Invictus: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation

Invictus is great read

Invictus was the choice of my book group for April. All seven of us agreed that this was a very good book. And this was one of the few books we've read that was snatched up by husbands. It was nice to have a glass of wine and discuss the book with them for once. In fact, I have given this book as gifts to two males and they both enjoyed it.
With Nelson Mandela's blessing, John Carlin does an excellent job of portraying Mandela's thoughts, strategies and actions as he worked to bring his country together after his release from prison and election.
I developed a much greater understanding of Mandela's brilliance, patience and forgiveness.
I like rugby and was familiar with the sport, but this is a fascinating book on how a sport can bring a nation together, whether or not the reader has knowledge of the game.

Political Historical non fiction

Dry, slow going. This is much more a history of Mandela, which is certainly worth knowing, than it is about rugby in South Africa.

Invictus- Inspirational

In this book, Carlin compares the brutality of rugby to the brutality of racial segregation that exists between the white and black South Africans. Carlin's unique approach truly captures the essence of this inspirational story. His close and personal relationship with Nelson Mandela allows the readers to experience this story from a completely different perspective than any other previous authors. Carlin places great emphasis on the importance of rugby in this story. How Nelson Mandela achieved political gain through the shared love of sport. Further, Carlin uses his personal relationship with Mandela to his advantage. He was very much successful in portraying the true persona of this political hero. Nelson Mandela is presented as a hero, and man of peace who successfully united a nation through the art of manipulation. Instead of reasoning intellectually with individual, Mandela seduced people through emotions. Despite differences between groups, there are always similarities. Once these are established, the differences become unimportant. Any two people can find common ground, as illustrated in this book. The universal applicability of this story is undeniable. Carlin's unorthodox approach and style of writing captures the readers' interest from the first page until the last. A must read for all.

The power of a story

Carlin does an amazing job in putting a rugby match, though not simple being the final of the World Cup, in context within the unification of a nation.

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