Nelson was a young South African with a reputation for trouble-making. Who would have thought he would one day lead his people to freedom?

Nelson grew up at a time when black South Africans suffered terrible injustice. He was determined to change this - even if it meant grave personal danger.

Twenty seven years of his life were spent in prison, and everyone seemed to be against him - even his own family - but Nelson never stopped fighting for what he believed in: true equality for all, no matter what the colour of their skin.

This book is part of a book series called Great Lives .

There are 128 pages in this book. This book was published 2018 by Short Books Ltd .

Dr Adrian Hadland is a senior lecturer at the University of Stirling. He was a journalist for more than 15 years, based mainly in South Africa, where he covered the transition from apartheid to democracy. He has published 20 books.