Winnie & Nelson: Portrait Of A Marriage

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*Shortlisted for the 2024 Wolfson History Prize*'Gripping and profoundly moving' DAMON GALGUT'Deft and operatic' OBSERVER
From one of South AfricaaEURO (TM)s foremost nonfiction writers, a deeply researched, shattering new account of Nelson MandelaaEURO (TM)s relationship with Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Drawing on never-before-seen material, Steinberg reveals the fractures and stubborn bonds at the heart of a volatile and groundbreaking union, a very modern political marriage that played out on the world stage.

One of the most celebrated political leaders of the twentieth century, Nelson Mandela has been written about by many biographers and historians. But in one crucial area, his life remains largely untold: his marriage to Winnie. During his years in prison, Nelson grew ever more in love with an idealised version of his wife, courting her in his letters as if they were young lovers frozen in time. But Winnie, every bit his political equal, found herself increasingly estranged from her jailed husband aEURO (TM) s politics. Behind his back, she was trying to orchestrate an armed seizure of power, a path he feared would lead to an endless civil war.

Jonny Steinberg tells the tale of this unique marriage aEURO" its longings, its obsessions, its deceits aEURO" turning the course of South African history into a page-turning political biography. Winnie & Nelson is a modern epic in which trauma doesnaEURO (TM)t just affect the couple at its centre, but an entire nation. It is also a Shakespearean drama in which bonds of love and commitment mingle with timeless questions of revolution, such as whether to seek retribution or a negotiated peace. Told with power and tender emotional insight, Steinberg reveals how far these forever entwined leaders would go for one another, and also, where they drew the line. For in the end both knew theirs was not simply a marriage, but a contest to decide how apartheid should be fought.

Book details and technical specifications

Format: Paperback / softback
ISBN13: 9780008353810
Published: April 2024

Number of pages: 576
Width: 129 mm
Height: 198 mm
Depth: 40 mm

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers