Invictus - Carlin [1]
“It’s one of the greatest sports stories of them all—and John Carlin does the perfect job telling it. . . . Carlin . . . is a wonderful and clever storyteller, as anyone who has read his previous work about Real Madrid . . . will probably agree. This is a brilliant and hugely informative read.”
—BBC
“This inspiring book captures the power of one person to change a nation, and the redemptive, healing force of sports. Invictus offers a message of tenacity and hope that our society needs now more than ever.”
—Dave Grossman, author of On Combat and On Killing
“A stupendously good book.”
—Irish Examiner
“The train of events leading up to what has been called South Africa’s epiphany has long been crying out for a multilayered account and it is to John Carlin’s eternal credit that he has written it. This is not so much a sporting volume as a wonderfully crafted and beautifully written work of modern political history.”
—The Times (London)
“[A] revelatory examination of Nelson Mandela’s political genius . . . a tight, gripping and powerful book that shines a light on a moment of hope, not just for one nation but the whole world. Given Carlin’s cinematic feel for pace and structure, it’s no surprise to learn that a Hollywood movie is coming soon.”
—Daily Express (London)
“This outstanding book is not so much about rugby as about the ability of Mandela to harness the symbolic power of sport. It shows us that sport gains its power not only from the achievements of its players, but also from the dreams of those who watch them.”
—Daily Telegraph (London)
“Very few books match the historical sweep and world shaking urgency of this one.”
—The Independent (London)
“A fascinating story . . . [an] absorbing account.”
—Sunday Telegraph (London)
“[An] excellent book of redemption and forgiveness . . . that depicts how a divided country can be elevated beyond hate and malice to pride and healing.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A new slant on the familiar but always inspiring saga of Mandela’s rise to power.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“Intriguing . . . Nestled within Carlin’s stories are valuable insights into the political genius of Mandela both generally and specifically in his role in converging sport, culture, and politics.”
—Library Journal
PENGUIN BOOKS
INVICTUS
John Carlin is senior international writer for El País, the world’s leading Spanish-language newspaper, and was formerly the U.S. bureau chief for The Independent on Sunday. He has written for numerous other publications, including The New York Times, Wired, Spin, Condé Nast Traveler, and The Observer (UK).
FOR MY SON, JAMES NELSON
PENGUIN BOOKS
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, U.S.A.
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,
Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
Penguin Ireland, 25 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2,
Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd)
Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell,
Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd)
Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park,
New Delhi - 110 017, India
Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632,
New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd)
Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, 24 Sturdee Avenue,
Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
First published in the United States of America as Playing the Enemy by The Penguin Press,
a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. 2008
Published in Penguin Books as Playing the Enemy 2009
This edition published s 2009
Copyright © John Carlin, 2008
All rights reserved
eISBN : 978-1-101-15992-7
CIP data available
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means
without the permission