Everyone should know the life story of Nelson Mandela, one of the greatest leaders of all time, the first black president of South Africa, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, arguably the most famous African, and a major world statesman. His inspiring life receives a fresh retelling in this new biography written especially for students and general readers. This volume is an enjoyable, authoritative, and balanced way to not only understand a great man, but also to understand a critical time in world history and race relations. Mandela's quest for racial justice for black South Africans as a leader of the African National Congress led to twenty-seven years of imprisonment. With intense international pressure on the Apartheid government, Mandela was finally freed in 1990. During his years as president of South Africa and after, he has continued as a peacemaker and agent for change. The book follows his life from his birth into a strong Xhosa family and clan, through his political and personal development, his activism and his long imprisonment, to his freedom. The final chapters discuss his presidency and Nobel Peace Prize and life today. A timeline, photo essay, and selected bibliography complement the narrative. Includes bibliographical references and index.