Playing the enemy : Nelson Mandela and the game that made a nation

by John Carlin

Paper Book, 2008

Status

Available

Call number

796.3330964

Collection

Publication

London : Atlantic, 2008.

Description

In 1985, Nelson Mandela, then in prison for 23 years, set about winning over the fiercest proponents of apartheid, from his jailers to the head of South Africa's military. First he earned his freedom and then he won the presidency in the nation's first free election in 1994. But he knew that South Africa was still dangerously divided. If he couldn't unite his country in a visceral, emotional way--and fast--it would collapse into chaos. He would need all the charisma and strategic acumen he had honed during half a century of activism, and he'd need a cause all South Africans could share. Mandela picked one of the more farfetched causes imaginable--the national rugby team, the Springboks, who would host the sport's World Cup in 1995. Author Carlin, former South Africa bureau chief for the London Independent, offers a portrait of the greatest statesman of our time in action.--From publisher description.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member ACQwoods
This book was the basis for the recent movie Invictus, which I had seen and enjoyed. The book is less rugby-focused than the movie and focuses more on the political challenges Nelson Mandela faced in ending apartheid in South Africa. I learned a lot about the process which I had never known before.
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At times the author seemed to be so enamored of Mandela that he lost his way in explaining how this man changed his country, but that is a small complaint. Having seen the movie and read the book, I was impressed (for the most part) with how true to life the movie was. I recommend them both! (Note: apparently the book has been re-released under the title Invictus, but the content remains the same.)
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LibraryThing member bruchu
A storyline that needed to be told, John Carlin explores the intersection of the end of apartheid with the World Cup of Rugby held in South Africa for the first time since being boycotted by the rest of the world. "Playing the Enemy" is a story about politics, sports, and how a nation divided by
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race, attempted to reconcile its segregated past and come together in a patriotic display of support for their team, the Springboks.

Carlin sets up the book with a tremendous amount of detail on the major historical events that preceded the end of apartheid including biographical accounts of Nelson Mandela, the Upington 14, the murder of Chris Hani, and much more.

Sports and politics are always mixed together into the cultural fabric of a nation. Rugby in South Africa shares a unique past. As "the opium of the boer," rugby was traditionally the most segregated of all sports in South Africa, it represented the worst of humanity, of the tyranny and endemic white racism that oppressed the black majority. It was therefore significant that Rugby was the sport that would bring the 2 sides together. Mandela understood this, and so therefore Rugby was a critical component in his plan for the healing process. The following quote encapsulates the spirit of the moment:

"The symbolism at play was mind-boggling. For decades, Mandela stood for everything white South Africans most feared; the Springboks jersey had been the symbol, for even longer, of everything black South Africans most hated. Now suddenly, before the eyes of the whole of South Africa... the two negative symbols had merged to create a new one that was positive, constructive, and good. Mandela had wrought the transformation, becoming the embodiment not of hate and fear, but generosity and love." (p 223)

The book is definitely more political background than it is sports. If you're looking for more information about Rugby, the 2005 World Cup, and how they won, "Playing the Enemy" will disappoint. If you're looking for a primer on the life of Nelson Mandela, why he was imprisoned, how he was released, how he became President, and the turmoil and near civil war that followed, this book is for you.
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LibraryThing member getupkid10
Playing the enemy is the story of peace and reconciliation at the intersection of politics and sports. It tells the story of the release of Nelson Mandela from prison, and the nation's move towards democracy. It also tells the story of the Springbok rugby team, and their return to international
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rugby, culminating with the Boks unlikely victory in the 1995 RWC.

In the 1980's, the Springboks, much like the people they represented, were the pariah of the rugby world. Their rivals, New Zealand and Australia, refused to play them for years because of Apartheid. This caused much consternation in the white community and on the team. The players were like many Afrikaaner: politically ignorant and rugby focused. Rugby was the religion of the Afrikaners and the symbol of Apartheid for much of the black community.
After the election in 1994, Mandela knew how important the games were to making "one country". Mandela met with the team and convinced the black community to cheer for the team, and the team learned the anthem Nkosi Sikele, visited Robben Island and played rugby with children in the township. These experiences, coupled with their victories in the tournament made the players realize the important role they played reconciling the nation.

Overall, the book is a beautiful, heart warming, if not mildly simplistic story of what sport can do for a country.
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LibraryThing member docliz
Excellent easy read describing the role rugby played in the peaceful transition of South Africa towards democracy. A fascinating insight into characters that South Africans would know but perhaps not in this much detail.

The political events of this time are well described and he captures the
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prevalent feelings of the times well. People ask where were you when....? I can vividly remember where I was when Chris Hani's death was reported. It was a critical moment in South Africa's history.
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LibraryThing member madknitta
An inspiring story of how one man's persistence in his vision for South Africa won over the nation. The cynical scholar in me wants Carlin to be a little less fawning in his portrait of Mandela---this is an unabashed hagiography---but my better angels tell me to let it be: we don't always have to
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tear people down in the name of "academia." And, I'll admit, I teared up in the final chapters---even though I knew how it ended!

The writing, however, is often awkward and overwrought. Whether stretching a metaphor or twisting a sentence, Carlin can never leave the language well enough alone.
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LibraryThing member Jcambridge
For those with an interest in South Africa and the struggles against apartheid, this will be an interesting and worthwhile read. The movie version of the book was somewhat disappointing -- the producers surely could have found some South African actors to play the lead roles! They also might have
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drawn a larger audience if they'd gone with the book titled rather than with "Invictus".
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LibraryThing member brittlandess
The story begins by introducing what Nelson Mandela is like and who he was. It talks a bit about his usual routine and how it had differed the morning of the rugby match where South Africa would compete against New Zealand in the finals of the Rugby World Cup. It then tells of some people who
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affected his life and their opinions of the day. Next the story tells of how he had created a violent organization that was against the idea that wanted to end the apartheid. After being jailed, this violence changed and he became a peaceful, easier going man. He used the great charisma he had and the skills of his previous jobs to allow him to go through prison much more easily and arrange meetings with some political leaders in order to fulfill his new goal of becoming the first black president of South Africa. His goal, after using his charisma to get on good terms with Kobie Coestsee, a man who had first met Mandela while he was in the hospital, he next sought to charm P. W. Botha, the president of South Africa at the time. Mandela’s goal at the time, for the most part, was for a peaceful end to the apartheid at the very least. He wanted and hoped to attain equality in the segregated nation. Once again, Mandel did well with impressing those who had previously been against his acts. This activated Mandela’s next step to leave jail and work his charms on all whites of South Africa. About a quarter of the way through the book, François Pienaar, a man who was the captain of the Springboks and a man who would help, when Mandela became president, to bring unification of all South Africans by him along with team. As it turns out, François was never really interested and understanding of politics. He had always in younger years thought of rugby as just a sport and enjoyed violence for the sake of violence. This was great due to the fact that rugby is quite a violent sport that was thought to be savage. On February 11, 1990, Mandela was finally released from his sentence and left to make a speech as a free man. This he failed to arrive on time for and fell short of what was expected. He made up for this with a speech at a press conference to charm the world with his charisma, once again taking stage to make a better country. This conference caused some white Africans to believe that a black man would be capable of this internal dispute. Pienaar, who had been watching, no matter how much he wasn’t interested in politics, had been touched by what Mandela had said. Within a month of getting out of prison, Mandela was once again placed in prison, this time with a death sentence. Mandela, in the end, was not executed and was then released from prison. After that, many struggles of the white Africans and black Africans continued and even turned against whites who supported Mandela and his goal for a peaceful end to the fighting and separation. He then started his campaign to become the president of South Africa. Running against F.W. de Klerk, he had initially had little chance at winning. De Klerk would often be better prepared than Mandela and was winning the political campaign since near the beginning. A few days after a debate, De Klerk admitted that he believed that Mandela was a great opponent. Mandela won thanks to the fact that 89% of the votes were that of black Africans. Because of him coming into office, many whites originally thought that they would have to leave. Mandela was able to convince once again his powers of charisma by presenting himself as the kind old man that he was. Mandela and Pienaar finally meet when Mandela calls upon Pienaar for a meeting that would use rugby to unite the separated nation. This was influenced by the first meeting between Mandela and Pienaar where Mandela mentioned the power to influence people, the greatest weapon when being a politician. During the first game of the Rugby World Cup, many people disagreed with the idea of supporting the Springboks because they were a great symbol for the white side of the war on the apartheid. For this, Mandela was booed out of the stadium after having shook hands with each of the players. The key game in this way to uniting the two peoples of South Africa was the final game of the Rugby World Cup where the Springboks went against New Zealand. New Zealand, thought by many to be the likely winner, was quite terrifying and rough with the game. This win, in the end, was the greatest unification process between the two different races. This enrapture towards the game caused many people to become proud of what they believed was a symbol of their previous oppressors. Nelson Mandela succeeded in doing what was thought impossible.
I found that this book was very moving and gave a very understandable perspective on the life of how black Africans were thanks to the apartheid. This book put Nelson Mandela in the light that he deserved for achieving something that had once been thought to be so impossible. This book was a great read that showed the raw emotion which caused the change in South Africa.
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LibraryThing member smetchie
Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and
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tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

-William Ernest Henley
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LibraryThing member RealLifeReading
As I made my way through John Carlin’s Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation, I kept thinking back to the Clint Eastwood-directed, Morgan Freeman- and Matt-Damon starring movie Invictus, which is based on this book. The film was entertaining and thoughtful, although it
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seemed to be a bit more upbeat than I expected, considering that it follows Nelson Mandela from the beginning of his presidency, a time still very fraught with racial tensions in South Africa. Invictus focuses on Mandela and his involvement with the Springboks (the South African rugby team), whom he encouraged his countrymen to support (the Springboks were mostly supported by the Afrikaners, and for many non-whites symbolised white supremacy). The movie mostly suggests these tensions, and makes use of Mandela’s white and black bodyguards to illustrate some of these tensions (not all that effectively).

Reading Playing the Enemy became a game of ‘spot the difference’ for me. For instance, Invictus left the impression on me that prior to winning the 1995 Rugby World Cup, the Springboks were quite a hopeless team (apparently not all that true). They had, for instance, beaten the All Blacks before, as well as Argentina, another strong team, if I remember correctly from the book. Perhaps the biggest tragedy of Invictus was the lack of excitement in their rugby footage! The husband and I were commenting that even an episode of Friday Night Lights has more exciting sports footage than Invictus! And also, the role of team captain Francois Pienaar is played up. The movie portrays it as his idea to have the team learn the new anthem (it was the team manager’s idea). And the team did not react as negatively as the movie suggests, and many of the team members embraced it wholeheartedly, such as James Small, an Englishman who had felt ostracized by his teammates.

More importantly, Playing the Enemy also made me realize just how much was glossed over, or perhaps not even mentioned at all. The violence, the protests, the false arrests, the assassinations, especially of Afrikaners such as the defense attorney working to free the Upington 14 who were accused of killing a black policeman who had fired into a crowd. There wasn’t enough of a sense of this tension, of the background that shocked the world.

But enough about the movie. Movies tend to pale when compared to the book, don’t they? Playing the Enemy is yet another well-written non-fiction book, from which the movie pulled information from just the last few chapters. It sustains one’s interest in a subject that could easily have been bogged down by too much information. (Here I should admit that I am somewhat interested in rugby. Thanks to its colonial past, Singapore does actually have a national rugby team, and so do many of the schools and I have actually seen watched a little rugby – at the Singapore Sevens, although I never thought that I’d ever read a book on rugby.) There are ample interviews with relevant people, which was aided by Carlin’s journalism background (he was The Independent’s South African bureau chief in the late 1990s). The information is well laid out and interspersed with interesting anecdotes and quotes, and he provides plenty of background for ignoramuses like me, who need to a refresher on South Africa’s apartheid history. Unlike the movie, the book wasn’t all about the game. The Rugby World Cup final was the culmination of all this planning, strategic or accidental, so like the firework spectacular at a new year celebration, it gave the world a big bang to wow over. Carlin does a wonderful job capturing the issues, the hostility, introducing a host of other characters but at the same time keeping Mandela very firmly as the main personality, the driving force of these events, both captivating and enigmatic. This is Mandela’s story, this is South Africa’s story, as it very rightly is.

Highly recommended!
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LibraryThing member DCarlin
Loved the movie, 'Invictus'. Hope the book is as good.

August 20/2010
I began reading a few weeks ago. I am afraid that it is not as appealing as the movie; however, I must add that I am not a fan of this genre and generally read for enjoyment.



While the story is interesting it is not engaging as
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far as I am concerned. I prefer the page turners that are totally implausible but fun to read. It is going to be one of those books to be read in-between the escapism books and will be read a few chapters every now and then - unless the tempo of the story increases.



I intend to keep reading as the Mandela/apartheid story is interesting and it never ceases to amaze me that Mandela could survive 27 in prison and be as influential as he has been both in and out of prison.


25/12/2010
As mentioned earlier, this is not my favourite genre. However, I find that there are parts of this story which are truly inspiring and one becomes excited and imagines that more of the same will follow only to be disappointed with further facts and figures of Mandela’s life story and abolition of apartheid.

With around 70 pages left to read I do not intend to make any further posts regarding ‘Playing The Enemy’.

There is enough interest to keep me reading but as has been proven many other times – I am not a fan of this genre!

Merry Christmas to all.

The last 100 pages reminded me of the movie.
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LibraryThing member krazy4katz
I began reading this book after watching the movie "Invictus," which was based on this book. Both movie and book soothed my soul, which was aching from a recent racist event in my community that, fortunately, has been resolved on the side of justice. The book brings out Mandela's special qualities
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of making everyone love him — black or white, you could not sit down with this man and not be drawn in by his ability to make you feel his compassion, his honesty and his love for his deeply divided country. The use of rugby to bring South Africans together — black and white — was pure genius. Mandela the master politician, the comforter-in-chief, the giver of hope, the president of all people, black and white, could be proud to say was their leader. Simply an amazing reversal of destiny after spending 27 years on Robbins Island in a tiny cell. I am so inspired by his political savvy and his ability to extend friendship to people whose entire existence was defined by their hatred of black people. Why 4 stars and not 5? I guess I saw the movie first, which pairs down the book to the essential images. The book takes a while to get through and there are some details that probably didn't need to be there. Still, I loved the story and the man.
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LibraryThing member bookwyrmm
A look at Mandela's political prowess leading up to a seminal rugby match.

Awards

Language

Physical description

274 p.; 24 cm

ISBN

9781843548591

Barcode

91100000176785

DDC/MDS

796.3330964
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