Excellent book, slightly contradictory to Mandelas own recollection of events as might be expected. Nice to read other opinions of apartheid South Africa and the ANC ( )

Many books have been written about the life of Nelson Mandela, but they tend to focus on his time in prison on Robben Island, or his life after he was released and became President of South Africa. David James Smith takes a look at the Mandela few people are aware of; the young, hot-headed man who was single-minded in the pursuit of his political goals, regardless of the effect his work would have on his family.
I was concerned before I read this book that it would tarnish my perception of Mandela. In fact, reading about his early life has helped me understand how he became the man he is today. This book is essential reading for those interested in finding out more about this icon, and is an excellent companion read to Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. ( )

A perfect addition to Mandela's wonderful auto-biography. It is refreshing to have read the more radical views and approaches of the young and idealistic Mandela. Certainly a refreshing look at colonial intellectualism. ( )

Although this is called the "revolutionary years" Mandela was only a revolutinoar briefly and ineffectively right at the end before his arrest.
Most of the book is about his growing up in a traditional South African community, attending British-style schools, and practicing in the only black legal partnership in South Africa, while rising in the leadership of the African National Congress. Much of it is the underground equivalent of "inside the beltway" material --who he talked to, argued with, slept with, within a rather narrow group of opposition leaders, seemingly more white communists than Africans. There is little feel of his place as the spokeman for a larger and more largely African movement. I would say the author has donme his best to talk to as many survivors from that era as he can and give a balanced presentation, especially regarding Mandela's troubled relationships with the families he fatherd with his first and second wives. ( )

http://dragonshelf.blogspot.com/2011/05/young-mandela.html

David Smith introduces Nelson Mandela with the news of his arrest in 1952, and spends the first chapter describing the ensuing trial. He then jumps back to Mandela's birth and childhood, and from there he generally proceeds in an approximately linear order. His prose is very pleasant to read. He writes in short, clear sentences that smooth the flow of ideas and events. However, the overall order of events can seem jumbled and unsettled as the linearity is muddled by apparent digressions. Smith has escaped the biographer's trap of writing a hagiography, and he seems to deal fairly with the mystery and denial surrounding Mandela's love life. He provides an insightful picture of Mandela's ideological and pragmatic assessments. Overall, I would recommend this book to historically minded readers.