DOCUMENTED LETTERS 100 YEARS SINCE HIS BIRTH

"Mandela's words serve as a compass in a sea of change, solid ground amidst the whirlpools and currents." –Barack Obama

Nelson Mandela was arrested in 1962 at the age of 44, as the apartheid regime in South Africa intensified its brutal campaign against its political opponents. He had no idea he would spend the next twenty-seven years of his life in prison...

During the 10,052 days of his imprisonment, Mandela wrote hundreds of letters to unyielding prison administrations, fellow activists, government officials, and, first and foremost, to his courageous wife, Winnie, and their five children. Now, about 250 of these letters, the majority of which have never seen the light of day, reveal unknown, human aspects of Mandela.

The Letters from Prison reveal the heroism of a man who refused to compromise his moral values even when faced with extreme forms of human punishment. "My respect for human beings is based not on the color of a person's skin, nor on the power they may hold, but purely on their worth." –Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) was a revolutionary against apartheid and became the first democratically elected President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

Sam Wenter has participated in writing several books, including 491 Days by Nelson Mandela's wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, which she edited in collaboration with his granddaughter, Zamaswazi Dlamini-Mandela. Zamaswazi Dlamini-Mandela, granddaughter of Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, is a businesswoman.