Robben Island : a place of inspiration : Mandela's prison island /

Robben Island-best known as the place where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for eighteen years-has been a place of harshness and brutality; its history steeped in the suffering of those banished there. Yet it has also become a universal symbol of hope, forgiveness, and triumph. With a storyteller'...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Smith, Charlene
Format: Book
Language:English
Published: [Cape Town] : Struik Travel & Heritage, 2013.
Edition:2nd. ed.
Subjects:
Description
Summary:Robben Island-best known as the place where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for eighteen years-has been a place of harshness and brutality; its history steeped in the suffering of those banished there. Yet it has also become a universal symbol of hope, forgiveness, and triumph. With a storyteller's sensibility, combined with rigorous research, Charlene Smith charts the evolution of the island's political and social history, from mail station, place of exile, and military defence post to maximum security prison and World Heritage Site. Fully revised, this new edition provides absorbing accounts of daring escapes, maritime disasters, lepers ostracized from mainland society, the fates o great Xhosa chiefs of the nineteenth century, and the unique bonds of friendship and compassion forged among the political prisoners confined on the island during the apartheid era. Today Robben Island is recognised for both its environmental riches and its cultural significance. More than just a geographical location or a tourist attraction, it is an enduring tribute to the resilience of the human spirit. Sobering and uplifting, an essential read for anyone interested in South Africa's turbulent journey to democracy and the people who made it possible. -- taken from back cover.
Item Description:First published in 1997.
Physical Description:176 pages : illustrations (some color), map, portraits ; 21 cm.
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references (pages 168-173) and index.
ISBN:9781920572907
1920572902