Join TIME to explore the full story of Nelson Mandela, the remarkable man whose incandescent smile, forgiving spirit and work for reconciliation made him one of the most significant leaders of the 20th century and one of the most admired people in the world. This sweeping, richly illustrated volume traces the twin journeys of Mandela and his nation away from the hateful system of racist apartheid to the creation of the modern South Africa where all people are free.

Here is Mandela's journey in full detail: his birth in a grass hut as a prince of the Thembu tribe... his work as an inspiring young lawyer fighting for civil rights for blacks... his years as an underground freedom fighter... and the 27 years he spent in jail as a political prisoner. And here is his incredible return to freedom, when he moved the world by vowing to forgive his captors and to reconcile all the people of his land, steering his nation away from a racial war.

In addition to its historic photos, maps and charts, the book features a personal and insightful introduction by TIME managing editor Richard Stengel, the co-writer of Mandela's autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. Here is history as only TIME can tell it: rich, clear, incisive and filled with the details that bring the story of one of our great modern heroes to fresh, inspiring life.