Nelson Mandela: A Reference Guide to His Life and Works covers the life of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, who was a freedom fighter, a political prisoner, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, and the first president of a democratic South Africa. This book guides readers in understanding the background to Mandela's life and the context of his political career, and it emphasizes the perspectives and philosophies that formed Mandela as he grew up in the world of segregationist and apartheid South Africa.