100 MANDELA MOMENTS

By KATE SIDLEY Jonathan Ball This new release consists of 100 memories of Madiba drawn from his own writing as well as the recollection of those who worked with him, historians and ordinary South Africans who idolised him.

It’s nothing we haven’t heard, seen or read before but it’s packaged in an interesting and easyto-read manner. Sidley divides the book into sections, which makes it easier to skip or go back if you’re interested only in certain areas of Madiba’s life. There’s Mandela the schoolboy, student, prisoner, lawyer, negotiator, president and elder.

Each story is short and encapsulates some aspect of the icon. From recounting how he got Queen Elizabeth to dance to how he convinced TV talk-show icon Oprah Winfrey to commit $10 million (R135 million) to opening her school for girls in SA, this book is packed with fun anecdotes.

Sometimes humorous, a bit poignant and often moving, it’s a simple book that covers a complex man.