Mandela traces the life and work of South Africa's first democratically elected president. Beginning with his early years in a tiny village in the Transkei, the book follows him to Johannesburg, and his studies and involvement with the liberation movement. It describes Mandela's evolution as a politician from his leadership of the ANC Youth League, through the grim years of imprisonment on Robben Island, to the delicate talks that preceded his release from prison, and the complicated and often tumultuous negotiations that culminated in April 1994, with the first democratic election. The book then examines his relationship with his successor, Thabo Mbeki, before concluding with the tragic death of his closest friend, Walter Sisulu, and the joy of his 85th birthday celebrations.