Jacob who? Mandela takes refuge in the fog of age

It was conceived as standard pre-election pap, a photo opportunity to show the caring side of the nation's most powerful man.But as it happened the date was September 11, 2001 and the picture flashed around the world was not the anodyne intended one. Instead, it was one taken in the seconds after an aide had whispered in his ear the stunning news of the World Trade Centre under terrorist attack.

This memorable image, endlessly juxtaposed in the media with images of the collapsing towers, was of a stunned, confused, probably scared president, holding the book he was 'reading' upside down, and trying to process what had just happened to the mightiest nation on earth. Invisibly etched across his furrowed brow was the thought: 'What the f*ck do I do next?'