Author: Michael Lynch
Publisher: Roli Books
Year: 2004
Language: English
Pages: 265
ISBN/UPC (if available): 817436336X

Description

Was Mao the first Red Emperor or the last great Marxist leader? Mao Zedong was held in awe by his people, being seen by many as a supreme hero who had freed their country. He led a vast social revolution and made China a world power that competed with the Soviet Union as the leader of international socialism.

Michael Lynch presents an engaging and thorough account of Mao’s life and politics, making use of a wealth of primary and secondary sources. He locates Maoism in the broader context of twentieth-century Chinese history, discussing the development of the Chinese Communist party, the creation of the People’s Republic of China and the Cultural Revolution, and the part played by Mao’s China in the Cold war. Details of Mao’s private life as well as his political and philosophical thought add to this diverse picture of the influential leader.

This biography will be essential reading to anyone interested in twentieth-century China and its most memorable figure.

Contents

LIST OF PLATES

LIST OF MAPS

CHRONOLOGY

INTRODUCTION

The young Mao

Mao the communist and Nationalist, 1921-30

Terror and salvation, 1930-35

Mao’s path to power: the Yanan years, 1935-43

From party leader to leader of the nation, 1943-50

Mao the new emperor, 1950-62

The cult of Mao and the cultural revolution,1962-76

Mao and women

Conclusion

Notes

Further Reading

Index