New book "Mandela: In Honor of an Extraordinary Life," authored by his daughter Dr. Pumla Makaziwe Mandela, takes an intimate look at the life of the late South African leader. The book features never-before-seen images of his private life and that of his family, alongside passages written by Dr. Mandela. Ahead of the book's release, CNN asked the author to share memories of her father and loved ones. Scroll through the gallery to discover more.
Pictured: Nelson Mandela with first daughter Makaziwe and son Thembekile, photographed in 1948. Makaziwe died in infancy and Thembekile died in a car crash in 1969, while Nelson and wife Evelyn Mase's second son Makgatho died in 2005. Their youngest sibling Pumla Makaziwe Mandela was named after her late older sister.
Pictured: Nelson Mandela with first daughter Makaziwe and son Thembekile, photographed in 1948. Makaziwe died in infancy and Thembekile died in a car crash in 1969, while Nelson and wife Evelyn Mase's second son Makgatho died in 2005. Their youngest sibling Pumla Makaziwe Mandela was named after her late older sister.
Mandela, third from right, with friends in Soweto in the 1950s. "My father always talked about the fact that the intention of the ANC (African National Congress political party) was always a peaceful transition, so that all South Africans could benefit equally," said Dr. Mandela. "However, when he and his colleagues saw that the response from the South African apartheid government was brutal force and murder, they then resorted to an armed struggle because they were at the end of their tether."
"Even with all of these difficult choices and challenges, my father never lost sight of the fact that as a leader he carried a great responsibility in ensuring that Black South Africans got what they deserved, which was emancipation from a tyrannical government," she added.
"Even with all of these difficult choices and challenges, my father never lost sight of the fact that as a leader he carried a great responsibility in ensuring that Black South Africans got what they deserved, which was emancipation from a tyrannical government," she added.
Nelson Mandela's sisters, Baliwe and Makhutswana. "Both my aunts were present figures in our lives and actually lived with us for a time," said Dr. Mandela. "When my parents divorced, they both assisted my mother with the moving process to the Eastern Cape. So even though they were my father's sisters they continued their close relationship with my mother and us and were very supportive to my mother. My Aunt Baliwe was very brave and outspoken and marched to the beat of her own drum. Lots of relatives say that I have the same temperament as her."
Nelson Mandela with family and soon-to-be third wife Graça Machel (second right) on the day she was formally introduced to everyone. "I already knew long before that my father was in a relationship with Mrs. Machel, and I had met her a few years back at a UNESCO conference in Paris," said Dr. Mandela.
"We were having a private chat and I had recommended that she and my father could not continue dating and that they should formalize their relationship and get married to set an example for the rest of the family. So when my father introduced Mrs. Machel to the family it was not really a surprise to me."
"We were having a private chat and I had recommended that she and my father could not continue dating and that they should formalize their relationship and get married to set an example for the rest of the family. So when my father introduced Mrs. Machel to the family it was not really a surprise to me."
Mandela alongside Graça Machel at his 85th birthday party. "We had never done anything of this scale before," said Dr. Mandela of the event. "There were 500 people in that room and it took us a year to organize. We wanted to give my father a nice thank you gift for everything that he had done for us and wanted him to know that he was loved and appreciated by all of us.
"When he walked into the room he could not believe it, and afterwards he was shocked to find out that we had kept everything a secret for a year, because there is always that one person in a family who has a loose tongue. Oprah (Winfrey), Queen Beatrix and now King Wilhelm-Alexander and his wife Queen Maxima of the Netherlands attended that party."
"When he walked into the room he could not believe it, and afterwards he was shocked to find out that we had kept everything a secret for a year, because there is always that one person in a family who has a loose tongue. Oprah (Winfrey), Queen Beatrix and now King Wilhelm-Alexander and his wife Queen Maxima of the Netherlands attended that party."
Nelson Mandela at the wedding of granddaughter Nandi, the youngest child of his first son Thembekile. Family gatherings are "often chaotic, but fun," said Dr. Mandela. "Everything has to be planned far in advance and we always forget someone, because my family is large and sometimes have to have extra seating as you never know who could show up. Once Michael Jackson just showed up at one of my father's birthdays. The grandchildren were beside themselves and my daughter who was obsessed with him as a teenager tried very hard not to have a complete meltdown. She held herself together well though."
Mandela in his later years attends a traditional wedding alongside grandsons Ndaba and Mandla and wife Graça in Qunu, his childhood village. "My father had fond memories of Qunu," said Dr. Mandela. "It's where his parents and sister Libby are buried. His wish was to be buried in Qunu and wanted to take his last breath there, which unfortunately did not happen. (He) always stressed the importance of keeping it in the family as a special place where we could all congregate. Ultimately, the goal is to turn it into a memorial and spiritual garden, a place where people can visit and reflect."
Mandela with his son Makgatho and grandchildren Andile (left) and Mbuso (right). After other careers, Makgatho studied law in his forties at his father's behest, then practiced it before his death in 2005 of an AIDS-related illness. "For (Makgatho), going to work after high school was a necessity and not necessarily a choice," said his younger sister. "So, when my father came out of prison and insisted that he get a higher education it was a no brainer and the next logical step."
Since her older brother's death, Dr. Mandela has been the last surviving child of Nelson Mandela's first marriage. Photographed speaking at university, she holds a doctorate in anthropology and has held positions in both academia and the corporate world.
"I have felt at times lonely on this road," she said. "I wish my siblings were alive so I have someone to carry the load with. However, this is the hand that I have been dealt and I have a responsibility to be a torch bearer for this name, and honor not just my father's legacy but my family's legacy. My father made great sacrifices and as his daughter I have a responsibility to ensure that those sacrifices were not made in vain."
"I have felt at times lonely on this road," she said. "I wish my siblings were alive so I have someone to carry the load with. However, this is the hand that I have been dealt and I have a responsibility to be a torch bearer for this name, and honor not just my father's legacy but my family's legacy. My father made great sacrifices and as his daughter I have a responsibility to ensure that those sacrifices were not made in vain."
