Nelson Mandela's place in history is secure: he was one of the best known prisoners in the world even before his election as the first president of post-apartheid South Africa; secondly, he became a global icon, an elder statesman, with a degree of moral authority matched by very few. Coming to terms with a dizzying sequence of roles, this biography explores Mandela's various identities dashing young urbanite, charismatic nationalist politician, underground military commander and Black Pimpernel, tried, convicted, and a political prisoner for 27 years; on his release president of a democratic South Africa and assesses these independently of his iconic, nigh-mythic status. This book revisits the well-known contours of Mandela's career, but resists hagiography: it outlines what he achieved, but also identifies aspects of his personality and politics that are far less familiar. AUTHOR: Colin Bundy is a historian: now retired, his academic career has been spent in the UK and his native South Africa. He served as Vice-Chancellor, University of the Witwatersrand, Principal of SOAS and most recently Principal of Green Templeton College, Oxford. SELLING POINTS: . South African and international icon, sometimes reaching heroic status . Written by eminent South African and anti-Apartheid legend Colin Bundy . A concise take on a tireless subject that everyone ought to know about . Broad international appeal and much media interest (especially 2014 onwards: twentieth anniversary of being sworn in; 15th of retirement)