Why am I passionate about this?

I currently teach Chinese studies at the Department of Asian Studies of the University of Adelaide. My publications include several books, and over a hundred book chapters/articles. My book Mandarin Chinese: An Introduction is a standard reference for learners of modern Chinese in English-speaking countries. Two of my books Gao Village: A Portrait of Modern Life in Rural China and Gao Village Revisited: Life of the Rural People in Contemporary China are case studies of Gao Village where I came from. Other books include the Battle of China's Past: Mao and the Cultural Revolution and Remembering Socialist China 1949 ā€“ 1976 which are reassessments of the Mao era and the Cultural Revolution. 


I wrote

Constructing China: Clashing Views of the People's Republic

By Mobo C.F. Gao,

Book cover of Constructing China: Clashing Views of the People's Republic

What is my book about?

For years now, China's economic and political rise has provoked fear--even paranoia--around the world. But how do we get ourā€¦

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

The books I picked & why

Book cover of Mao's China and After: A History of the People's Republic

Mobo C.F. Gao Why did I love this book?

Generally speaking, there is a tendency both in China and the West to view the rise of China as the result of post-Mao reform. Mao is either perceived as a monster at worst or hopeless in economies at best. Deng Xiaoping takes the largest credit for Chinaā€™s spectacular economic takeoff. Meisner is one of the first who presents a balanced view of Chinaā€™s contemporary development, presenting convincing evidence to show that Chinaā€™s industrialization and modernization started in the era of Mao.

By Maurice Meisner,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Mao's China and After as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When MAO'S CHINA first appeared in 1977, it was hailed as the single most useful general volume on recent Chinese history, covering every important question of the time with clarity and amazing insight. Now, Meisner brings the third edition of his definitive work, with new information provided throughout the classic study. Including a whole new section in Part Six, 'Deng Xiaoping and the Origins of Chinese Capitalism: 1976-1998', Meisner assesses the country's uneasy relationship with democracy, socialism and capitalism. Retaining the elegance, lucidity and comprehensiveness he is known for, Meisner moves far beyond his previous work to paint a never-before-seenā€¦


Book cover of Red China's Green Revolution: Technological Innovation, Institutional Change, and Economic Development Under the Commune

Mobo C.F. Gao Why did I love this book?

This book, like Mao and After, credits the era of Mao with far more achievements than they are given by the political and intellectual elite in post-Mao China. This book particularly focuses on the collective system or what was called the Commune and exploits the technical innovation and economic developments under the Commune. This is in total contrast to the accepted wisdom that there was economic stagnation in the era of Mao

By Joshua Eisenman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Red China's Green Revolution as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

China's dismantling of the Mao-era rural commune system and return to individual household farming under Deng Xiaoping has been seen as a successful turn away from a misguided social experiment and a rejection of the disastrous policies that produced widespread famine. In this revisionist study, Joshua Eisenman marshals previously inaccessible data to overturn this narrative, showing that the commune modernized agriculture, increased productivity, and spurred an agricultural green revolution that laid the foundation for China's future rapid growth.

Red China's Green Revolution tells the story of the commune's origins, evolution, and downfall, demonstrating its role in China's economic ascendance. Afterā€¦


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Book cover of Grand Old Unraveling: The Republican Party, Donald Trump, and the Rise of Authoritarianism

Grand Old Unraveling by John Kenneth White,

It didnā€™t begin with Donald Trump. When the Republican Party lost five straight presidential elections during the 1930s and 1940s, three things happened: (1) Republicans came to believe that presidential elections are rigged; (2) Conspiracy theories arose and were believed; and (3) The presidency was elevated to cult-like status.

Longā€¦

Book cover of Telling the Truth: China's Great Leap Forward, Household Registration and the Famine Death Tally

Mobo C.F. Gao Why did I love this book?

The accepted wisdom about the Chinese Great Leap Forward from 1958 to 1961 both in and outside of China is that the Great Leap Forward famine death toll was 30 million. This book challenges this wisdom. The bookā€™s argument is based on the research of Professor Sun Jingxian who is a mathematician, who, after having examined the domestic migration pattern during the period, comes to the conclusion that the famine death toll was about 4 million.

By Yang Songlin, Baohui Xie (translator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Telling the Truth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This book discusses what is often called the "Great Leap Famine", which occurred in China during the years from 1959 to 1961. Scholarly consensus suggests that 30 million Chinese perished. Yang Songlin's book provides an evidence-based, systematic and substantial rebuff, concluding that a much smaller number of deaths can be verified. This book is of interest to scholars of China and Chinese development and politics, economists, and demographers.


Book cover of Afterlives of Chinese Communism: Political Concepts from Mao to Xi

Mobo C.F. Gao Why did I love this book?

The fact that the edited book collects more than 50 worldā€™s renowned scholars in the field is itself unique and worth reading. The other feature of the collection is that each scholar focuses on one topic, or one theme, such as class struggle, global Maoism, or poetry. In other words, each and any reader can find his or her topic of interest. ā€œThe masterful ensemble of essays challenges us to learn from Chinaā€™s socialist past ā€“ its visions, accomplishment, and mistakes ā€“ as we contemplate our possible futuresā€ as commented by one reviewer

By Christian Sorace (editor), Ivan Franceschini (editor), Nicholas Loubere (editor)

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Afterlives of Chinese Communism as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Afterlives of Chinese Communism comprises essays from over fifty world-renowned scholars in the China field, from various disciplines and continents. It provides an indispensable guide for understanding how the Mao era continues to shape Chinese politics today. Each chapter discusses a concept or practice from the Mao period, what it attempted to do, and what has become of it since. The authors respond to the legacy of Maoism from numerous perspectives to consider what lessons Chinese communism can offer today, and whether there is a future for the egalitarian politics that it once promised. Co-published by ANU Press: https://press.anu.edu.au/publications/afterlives-chinese-communism


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Book cover of Need to Know: World War II and the Rise of American Intelligence

Need to Know by Nicholas Reynolds,

The authoritative but accessible history of the birth of modern American intelligence in World War II that treats not just one but all of the various disciplines: spies, codebreakers, saboteurs.

Told in a relatable style that focuses on actual people, it was a New Yorker "Best of 2022" selection andā€¦

Explore my book šŸ˜€

Constructing China: Clashing Views of the People's Republic

By Mobo C.F. Gao,

Book cover of Constructing China: Clashing Views of the People's Republic

What is my book about?

For years now, China's economic and political rise has provoked fear--even paranoia--around the world. But how do we get our information about China, and how are our understandings of it actually produced?

Constructing China presents a detailed examination of the means through which our knowledge of China is created. Rejecting the supposed objectivity of empirical statistics and challenging the assumption of a dichotomy between Western liberal democracy and Chinese authoritarianism, Mobo Gao dissects the political agenda and conceptual framework of commentators on China and urges those on the right and the left alike to be carefully critical of their own views on the nation's politics, economics, and history.

Book cover of Mao's China and After: A History of the People's Republic
Book cover of Red China's Green Revolution: Technological Innovation, Institutional Change, and Economic Development Under the Commune
Book cover of Telling the Truth: China's Great Leap Forward, Household Registration and the Famine Death Tally

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