SSC
'Long Walk to Freedom' is the autobiography of:
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Answer: Option B — Nelson Mandela
Detailed Solution
"Long Walk to Freedom" is the autobiography of Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid leader and first black President of South Africa. It was published in 1994.
About the book:
Mandela began writing it secretly while he was imprisoned on Robben Island in the 1970s. Parts of the manuscript were smuggled out, though some pages were discovered by the prison authorities.
It describes his childhood in the village of Qunu in the Transkei region, his education, his work as a lawyer in Johannesburg, his role in the African National Congress (ANC), the Rivonia Trial (1963-64), and his 27 years in prison (1962-1990).
It ends with his release in February 1990 and his election as President in 1994.
In 2013, it was made into a film, "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom", with Idris Elba as Mandela.
About Nelson Mandela (1918-2013):
He was born on 18 July 1918. His birthday is observed by the United Nations as "Nelson Mandela International Day".
He was imprisoned mostly on Robben Island, and later at Pollsmoor and Victor Verster prisons.
He shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 with F. W. de Klerk, the last apartheid-era President, for their work to end apartheid peacefully.
He was President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.
India honoured him with the Bharat Ratna in 1990, making him the second non-Indian to receive it (after Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan in 1987). He also received the International Gandhi Peace Prize (2000).
He is called "Madiba" (his clan name) and the "Gandhi of South Africa".
Writings of other leaders:
- Desmond Tutu: "No Future Without Forgiveness"; Nobel Peace Prize 1984.
- Martin Luther King Jr.: "Stride Toward Freedom" and "Why We Can't Wait"; famous "I Have a Dream" speech (1963).
- Kenneth Kaunda: "Zambia Shall Be Free".
- Mahatma Gandhi: "The Story of My Experiments with Truth".
Why not the other options?
- ✗Desmond Tutu, the Archbishop of Cape Town, wrote "No Future Without Forgiveness".
- ✗Martin Luther King Jr. wrote "Stride Toward Freedom".
- ✗Kenneth Kaunda, the first President of Zambia, wrote "Zambia Shall Be Free".
Quick tip
Remember: "Long Walk to Freedom" = Nelson Mandela (1994; 27 years in prison, Robben Island; Nobel Peace 1993; Bharat Ratna 1990; 18 July = Mandela Day).
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Books & Authors — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Books & Authors, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers famous books and their authors, including ancient Indian texts, works of the freedom struggle, classic and modern literature, autobiographies of famous people, and recently published books by well-known personalities. Questions usually name a book and ask for its author, or the other way round. Ancient and historical books, such as Arthashastra (Kautilya), Indica (Megasthenes) and Gitanjali (Rabindranath Tagore), are tested most often. Autobiographies are another favourite, so learn titles such as 'My Experiments with Truth' (Mahatma Gandhi) and 'Wings of Fire' (A. P. J. Abdul Kalam). Practise the books and authors questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.