Before he was an icon, international statesman, South Africa's first black president and leader of the African National Congress, Nelson Mandela was a man. Long before becoming the most famous prisoner of the 20th century, Mandela was a husband, a father, a lawyer and a barefoot boy brought up as a tribal prince. Since his release from prison in February 1990, he has been the subject of countless biographies but few have reached beyond exploring Mandela the consummate politician. This intimate in-depth look at Mandela the man rather than the politician traces his journey from the rolling Transkei hills to the capitals of the world, focusing on facets of his life that have previously served as little more than a backdrop to his remarkable and relentless quest for the liberation of South Africa's black majority. From an early age, the rich history and traditions of the Thembu people shaped the future of a man who would become as comfortable in the company of kings and world leaders as with peasants and children. Destined from birth to serve his people, a chain of ordinary events former the building blocks of an extraordinary life that would catapult Nelson Mandela from herd boy to head of state. The reader will gain rare insight into Mandela's youthful experiences as a royal courtier and student, the women who influenced him from an early age and the ambition, courage and perseverance that shaped a truly remarkable life. The Nelson Mandela Story brings together the wealth of experiences and events that merged to produce the man who captured the imagination of the world as an underground freedom fighter, the imprisoned champion of the struggle against apartheid injustice and the statesman whose leadership brought about the miracle of a democratic South Africa.