{"id":9285,"date":"2018-10-15T17:16:37","date_gmt":"2018-10-15T22:16:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/?p=9285"},"modified":"2018-10-15T17:16:42","modified_gmt":"2018-10-15T22:16:42","slug":"mandela-the-general-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/popculturenetwork.com\/wordpress\/2018\/10\/15\/mandela-the-general-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"MANDELA & THE GENERAL Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today Nelson Mandela is an international icon: the first leader of the new South Africa, an anti-apartheid hero and a universal symbol of justice. But in 1994, Mandela\u2019s nonviolent struggle for equality very nearly spiraled into an all-out war that would have only ended in \u201cthe peace of graveyards.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the first post-apartheid elections approached with South African blacks poised to take power, the nation\u2019s whites feared reprisal. White nationalist militias claiming 50,000 well-armed former soldiers stood ready to fight to the death to defend their cause. As tensions throughout the country mounted, Mandela began to meet and strategize with the unlikest of political allies\u2014General Constand Viljoen, former chief of apartheid South Africa\u2019s military. The two leaders met in secret, in the hopes of keeping their followers and radical fringe elements from acts of violence. Despite the misgivings of their advisers, the two men put aside their differences for the good of the country. This fall, Plough Publishing will presents MANDELA & THE GENERAL an original graphic novel about this seminal moment in world affairs, by John Carlin, the author of INVICTUS, and the acclaimed artist Oriol Malet.<\/p>\n

In advance of the book\u2019s publication on November 4, this major graphic novel is generating accolades from artists, writers, actors and actors:<\/p>\n

\u201cA simply wonderful book.M\u00e1ndela and the General suspensefully reveals how Mandela\u2019s spirit of reconciliation prevailed over fear and violence in post-apartheid South Africa.\u00a0 John Carlin\u2019s privileged access makes this an especially exciting read. Coming out as it does at a time of gathering global intolerance, this book is a timely reminder of the value of human empathy as a tool in political confrontation.\u201d \u2014 Jon Lee Anderson, author of Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life<\/p>\n

\u201cJohn Carlin elegantly crafts a powerful, balanced narrative well served by the evocative imagery and sequential talents of Oriol Malet. Mandela and the General is an important read for all who seek peace.\u201d \u2014 Andrew Aydin, co-writer of the National Book Award-winning March<\/p>\n

\u201cA riveting read. Carlin \u2018gets\u2019 Mandela. He captures powerfully Mandela’s political astuteness and vast generosity. Masterful storytelling!\u201d \u2014 Academy Award-winner Morgan Freeman<\/p>\n

\u201cIncredibly engaging and well worth your time. The art by Oriol Malet has so much energy and beauty that it drew me in immediately.\u201d \u2014 Jamal Igle, illustrator of Black, creator of Molly Danger<\/p>\n

\u201cFascinating.\u201d \u2014 Kirkus Reviews<\/p>\n

\u201cWonderful, accessible distillation of the genius of Mandela. In an increasingly divided political landscape, should be required reading for people of all ages everywhere.\u201d \u2014 Academy Award-winner Matt Damon<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the core of Mandela and the General is the notion that reason and empathy are the foundations of progress and peace.\u201d \u2014 Vita Ayala, writer of The Wilds and Livewire<\/p>\n

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\u201cExcellent\u2026a well-told, perceptive view of both sides in the conflict.\u201d \u2014 Foreword Reviews<\/p>\n

\u201cMalet’s visuals capture Carlin’s intense narrative in shades of gold, blue, red, and black, mixing photographic details with looser images and breaking panel borders to underscore immediacy. His multihued maps of the African continent are especially affecting.\u201d \u2014 \u00a0Booklist<\/p>\n

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\u201cA must read for US Americans in our current era of cultural conflict \u2013 Mandela and the General reminds us of what can be achieved when we view each other as human.\u201d \u2014 Kwanza Osajyefo, co-writer of Black<\/p>\n

MANDELA & THE GENERAL is a timely story about a nation deeply divided by racism and inequality\u2014and two very different men who sought to put aside their differences for the good of their country. Powerful, political and poignant, it is an essential book for our times.<\/p>\n