The Early Years, 1947-72: Early Writings of Mahathir Mohamad

 is a collection of the writings of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad in the tumultuous period before and after the country's Independence . Most of these were published in The Strait Times and its weekend edition, The Sunday Times, from the late 1940s to the early 1970s.

The political essays in this compilation, besides giving an insight into Dr Mahathir's heart and mind, also reveal the inspiration and motivation behind his later actions a Prime Minister of Malaysia of 22 years. Other articles, covering Malay culture, customs and lifestyle, display his ability to look beyond politics at the lighter but no less important side of life, particularly their effects on Malay progress ad nation-building.