Xolela Mangcu has given us the first biography of Nelson Mandela written by an African, and its contents justify the wait. Mangcu challenges the prevailing paradigm of the shaping of Mandela's character primarily as a product of tribal tradition. Relying on previously unused archival sources, impressive scholarship, and personal accounts, Mangcu argues that the roots of Mandela's philosophy of pragmatic politics trace back to his Thembu royal family's strategic alliances with colonialists against the Xhosa-led resistance in the 19th century. Mangcu deconstructs prevailing depictions of Mandela by interpreting him through the lens of the classic “tragic heroes” of Greek tragedy. This riveting book is a major contribution to our understandings of one of the pivotal figures in the history of contemporary Africa, and it is a game changer.

Henry Louis Gates Jr., Harvard University, USA

This book offers fresh lines of analysis and enquiry on Nelson Mandela. It's the first biography I've read in quarter of a century which avoids simplistic accounts of the influence on Mandela of Thembu tradition. Drawing heavily on the colonial archive, Mangcu unlocks the long trajectory of modernity in Thembuland and other parts of the Eastern Cape, describes what I would call a Thembu politics of accommodation developed over centuries, and offers an original interpretation of the longer roots to Mandela's strategies of negotiation in later life. Mangcu brings to the book a skill he has honed over decades as one of South Africa's most respected public intellectuals – a remarkable ability to translate complex ideas into everyday language. A must-read!

Verne Harris, Mandela's personal archivist, 2004-2013