There can't be many people who have never heard of Nelson Mandela. His has become a household name, a name respected by everyone everywhere, from grandmothers to schoolchildren.

Not so many people would recognise his other names, and he is a man who has been known by many names throughout his life. Nelson Rolihlahla Dalibhunga Mandela came from what most people would regard as a poor background, yet his family were aristocrats among the Xhosa people of the Transkei in South Africa. From the time he was a boy he was destined, as his father before him had been, to become an advisor at the court of the Xhosa king, but no one could have predicted that young Rolihlahla would one day become an outlaw known as 'The Black Pimpernel' or a statesman of international standing - President Mandela.

This is a fully illustrated life story of Nelson Mandela with a unique collection of photographs from throughout his life.