"[These] archives contain traces of my life and those who have lived it with me. Anyone who has explored the world of archives will know that it is a treasure house, one that is full of surprises, crossing paths, dead ends, painful reminders and unanswered questions." "--Nelson R. Mandela
Nelson Mandela has written almost every day of his long life (he's now 91 years old): notebooks, jottings, drafts of letters to heads of state; and perhaps most movingly of all, letters from his long imprisonment on Robben Island, most of which, tragically, were never passed on to their recipients. Conversations with Myself is a very personal book--a book of private thoughts and lessons learned; but, as we have come to expect from the great man, the sense of hope and gentle wisdom that shines from these letters and diaries make this a book for everyone--a chance to share Mandela's recollections of a long life, fully lived.

Reviews

"A prisoner became a free man; a liberation figure became a passionate voice for reconciliation; a party leader became a president who advanced democracy....He has done so much to change his country, and the world, that it is hard to imagine the history of the last several decades without him." --from the foreword by President Barack Obama

"A literary album...Intensely moving, raw, and unmediated...Provides the fullest picture yet of Nelson Mandela...A necessary book." --Peter Godwin, "The Observer" (London)

"There are fascinating glimpses of the inner man, and flashes of his celebrated humor...."Conversations" presents a Mandela more people may feel they can emulate." --"Chicago Tribune"

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"This book will reduce the reader to both rapture and tears....Deeply moving." --"Financial Times"" (London)"

"A truly unprecedented moment in publishing...Stunning...Nothing short of a monumental historical document." --"The Daily Beast""This book will reduce the reader to bot