With the publication of her landmark bestseller "Paris 1919," Margaret MacMillan was praised as "a superb writer who can bring history to life" ("T...
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reviews
Jun 06, 2008
Perhaps relevent given all the nonsense talk of "appeasement" in today's campaign.
Once again: praise be to MacMillian. Her previous book has singlehandedly overturned the Keynesian interpretation of the Versailles Tready that dominated for some 70 years. Here she gives a tremendous account of everything that went into getting the two titans together, from the grandiose to the rediculous. Each chapter provides the necessary history to give the reader the proper grounding in More...
Once again: praise be to MacMillian. Her previous book has singlehandedly overturned the Keynesian interpretation of the Versailles Tready that dominated for some 70 years. Here she gives a tremendous account of everything that went into getting the two titans together, from the grandiose to the rediculous. Each chapter provides the necessary history to give the reader the proper grounding in More...
Feb 05, 2009
Margaret MacMillan follows Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World (**** Mar/Apr 2003) with another tale of a world-changing encounter. She draws parallel narratives of how the two world leaders met in a momentous (if stilted) handshake, and she peppers her analysis with fascinating details, such as what led to Mao's 1958 decision regarding the offshore islands of Quemoy and Matsu and the American commitment to defend Taiwan. MacMillan's use of flashback (the narrative begins with Nixon's
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Aug 09, 2011
Douglas
rated it: 
Very impressive work by Margaret MacMillan.
The subtitle is The Week That Changed The World, and while that is true, the week itself, in a literal sense really only amounted to both sides trying to save face over Taiwan and to a lesser extent N. Vietnam.
But the meetings, banquets and sight-seeing ultimately led to full diplomatic relations.
Chou en lai is the most interesting of the Big 4 (Chou, Mao, Nixon, Kissenger). I found myself thinking "he has some More...
The subtitle is The Week That Changed The World, and while that is true, the week itself, in a literal sense really only amounted to both sides trying to save face over Taiwan and to a lesser extent N. Vietnam.
But the meetings, banquets and sight-seeing ultimately led to full diplomatic relations.
Chou en lai is the most interesting of the Big 4 (Chou, Mao, Nixon, Kissenger). I found myself thinking "he has some More...
Feb 15, 2009
Roger
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Book gives you insights in one of the significant changes in the relationship with China and the United States. Fully examines all the major players-Nixon, Mao, Henry Kissinger and very importantly Premier Chou En-lai. Lot of historical background information, how the meeting was set up in secret by both sides and a lot of interesting side light to meetings. Cast a new light on the how the relationship between two of the world powers changed. Of the four major power players, Mao was in some way
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Nov 17, 2011
Liam
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"'He would have been a great man had somebody loved him.'" (Kissinger on Nixon, 16)
"'Those writings of mine aren't anything,' Mao said. 'There is nothing instructive in what I wrote.'" (71)
"'He speaks forthrightly -- no beating around the bush, not like the leftists, who say one thing an mean another. ... He is much better than those people who talk about high moral principles while engaging in sinister intrigues. ... There is a man who knows wha More...
"'Those writings of mine aren't anything,' Mao said. 'There is nothing instructive in what I wrote.'" (71)
"'He speaks forthrightly -- no beating around the bush, not like the leftists, who say one thing an mean another. ... He is much better than those people who talk about high moral principles while engaging in sinister intrigues. ... There is a man who knows wha More...
Sep 08, 2009
Terry
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I enjoyed MacMillan's treatment of this important event. Without sugar-coating Nixon's weaknesses, she went into great detail and included Kissinger's and Chou En Lai's important roles. In fact, she probably wrote more pages relating to these two than on Nixon or Mao.
It was enlightening to learn that Kissinger was passing secrets of Soviet security to demonstrate good will, and that he and Nixon did all they could to keep the US State dept out of the event, much to their dismay and a More...
It was enlightening to learn that Kissinger was passing secrets of Soviet security to demonstrate good will, and that he and Nixon did all they could to keep the US State dept out of the event, much to their dismay and a More...
Jan 25, 2009
Tom
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Margaret McMillan's first book since Paris 1919, this one on more recent events leading up to and during Nixon's visit to China. I found it an interesting glimpse into an event that I recall. I was left however still wondering how Nixon, a staunch anti-communist in his earlier political career came to the conclusion that he should open relations with China under Mao. The only reason given was that it acted as a counter balance to the Soviets. While strategically plausible, it nevertheless seems
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Nov 02, 2011
Sarah
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Really interesting. Of course I'd heard vaguely about the opening of China, but this book detailed the complex and delicate negotiations required to get us into China (Nixon and Mao exchanged letters hand carried by the Pakistani ambassador) as well as the stories of the great but troubled diplomats--Nixon, Mao, Kissinger, and Chou--who made it happen.
I was surprised that the famous ping pong match was more spur-of-the moment, and the players more ridiculous, than I expected for such More...
I was surprised that the famous ping pong match was more spur-of-the moment, and the players more ridiculous, than I expected for such More...
Sep 07, 2011
Riley
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This book is a detailed and well-researched account of President Nixon's historic trip to China. But I disagree with its premise: that the move was a bold and brilliant one by Nixon and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger. Really, it was about two decades too late (the United Kingdom recognized China in 1950), and was delayed so long in part because of red-baiting politicos like a younger Nixon. Similarly, and despite his Nobel Peace Prize, Kissinger is one of the villains of modern histo
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Dec 28, 2010
Susan
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Narrated by Barbara Caruso. I enjoyed this book more than I expected to. I remember Nixon's big trip to China and how important it was, but was preoccupied with other things going on in my life during that time period. From this book I learned a few things about Nixon, Pat NIxon, Kissinger, Mao Tse-tung, Chou En-lai, and others involved with this period of history. The author did a nice job of describing the personalities involved during this time. She also gave a context to this time period by
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Jan 08, 2012
Brian
rated it: 
Nixon and Mao provides a great look at how these two enemies came together to begin a rapprochement that would change the dynamic of modern world history and begin to crumble the traditional roles of the Cold War. It would bring a president whose paranoia matched those of the people he negotiated with. Margaret MacMIllain does a superb job of blending together the complex array of issues facing a negotiation with the Chinese. From Kissinger's secret visit via Pakistan to the handshake that More...
Oct 30, 2008
Lucas
rated it:
Any history book that claims to be about a single small span of time of course expends half of the book on context, events years before and after. The time span is a good device that gives the book a focus, and also provides a reason to repeatedly step back from the bigger picture and add details like the type of candy provided by the Chinese hosts to Nixon.
Zhou is apparently pronounced very close to 'Joe', as in 'Zhou the premier of the People's Republic of China'.
I li More...
Zhou is apparently pronounced very close to 'Joe', as in 'Zhou the premier of the People's Republic of China'.
I li More...
Aug 20, 2008
Tiffany
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This book has been riveting to read. All of this history happened during my lifetime.. I was just too small to remember any of it. C said that the only thing that he really didn't like about President Nixon is that the Watergate hearings bumped his favorite program The Flintstones. You can see that point of view I'm sure. Anyway we were young, but are living in a time now where Nixon's opening of China has made great changes in the world we live in today. I honestly don't know that there would h
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Jul 07, 2008
Zach
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The book is an interesting overview of the openning of US-China relations. The author does an effective job of describing all of the events and personalities surrounding the eventual meetings (from ping-pong diplomacy, the logistics of the actual trip, biographies of the major players). Much this has been covered in more detail in other books (biographies of Nixon, Mao, histories of China etc) but the book is interesting and does cover a lot of ground, which helps illustrate the importance of
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Apr 30, 2008
Billy
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In Nixon and Mao, historian Margaret MacMillan weaves a flowing narrative that recounts the events of one historic week for U.S. foreign relations. In February of 1972, Richard Nixon became the first American President to visit China. While isolationism had been China’s overarching foreign policy, a recent Communist overthrow and Mao Tse-tung’s rise to power made this Cold War meeting finally possible. Both Nixon and Mao prided themselves on their abilities as statesmen, and each recognized a
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Aug 04, 2011
Very good overview of one of the most important foreign-policy shifts of the 20th century which set the foundation for inarguably the most important bilateral relationship in political and economic terms in the world today. MacMillan is remarkably impartial in discussing the positive and negative characteristics of both sides, and does a good job exploring not only what happened during that groundbreaking week but setting the stage for that week, investigating the foreign-policy dynamics of the
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Feb 05, 2009
Alex
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One of the best history books Ive ever read. THIS is history as it was experienced. A perfect mixing of backstory alongside the chronology of the two American giants Kissinger and Nixon as they opened contact with Communist China. Totally worth the read, made me wonderfully familiar with a large gap in my historical knowledge. This was an age where the nuances and quirks of diplomacy meant global change in the balance of the chessboard that was the Cold War.
Jun 28, 2010
Billy
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Fascinating account of the Nixon-Mao meetings in 1972. The real meat of the book (CD as it were) are the biographies of all the participants: Nixon, Kissinger, Mao, Zhou En-lai, Pat Nixon, etc.
The structure of the book is somewhat choppy as it constantly goes from an event (i.e., Nixon getting off the plane in Beijing) and then dives into the biography of a major player or the description of a significant prior event. As a result, it is difficult to keep track of what actually hap More...
The structure of the book is somewhat choppy as it constantly goes from an event (i.e., Nixon getting off the plane in Beijing) and then dives into the biography of a major player or the description of a significant prior event. As a result, it is difficult to keep track of what actually hap More...
Feb 13, 2011
Stephen
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While this book is about the event, and the events leading up to Nixon's visit to China, it gives a nice history of the politics of the region. The book gives you a big picture, as well as quite a lot of info on the people involved. The book is quite gentle in its treatment of people. This is an apolitical book. People who dislike Nixon, may feel that he is treated to well in descriptions of him in this book.
May 20, 2009
Seth
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This book was interesting at parts and dragged in others. I really enjoyed the history portions, but they spent way to much time on the week. Mao really seemed to be someone who power had corrupted. The why in which Nixon turned the whole thing into a TV production was creepy, but I guess not surprising. The best parts where the backgrounds of each of the major Chinese players.
Dec 17, 2009
Peter-john
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A solid and unflashy retelling of a well-known event, written by a scholar but with an eye towards a general appeal. Well footnoted, but not for a specialist. MacMillan has a very good sense of the telling detail, like the story of the dog purchased to humanize Nixon, who wouldn't go near him unless bribed copiously with dog biscuits. But the book suffers a bit from a back-and-forth chronology that makes it difficult to follow the week in question; she knows the dates by heart, clearly, but I
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May 31, 2007
Ryan
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This starts well and gets to the brunt of the matter: the meeting with Nixon and Mao. Everything's pretty much down hill from there.
I took a Chinese politics course in college and much of this book is a solid review of 20th century Sino-US relations; later chapters on the Soviet Union, Japan, and the Pakistan-India conflict are too long and, save the info on the USSR, not terribly relevant to the topic.
I like the way MacMillan tells history--anecdote followed by detaile More...
I took a Chinese politics course in college and much of this book is a solid review of 20th century Sino-US relations; later chapters on the Soviet Union, Japan, and the Pakistan-India conflict are too long and, save the info on the USSR, not terribly relevant to the topic.
I like the way MacMillan tells history--anecdote followed by detaile More...
Jun 11, 2011
Marisa
rated it:
1 remember President Nixon's visit to China vaguely, on the periphery of my more youthful interests. I knew it was important because, after all, Walter Cronkite covered it! Now, as an adult, and having travelled to China, it's interesting to look back on this truly historic event as it is portrayed in Margaret MacMillan's book. While she focusses on that one historic summit week (a week which sowed the seeds of a global shift in superpowers), the author branches out and tells us about the person
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May 18, 2009
Flora
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This is a great introduction to Nixon's trip to China, and MacMillan really goes out of her way to describe the main players and their personalities. True, this is not a "hard-core" read, but it gets you good and ready for further reading and branching out. Special props for the detail on Qiao Guanhua, a distant relative.
Aug 24, 2010
Halldór
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This books gives much deeper understanding of Nixon and what motivated him in office. The image provided of Mao makes him appear like a monster. Chou En-lai emerges as a key figure. The relationship (or lack there of) between the White House and the State Department puts envents in a new light.
Apr 07, 2009
Frédérique
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I'm not sure why it says Nixon and Mao on the cover of this book. It was published under the title "Nixon in China" in Canada. I guess maybe that title was taken in the US. Nixon was kind of awesome despite the evil corruption stuff.
Jul 02, 2011
Tom
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The behind-the-scenes Cold War statecraft makes for compelling reading, here. It is plain to me we need to remember the full arc of Nixon's accomplishment and impact is not merely as a criminal conspirator.
Nov 26, 2008
Anna
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Too many important details left out. Like the whole thing was arranged by Nixon's CFR handler Kissinger.
I'm not thinking the whole transfer our wealth to the Chinese has worked out too well.
I'm not thinking the whole transfer our wealth to the Chinese has worked out too well.
Jul 07, 2011
Tom
rated it:
The behind-the-scenes Cold War statecraft makes for compelling reading, here. It is plain to me we need to remember the full arc of Nixon's accomplishment and impact is not merely as a criminal conspirator.
Sep 24, 2009
Jr
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Excellent account of how the Vietnam War ended and how America finally recognized the People's Republic of China. Also shows how paranoid Nixon was!
