Reviewed by Alice DiNizo for Readers' Favorite

Nelson Mandela, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and elected President of South Africa, tells his life story with the help of Richard Stengel. Mandela is truly a hero of our times as he stood for the dignity of all men at a time when apartheid in South Africa controlled that country. And after twenty seven years in prison, Mandela was triumphant although his imprisonment affected his personal life, ending his long time marriage to Winnie Mandela. Mandela tells of his early years as the son of a Thembu chief, raised in tribal culture but he also tells of how the world around him gradually made him into an "enemy" of the apartheid South African government. Sentenced to life imprisonment at the Rivonia trials of 1964, he was released in 1990 to the acclaims of his fellow countrymen. His oath of office as President of South Africa included the mention that South Africa was a rainbow country, listing all the different peoples living there. "Long Walk to Freedom" is a story for everyone everywhere and offers hope where there is little or none.

Hachette Audio has done a brilliant job of putting Nelson Mandela's words into a spoken recording. "Long Walk to Freedom" is told in the first person throughout and the reader does a magnificent job of recording Mandela's words, pronouncing everything clearly and correctly. The prologue and the explanation at the end of "Long Walk to Freedom" only add to the greatness of this text. Nelson Mandela is a man for all seasons and this autobiography is for everyone. The visually impaired and those who have little time in their lives for anything other than daily walks will truly value these CD's.