Download or read book The Last Trek-- a New Beginning written by Frederik Willem De Klerk and published by St Martins Press. This book was released on 1999 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Last Trek -- A New Beginning is a frank and revealing autobiography that reflects both the author and his role during a remarkable period in history. On becoming State President of South Africa in 1989, F. W. de Klerk set about dismantling apartheid. By releasing Nelson Mandela from prison in February 1990, he set in motion a chain of events which would lead to the first fully democratic elections in South Africa's history. This is the long-awaited inside story of the South African miracle by the man who sacrificed his own power to make it happen. De Klerk relates numerous anecdotes, personal behind-the-scenes observations and impressions of Mandela as well as other figures who have dominated recent South African history. He also provides a fascinating insight into the workings of power and the mechanics of historic change.