Reflections in Prison: Voices From the South African Liberation Struggle

The Long Walk to Freedom Essays is a collection of powerful and insightful essays from some of the most influential leaders of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa.

Written during a critical time in the liberation struggle, these essays provide a rare glimpse into the thinking of Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Ahmed Kathrada, Govan Mbeki, and other prominent political prisoners on the eve of the 1976 Soweto Uprising. The book includes two essays by Mandela, as well as one each by Sisulu, Kathrada, Mbeki, Billy Nair, John Pokela, Eddie Daniels, and Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo.

Each essay is preceded by a short biography of the author, a description of their life in prison, and a pencil sketch by a black South African artist. The essays cover a range of topics, including violent versus nonviolent forms of struggle, diversity and unity, the ideological challenge of the Black Consciousness movement, and how to accommodate different interpretations of African nationalism.

The leaders also debate the most urgent problem facing them: unity. With a foreword by Desmond Tutu and a contextualizing introduction by Mac Maharaj, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of South Africa's struggle for freedom and the leadership lessons of the anti-apartheid movement.