Traces the life of the South African civil rights activist and describes his election as South Africa's first Black president. Nelson Mandela became a legend in his own lifetime. The son of a chief, he qualified as a lawyer, then was one of the leaders of the African National Congress whose long, heroic struggle against the infamous system of Apartheid is vividly described in this biography. Accused of treason by the South African government, Mandela was incarcerated for twenty-seven years, years in which he was honored as the world’s most famous political prisoner. Mary Benson follows his political and philosophical development as well as his personal life. The fascinating story of Mandela’s delicate negotiations with the government, leading to the release of fellow prisoners and to his own dramatic emergence from prison in 1990, is captured along with South Africa’s progress towards democratic elections. In that election Mandela and millions of his black fellow citizens voted for the first time in their lives. The final chapter, which concludes with Mandela’s inauguration as president, conveys the significance and profound joy of this historic event.