Mao Zedong

by Delia Davin

Mao Zedong—first chairman of the People’s Republic of China, one of the founders of the Chinese Communist Party, and the architect of the Cultural Revolution—was active in Chinese politics for most of his 82 years, and became one of the most important revolutionary figures in the 20th century. He spent the 1920s and 1930s struggling to build the Party. After the establishment of the People’s Republic, he strove to impose his vision of socialism on his impoverished country, convinced that if the power of the people could be harnessed China could become an economically successful and egalitarian country. The Great Leap Forward which he initiated was, however, a disaster resulting in millions of deaths. Mao used the Cultural Revolution to re-impose his authority, his critics were persecuted, and a personality cult was fostered. His Little Red Book sold more than 740 million copies. Here an eminent historian offers the reader a powerful insight into the life and work of this unique man.

Genres: China, History, Nonfiction, Biography

136 pages, Paperback

First published September 25, 1997

Reviews

[Matthew Devereux ∞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this out of the local library because I wanted to learn a little more about Mao Zedong and his life and work and it was pretty short so rather attractive. It is a slim biography of him taking in his early life and then role as Chinese leader and it is pretty balanced and doesn't take one side or the other particularly in terms of appraising him. Personally I would have written that he was a monster who was responsible for a brutal authoritarian regime and the deaths of millions but there you go. It spent quite a lot focusing on his private life with his different wives and multiple mistresses which added a human dimension to the discussion of political matters. It is very strange to me how his image has become a commodity - the final part of the conclusion mentions this - so that for example a restaurant in Woking has Warhol prints of him adorning its walls which personally puts me off eating there. An interesting book but because short not great on detail.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

basic, but useful - as he is someone I knew very little about.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

i'm really only listing this because i want to keep track of everything i read this year. it's one of those super-introductory "pocket biographies." it got the job done, but it's nothing special. suited my purposes, etc. i'm not sure why i even bothered rating it.

having finished this, i'm still totally perplexed by the enthusiasm for mao in the 60's-70's (by jean luc godard, for example). or the remaining enthusiasm for him by, say, alain badiou. i kind of hate militarism, and i'm getting less and less concerned with whether it comes from the right or the left.

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a short introductory biogrpahy of Mao Zedong. Despite its brevity and easiness to read, it has a lot of great information and still manages to tell the story of his complicated and sometimes confusing life in historical contexts. Not only is Mao's life explained, but his legacy and the conditions surrounding his life are detailed, too, in concise terms.

[Rui Igreja · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short biography of Mao Zedong.

[Tomas Aleksander Tjomsland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kort og grei biografi om Mao.