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3rd out of 22 books
—
21 voters
Mao: The Unknown Story
The most authoritative life of the Chinese leader every written, Mao: The Unknown Story is based on a decade of research, and on interviews with many of Mao’s close circle in China who have never talked before — and with virtually everyone outside China who had significant dealings with him. It is full of startling revelations, exploding the myth of the Long March, and sho...more
Paperback, 864 pages
Published
November 14th 2006
by Anchor
(first published September 1st 2002)
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I was very much looking forward to this highly touted book, as it's widely considered to be the most thorough and in depth study of Mao ever done. It's true, actually. The amount of detail is pretty incredible.
The thing that has been turning me off of this book is that it falls victim a little too much to the author's personal feelings for Mao. I understand that a lot of what he did was atrocious. I just wish that I didn't feel like I was being force fed the author's point of view quite so blata...more
The thing that has been turning me off of this book is that it falls victim a little too much to the author's personal feelings for Mao. I understand that a lot of what he did was atrocious. I just wish that I didn't feel like I was being force fed the author's point of view quite so blata...more
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How do I review a book like this? I don't know, because I have decidedly mixed feelings about Mao myself. Jung Chang wrote the amazing "Wild Swans" biography/autobiography, but her voice there falls far short of the voice here. I'll be honest. It's very, very biased. She presents the work as *factual* when it's not actually quite that factual. Much of her interpretation and statements are based off of things like, "a dear friend of Mao's said..." and yet, the friend is *not* named or referenced....more
I'm going to have to come back to this; it's an exhaustive read. I will say this: I would have given it five stars but for the fact that the writing itself is extremely textbookish. At times, reading it was a chore that ranks up there with getting through John Galt's 60-page speech in Atlas Shrugged. But Mao is so well researched and such an interesting topic, covering a fascinating period in Chinese history ...
Update: If you really are a glutton for punishment and want to read what I really thi...more
Update: If you really are a glutton for punishment and want to read what I really thi...more
Just like when I read Wild Swans byt Jung Chang, there were times when my eyes almost crossed when she is writing of politics and military maneuvers. However, I felt that anyone interested in 20th Century China should read both. There has been some controversy about the accuracy of some of the information, but overall, from what I have read, there is some new information that has been verified (Russia's involvement in Chinese politics during the civil war, for example).
Sometimes, I think Jung C...more
Sometimes, I think Jung C...more
Aug 18, 2007
Andrew Macneil
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone interested in modern history
This is a comprehensive hatchet job on the Western myth of Mao's "making of modern China". It should be read by everyone who grew up in the post-war years, with the recurrent fascination our society had with the internal convulsions of the "People's Republic" and its growing influence on its neighbours.
It is well written - I noticed a few repetitions, but nothing annoying, and it kept my interest throughout.
I'm sure the passion that comes through the book's relentless examination of Mao's beha...more
It is well written - I noticed a few repetitions, but nothing annoying, and it kept my interest throughout.
I'm sure the passion that comes through the book's relentless examination of Mao's beha...more
Jung Chang wrote a beautiful story in Wild Swans, the biograpy of her own family through the Mao era, but this biography she has written of Mao Zedong is flawed in that she clearly lets her overwhelming hatred for what her family went through keep her from being an objective biographer. Chang paints Mao as a monster. He did fail as a leader, but he also did many good things for China. A historian--the role Chang is attempting to assume here--needs to look at all sides of these issues of power an...more
Chang, who was born in China in 1952 and left for Britain in 1978, recounted her family's suffering under Mao in her award-winning Wild Swans (1991). With husband-historian Halliday, she has written a shocking, authoritative account of Mao's life. The authors present evidence that refutes almost every aspect of the Chinese Communist Party's account, from the claim that the Party fought the Japanese to Mao's role in the Long March. Having gleaned indicting information from newly available Chinese
...more
Man, this was a 2 1/2 month project to slog through. That's not to say it isn't a good book, I just had a hard time in the first half when we just have example after example of Mao killing thousands of his own men because he's either scared of losing power, scared of Stalin, scared of Chiang Kai-Shek, or greedy for something or other. It actually gets sort of redundant.
The book really picks up in the second half when things get considerably more interesting with the Russians and when, little by...more
The book really picks up in the second half when things get considerably more interesting with the Russians and when, little by...more
At first, I was put off by the heavily polemical style and constant sneers at Mao. But I pushed on, and I'm glad that I did. Read the book, not as academic history or as a scientific investigation, but more as a bill of indictment. Chang and Halliday spent ten years digging up an extraordinary wealth of material, and I doubt anyone will ever match what they have done. They had access to Russian archival material and various aging eye-witnesses in China that have not been available to previous hi...more
This book is anti-Mao, for sure, but from what I've read in other books, that seems to be justified. Mao is responsible for the worst man-made famine in all of history--30 million people died. He caused the deaths of more people than Hitler and Stalin put together. A lot of people don't know that because it isn't part of Western history, but it is true. My only problem with the book was the exhaustive detail. Sometimes it was just too much. But I found it well-researched and informative.
With this book, I learned to really hate the man. Time after time he has the chance to be a decent human being, and instead purposefully goes into further cruelty and depravity. If given a trial, he'd likely be unable to have insanity as a defense, which is both amazing and further horrifying.
Approaching the end of this book, I thought Mao would mellow (with 75 pages left, supposedly this happens around the time he meets Nixon), and I became happy at the idea, but around page 500 I learned othe...more
Approaching the end of this book, I thought Mao would mellow (with 75 pages left, supposedly this happens around the time he meets Nixon), and I became happy at the idea, but around page 500 I learned othe...more
Jung Chang and her husband are both respected university professors who attempt to present a biography over 20 years in the making. Every comment in their book is also extensively sourced with a bibliography at the end that illuminates they extensive span of their work. The problem is readership be it by academics or otherwise fails to differentiate that the book is not her opinion but rather a collection of other authors facts, many of them from unclassified documents in Russian KGB archives. U...more
"Mao, The Unknown Story" Jung Chang and Jon Halliday. 2005. In modern day China, Chairman Mao is well respected by many for his eloquent poetry, advancement of women's rights and sweeping economic reforms. Mao could very well be considered the most influential person of all time. I am usually suspect of a book with the words "unknown story" in the title, but in this case it is well founded considering the extensive research involved, including new information available following the collapse of...more
Nov 26, 2012
Alexander
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Modern Asian Historic Studies
Recommended to Alexander by:
Nodoby
I knew this little man was bad and corrupt to a point, and I expected to be taken for a ride through his life and times, politics, effects on his countrymen and so on. I had no idea that this guy was an inspiration for the types of Pol Pot. Other realisations: I didn't know that ...
- sitting on a pile of newspapers, some of which may have included a picture of Mao, was a *capital* offence. You'd never sit anywhere again if you survived the initial 'blast'.
- during the war, he decided that it wa...more
- sitting on a pile of newspapers, some of which may have included a picture of Mao, was a *capital* offence. You'd never sit anywhere again if you survived the initial 'blast'.
- during the war, he decided that it wa...more
This is a detailed biography of Mao that is well researched, thorough, and well written. I liked the book and found it consistent with much of my prior reading on Mao and post 1949 China.
Why only three stars? Well, I generally prefer biographies that are critical and I really respect authors who are unafraid to take a critical stance towards their subject. Having said that, this author really really really does not like Mao. I do not recall a single positive statement of any length that was appr...more
Why only three stars? Well, I generally prefer biographies that are critical and I really respect authors who are unafraid to take a critical stance towards their subject. Having said that, this author really really really does not like Mao. I do not recall a single positive statement of any length that was appr...more
This is a fascinating, exhaustively researched, and mostly convincing account. The authors do not pretend to be "objective," and especially in the early stages of the book, before Mao achieves real power, this can come across as heavy-handed. Not only did Mao kill millions, but he also was a self-absorbed young scholar, a cad with women, and callous toward his dying mother. However, these assertions are well supported. And considering Mao's role in history, a book that seeks to hold him accounta...more
Mao:The Unknown Story is a very interesting and inspirational book written by Jung Chang, which describes events about China's previous communist leader : Mao Zedong.
The Unknown Story is about China's previous communist leader Mao Zedong and the many events and calamities in which surrounded his leadership.
The Unknown Story is a very interesting and inspirational book and it describes from a first person point of view the views on Mao Zedong and his leadership from people across China, it descri...more
The Unknown Story is about China's previous communist leader Mao Zedong and the many events and calamities in which surrounded his leadership.
The Unknown Story is a very interesting and inspirational book and it describes from a first person point of view the views on Mao Zedong and his leadership from people across China, it descri...more
Clearly written to puncture the hundreds of fabricated details of Mao's rise and reign, the biography too often has the feel of a vendetta. The horror of Mao's leadership - sadistic, cruel, sickening...the modifiers could be endless - should shock us all, and the Chang and Halliday have done a remarkable service in producing this incredibly detailed book based on hundreds of interviews and source texts. Scholars will come back to their research again and again and again. I do feel, though, that...more
This was quite the read, it was detailed and at many times long winded, but most importantly it painted a picture of who Mao really was. It pulls no punches when dealing with him, the authors due give him his due when he showed small shreds of humanity that were usually directed at few in his family. I once had the definition of a sociopath explained to me. The sociopath doesn't like you for you, but rather likes you for what you can provide to them; and once you don't have anything more to offe...more
A minutely researched story of how Mao came-to and stayed-in power, with a lot of behind the scenes information, detailed accounts from diplomatic meetings and interviews of people who came into contact with him.
Is it well written? It’s good, but not outstanding, and it feels biased. There is a wealth of interesting information on how his regime functioned, but Mao as a person doesn’t come fully through. There are some repetitions, some things are unclear, some information seems willfully omitte...more
Is it well written? It’s good, but not outstanding, and it feels biased. There is a wealth of interesting information on how his regime functioned, but Mao as a person doesn’t come fully through. There are some repetitions, some things are unclear, some information seems willfully omitte...more
This book is a superb work of biography. Mao Zedong was one of the political protagonists of the 20th century not for being a statesman but for having been a ruthless dictator, obsessed with power. Over 70 million people died of famine, drought, neglect and political persecution during his reign and Mao is directly or indirectly responsible for every single one of those deaths. Two examples jump to mind from the book that illustrates the devastation suffered under his rule. The Great leap forwar...more
An incredible achievement. This book details Mao in a way that has probably never been done before, showing us the true monster underneath the nowadays somewhat romanticized version of the 'Great Leader' of China from 1946 until his death. Make no mistake, this man was a disgraceful human being. Everything he ever undertook in his regretably long life was for personal gain and he would stop at nothing to achieve it. He honestly believed that he was capable of taking over the world, and in the ho...more
This behemoth of a book delves deeply into the life of Mao. Lots of research and information is woven into a piece that reads both like a tale and a history book at the same time. While you may be overwhelmed with information, it doesn’t feel like a burden.
The authors do not paint a pretty picture at all of Mao and his exploits. Is this fair depiction of him? Or is the story told completely slanted?
Either way, I came away with lots of information, a better understanding in what happened in China...more
The authors do not paint a pretty picture at all of Mao and his exploits. Is this fair depiction of him? Or is the story told completely slanted?
Either way, I came away with lots of information, a better understanding in what happened in China...more
Sebagai sebuah biografi, buku ini sangat mudah diikuti, karena setiap babnya merupakan periodesasi usia Mao yang dikaitkan dengan peristiwa-peristiwa khusus dalam periode tersebut. Misalnya saja pada bab Menjadi Orang Komunis, dituliskan periode ini terjadi pada tahun 1920-1925, di usia 17-26, lalu Bersaing dengan Stalin dituliskan terjadi pada tahun 1947-1949, pada usia 53-55. Cara seperti ini akan memudahkan pembaca untuk mengetahui perkembangan pemikiran sampai perubahan-perubahan orientasi p...more
It took me two years to read this book and I now wish I had read it more quickly so that I could have the understanding of Chairman Mao that I was missing. I wanted to read this book because we know so little about anything in the East. China is a virtual nonsubject in school. I believe that we need to know what happened in the recent history of China. We need to know that 70 million people died--in peacetime--during Mao's dictatorship. I think everyone needs to read this book.
As for the book it...more
As for the book it...more
A remarkable accomplishment... This book sorts out a lot of below the surface stuff that had been covered over by deliberate distortions, and the story is even more shocking than many of us might have thought.
The greatest puzzle historically remains how come the Chinese were not able to capitalize more on the amazing history of inventions and high culture which are woven throughout their long history, and that answer is likely to be closely related to the question why a sadistic, Macchiavellian...more
The greatest puzzle historically remains how come the Chinese were not able to capitalize more on the amazing history of inventions and high culture which are woven throughout their long history, and that answer is likely to be closely related to the question why a sadistic, Macchiavellian...more
I can remember a time when a certain type of student (usually the smelly hippie communist type) though that Mao Tze-Tung was in some way "cool." Anyone who finishes Mao, by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday will be swiftly disabused of that view.
In the book, Mao comes across as a psychopathic schemer who will do anything to anyone to get where he needs to go. This includes killing anyone or anything in his way.
It's a good book but I would point out two things. Firstly it gets really depressing after a...more
In the book, Mao comes across as a psychopathic schemer who will do anything to anyone to get where he needs to go. This includes killing anyone or anything in his way.
It's a good book but I would point out two things. Firstly it gets really depressing after a...more
This biography is the result of extensive and meticulous research into the life of this very controversial historical figure. I read it because I did not want to read a whitewashed version of Mao's life but one that sought to accurately chronicle his life. According to this book, Mao was a totally narcissistic individual who always sought to have his own way and to live for himself. He craved power and was willing to do anything to get it, scheming endlessly, ruthlessly using others for his own...more
Vermutlich die definitive Biographe über Mao. Erschienen 2005 hat diese umfangreiche, detailreiche Arbeit den Vorteil, auf Quellen zurückzugreifen, die früher nicht zur Verfügung standen und die daher ausführlich herangezogen werden: sowjetisch/russische Akten. Hinzu treten Darstellungen inzwischen im Westen lebender Chinesen, die selbst teilweise Führungspositionen in der KPCH innehatten. Fazit: Mao war Diktator, hat das Land ohne Rücksicht auf Massenelend in die Moderne katapultiert, war vor a...more
Хэний ч мэдэхгүй Мао, түүхэн зохиол гэхээс илүү шар сонин шиг санагдав.
Яахав, хааяа бидний мэддэггүй зүйл гардаг, гэхдээ тэр нь нээх олон биш. Энэ номонд яагаад ийм байсан гэхээс илүү Мао ямар муу, адгийн хүн байсныг ихэвчлэн харуулна. Муулахдаа баримтуудаа тосгоны хүн, Маод ажилж байсан хүн, Маог харж байсан хүн гэх мэт дам ярианаас ишлэн татсан байх жишээтэй. Нэрээ Мао муу хүн байсан байх, зүгээр арай хэтрүүлсэн юм шиг санагдсан. Зохиолч нь Маод ёстой дургүй байсан юм байна л гэж ойлгосон.
Ном...more
Яахав, хааяа бидний мэддэггүй зүйл гардаг, гэхдээ тэр нь нээх олон биш. Энэ номонд яагаад ийм байсан гэхээс илүү Мао ямар муу, адгийн хүн байсныг ихэвчлэн харуулна. Муулахдаа баримтуудаа тосгоны хүн, Маод ажилж байсан хүн, Маог харж байсан хүн гэх мэт дам ярианаас ишлэн татсан байх жишээтэй. Нэрээ Мао муу хүн байсан байх, зүгээр арай хэтрүүлсэн юм шиг санагдсан. Зохиолч нь Маод ёстой дургүй байсан юм байна л гэж ойлгосон.
Ном...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Tough Read, but worth it | 11 | 40 | Jun 24, 2008 07:10pm |
Jung Chang (simplified Chinese: 张戎; traditional Chinese: 張戎; pinyin: Zhāng Róng; Wade-Giles: Chang Jung, born March 25, 1952 in Yibin, Sichuan) is a Chinese-born British writer now living in London, best known for her family autobiography Wild Swans, selling over 10 million copies worldwide but banned in mainland China.
See also ユン チアン.
More about Jung Chang...
See also ユン チアン.
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