Goodbye Bafana

by James Gregory

Book Overview

An account of how the author was Nelson Mandela's gaoler for over twenty years. Despite opposing political views and Gregory's initial dislike of Mandela, the two gradually formed a firm friendship,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0747253420
• ISBN13: 9780747253426
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Headline Book Publishing
• Length: 503 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A story of true friendship

It is not often that a "nice" biography involving a world leader is written, but Goodbye Bafana is the exception to this rule and James Gregory only has praise for "his friend" Nelson Mandela. Goodbye Bafana cronicals the life and experiences of James Gregory up, and until, he becomes Nelson Mandela's jailer in several South African prisions. Gregory writes a compelling and often blunt tale of how his hatred of blacks (he is an Afrikaner) and especially Nelson Mandela was turned around to a respectful and often sympathetic attitude by Mandela with whom he spent many close years as his personal jailer during Mandela's incarceration. From this book one learns many things about South Africa's first black president and one thing that strikes the reader is his complete dedication to his cause (to end apartheid) and how much respect he has earned from both black and white people during his life. Onced finished one comes away feeling confident that there is not a man more deserving than Mandela running South Africa. I feel Goodbye Bafana is a masterpiece which shows how a friendship can florish despite political, racial and iron barriers.