I didn’t feel much emotion reading it. It did however provide a reminder of what a wonderful leader Mandela was, and I found it hard to believe he belonged to the same ANC that we know today.......more

Goodreads review by Recato on November 24, 2017

This book does not come near Long Walk to Freedom.......more


Quotes

"Not to be missed." Editor's Pick, AudioFile

"This important audiobook is the second volume of Mandela's memoirs, which were left unfinished when he died in 2013. ...Narrator Adrian Lester takes immediate control of the work, lending it a serious, consequential, worldly air. ...Lester also has the ability to transform his voice into Mandela's in the middle of a sentence and then go back to his impeccably precise reading. His pacing keeps the story fresh, and he uses his vocal elasticity to convey complex emotions. The result is a wonderful audio experience." -AudioFile

“A rare human being who, in freeing himself of his demons, also became free to give his extraordinarily 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


Awards

  • NPR Best Book of the Year
  • The Guardian (UK) Best Books of the Year