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The Party: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers Paperback – Illustrated, July 31, 2012
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“A masterful depiction of the party today. . . . McGregor illuminates the most important of the contradictions and paradoxes. . . . An entertaining and insightful portrait of China’s secretive rulers.” —The Economist
“Few outsiders have any realistic sense of the innards, motives, rivalries, and fears of the Chinese Communist leadership. But we all know much more than before, thanks to Richard McGregor’s illuminating and richly-textured look at the people in charge of China’s political machinery. . . . Invaluable.” — James Fallows, National Correspondent for The Atlantic
In this provocative and illuminating account, Financial Times reporter Richard McGregor offers a captivating portrait of China’s Communist Party, its grip on power and control over China, and its future.
China’s political and economic growth in the past three decades has been one of astonishing, epochal dimensions. The most remarkable part of this transformation, however, has been left largely untold—the central role of the Chinese Communist Party. McGregor delves deeply into China’s inner sanctum for the first time, showing how the Communist Party controls the government, courts, media, and military and keeps all corruption accusations against its members in-house. The Party’s decisions have a global impact, yet the CCP remains a deeply secretive body, hostile to the law and unaccountable to anyone or anything other than its own internal tribunals. It is the world’s only geopolitical rival of the United States, and is primed to think the worst of the West.
- Print length336 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateJuly 31, 2012
- Dimensions6 x 0.84 x 9 inches
- ISBN-100061708763
- ISBN-13978-0061708763
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“A masterful depiction of the party today. . . . McGregor illuminates the most important of the contradictions and paradoxes. . . . An entertaining and insightful portrait of China’s secretive rulers.” — The Economist
“A fascinating and ambitious book. . . . Revealing. . . . McGregor lays bare the secretive machinery of the party, how it operates far more pervasively in public life and commerce than many suspect.” — Forbes
“McGregor does a persuasive job of sketching how communist the country really still is. . . . Anyone who wants to understand more about China would be well advised to pick up McGregor’s book. — Newsweek
“As informative as it is entertaining. . . . China has been transformed. There is no denying it. The system that takes the credit is brilliantly described by McGregor.” — The Financial Times
“Astute. . . . A sober, realistic book. . . . A readable guide to how China is governed.” — Bloomberg
“Richard McGregor has penned a detailed look at the Chinese Communist Party that is must reading for U.S. officials and China affairs specialists who profess to be perplexed at why the regime in Beijing consistently operates like a Soviet-style communist dictatorship and not a Western-style democracy.” — The Washington Times
“Fascinating. . . . The Party examines the intricate relationship between the Communist Party and the Chinese government, exposing how a political machine subverts the will to properly govern a billion people.” — Esquire
“A careful, highly well-informed and entertaining account of China’s ruling class, chronicling the country’s 30-year rise to major economic power despite high levels of poverty.” — The Associated Press
“A compelling exploration of the world’s largest and most successful political machine.” — Isabel Hilton, New Statesman
“Richard McGregor is one of the best foreign journalists who have ever reported from China. The Party draws on more than a decade of his superb reporting there, showing his keen eye for the telling detail that penetrates the veil of secrecy about how the Communist Party rules China, how it keeps track of its members, how it keeps the military under control, and how it penetrates business. A fine contribution for those who want to know about the rising power they will face in the decades ahead.” — Ezra Vogel, Professor Emeritus, Harvard University
“Superb in its depiction and demystification of the most important force at work in China today. Essential , riveting guide to how the rising power really works.” — Jonathan Fenby, author of The Penguin History of Modern China
“This is a marvellous and finely written study of how China is really run, and how its strange but successful system of Leninist capitalism really works. It should be read by anyone doing business with or just trying to understand China.” — Bill Emmott, former editor of The Economist
“Illuminating and richly-textured. . . . The Party will be invaluable for anyone trying to make sense of China’s future plans and choices. It has certainly enriched my own understanding of the country.” — James Fallows, National Correspondent for The Atlantic
“Richard McGregor is one of the best foreign journalists who have ever reported from China. The Party is a fine contribution for those who want to know about the rising power they will face in the decades ahead.” — Ezra Vogel, Professor Emeritus, Harvard University
“An engrossing read. . . . McGregor’s is a vivid narrative, sprinkled with humour and insightful analysis, of how the party has imprinted itself on almost every aspect of life in China, and how it has maintained its stranglehold on power.” — The South China Morning Post
“An illuminating and important new book. . . . A lively and penetrating account of a party that, since its founding in Shanghai as a clandestine organization in 1921, has clung to secrecy as an inviolable principle.” — The Washington Post
“An extraordinary book . . . with details never published before. . . . McGregor has done a terrific job of parting the curtains. . . . This book has come out at the right moment.” — The Sunday Times (London)
“Masterful. . . . McGregor’s book is proof that for all of its secretive tendencies, the Party and its power can be usefully analyzed. . . . An accessible introduction to the Party’s power in today’s China.” — Ian Johnson, The New York Review of Books
“Fascinating. . . . Illuminating. . . . Mr. McGregor guides readers through recent events in China, teasing out what each tells us about the Party’s role. . . . Reading this primer will help foreigners better navigate the hidden political shoals of the Chinese business world.” — The Wall Street Journal
From the Back Cover
In this provocative and illuminating account, Richard McGregor offers a captivating portrait of China’s Communist Party, its grip on power and control over China, and its future.
China’s political and economic growth in the past three decades has been one of astonishing, epochal dimensions. The most remarkable part of this transformation, however, has been left largely untold—the central role of the Chinese Communist Party. In The Party, Richard McGregor delves deeply into China’s inner sanctum for the first time, showing how the Communist Party controls the government, courts, media, and military and keeps all corruption accusations against its members in-house. The Party’s decisions have a global impact, yet the CCP remains a deeply secretive body, hostile to the law and unaccountable to anyone or anything other than its own internal tribunals. It is the world’s only geopolitical rival of the United States, and is primed to think the worst of the West.
About the Author
Richard McGregor is a reporter for the Financial Times and the publication’s former China bureau chief. He has reported from North Asia for nearly two decades and lives in Washington, D.C.
Product details
- Publisher : Harper Perennial; Reprint edition (July 31, 2012)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 336 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0061708763
- ISBN-13 : 978-0061708763
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.84 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #185,201 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #63 in Non-US Legal Systems (Books)
- #159 in Asian Politics
- #222 in Chinese History (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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Customers find the book insightful and informative. They describe it as readable and well-written, providing a clear overview of Chinese politics. The book touches on some history and background of modern China. Readers appreciate the author's view and eye-opening perspective. The book provides a well-rounded and effective view of the key decision-making body. However, opinions differ on the storytelling style - some find it compelling and fascinating, while others feel it spends too much time discussing useless details.
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Customers find the book insightful and informative. They appreciate the author's insider perspective and in-depth overview of power circles. The book provides an understanding of current Chinese political life and is essential reading for anyone dealing with China or its impact on the world.
"...In the process, the Party has pulled off a remarkable political feat, somehow managing to hitch the power and legitimacy of a communist state to the..." Read more
"...The chapters on the Shanghai Gang are also very informative as it allows the reader to understand the massive struggle Xi Jinping must of had..." Read more
"...After reading this one gets a better perspective on how the party operates, the stresses that it deals with, how it has adapted in the past and..." Read more
"...Highly pragmatic, cynical, and adaptive, the Party has succeeded in the last three decades in linking the power and legitimacy of a communist state..." Read more
Customers find the book readable and engaging. They appreciate the clear explanation of the Communist Party's structure and motivations. The book is structured in a fair manner and provides perspective into how the party operates. Readers say it's a must-read to gain perspective into Chinese politics.
"...And the author does this in a very effective manner - well organized, well researched, and well sourced...." Read more
"...It is a must read to gain perspective into how the communist party operates and how it sees things." Read more
"This is a very readable, fascinating book that puts together what a lot of people who pay any attention to China already know - yet perhaps fail to "..." Read more
"...the institutional workings of a massive, nimble, confusing, calculating organization that influences the daily lives of over a billion people...." Read more
Customers find the book provides an excellent overview of the history and background of modern China. They find it one of the best contemporary histories of modern China and the Party that runs China. While it provides some historical detail, it focuses on major events in the past 10 years. Overall, readers appreciate the book's ability to put trends in context and provide a basis for further research.
"This is an excellent review of the history of the party...." Read more
"...Along these lines, the book is relatively light on historical detail. It's more about individual stories and how they reflect greater trends...." Read more
"...Then along comes 'The Party', one of the best contemporary histories of modern China and of the Party that runs China...." Read more
"...the players within the power circles in China, it also touches on some history and background of how some of the most important players came to be..." Read more
Customers find the book provides a well-rounded and in-depth view of the key decision-making body. They say it's eye-opening, with a gripping style intended to paint a picture and tell a story.
"...or planning to live in China as this book provides a very well-rounded view of the key decision making body that is present throughout all aspects..." Read more
"...Rather it is the gripping style, intended to paint a picture and tell a story rather than lecture...." Read more
"Is China really communist? This book offers an excellent view of the ruling elite...." Read more
"...The author is an exceptional observer and had shrew view and great access to some insiders...." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's effectiveness. They find it well-organized and the central premise that the CCP works hard and succeeds.
"...And the author does this in a very effective manner - well organized, well researched, and well sourced...." Read more
"...well as the way in which it governs and integrates itself then this serves perfectly...." Read more
"...The central premise is that the CCP works very hard, and largely successfully, to stay behind the scenes, and to run the country through nominal..." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's flexibility. They mention long-term motivations, abuse of the Chinese, and the Mainland being persistent and pervasive.
"...But the system has also proved to be flexible and protean enough to absorb everything that has been thrown at it, to the surprise and horror of many..." Read more
"...that the current party in power on the Mainland is persistent, flexible, and completely pervasive." Read more
"...author's view, showing clarity of structure, long term motivations, flexibility and abuses of the Chinese Communist Party...." Read more
Customers have different views on the storytelling. Some find it compelling and informative with fascinating anecdotes. They say the book gets to the core of the issue. Others feel the stories are not as interesting, the author spends too much time discussing useless details, and the book leaves out important subjects like Falun Gong, North Korea, and fishing boats. Overall, opinions vary on whether the storytelling is engaging or superficial reporting from a foreign reporter on a limited period.
"...It's more about the institutional workings of a massive, nimble, confusing, calculating organization that influences the daily lives of over a..." Read more
"...It also leaves out some important subjects like Falun Gong, North Korea and Fishing boat disputes in the sea of Japan...." Read more
"...The book is brimming with fascinating anecdotes to back up its claims...." Read more
"...The author tells a very plain truth which we , as local Chinese , some time not even think about , that " there's god everywhere in China " , just..." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2014There is no need to add to the praise of McGregor's work other than to say he brought with him a Sovietologist background when he turned to the Chinese Communist Party that allowed him to see what many others have missed and that is the core embedded Leninist principles as the foundation of the CCP's mode of operation at all levels of activity. As the term Communist has been washed away in western dialog about the Peoples Republic of China McGregor never makes that mistake. His work is a brilliant analysis of the strengths and weakness of the system and he lists the many forecasts that have been made of its inevitable demise but it is worth quoting his final conclusions.
"It has always been easy to construct scenarios under which the Party loses power. A financial crisis was a favoured one for years. As it turned out, the great financial crisis of the early twenty-first century came to symbolize the eclipse of the west, and China's rise, rather than the other way round.
... Within China, the country's distinctive system is not a source of concern. Rather, it is played up as a point of pride. The Global Times, the nationalistic tabloid owned by the People's Daily, the Party's mouthpiece, trumpets how China's rise has ended the post-Cold-War `unilateral' world lorded over by the USA. `The biggest contribution that China has made to world politics is that through revolution, reform and development China has shown the world that the Western model is not the only way to modernize,' it said in an opinion piece in October 2009. `China has also demonstrated that the non-Western world does not necessarily follow the West's footsteps.' The editorial captured a longtime article of faith in China that is only now becoming evident in a western world still recuperating from the financial crisis. The end of the Cold War did not mean the end of history after all. The Chinese communist system is, in many ways, rotten, costly, corrupt and often dysfunctional. The financial crisis has added a dangerous dash of hubris to the mix. But the system has also proved to be flexible and protean enough to absorb everything that has been thrown at it, to the surprise and horror of many in the west. In the absence of democratic elections and open debate, it is impossible to judge popular support for the Party with any degree of accuracy. But it is indisputable since Mao's death that the twin foundations of the Party's power-economic growth and resurgent nationalism-have been strengthened. China has long known something that many in developed countries are only now beginning to grasp, that the Chinese Communist Party and its leaders have never wanted to be the west when they grow up. For the foreseeable future, it looks as though their wish, to bestride the world as a colossus on their own implacable terms, will come true."
This is 2014, the year another approach by Neo-Marxist analysts* list as the likely date of the collapse of the Chinese economy for its similarities to western capitalists systems.
They might reevaluate all their conclusions regarding China if they were to see what McGregor was capable of seeing; a mixed economy with a dynamic non-state sector harnessed to a vibrant state sector like no other communist model.
To quote again: "The Party's genius has been its leaders' ability in the last three decades to maintain the political institutions and authoritarian powers of old-style communism, while dumping the ideological straitjacket that inspired them. The Party's conscious retreat from the private lives of Chinese citizens over the same period had a similarly liberating effect on society. The dehumanization of everyday life that characterized traditional communist societies has largely disappeared in China, along with the food queues. In the process, the Party has pulled off a remarkable political feat, somehow managing to hitch the power and legitimacy of a communist state to the drive and productivity of an increasingly entrepreneurial economy.
The visible hand of the state and the invisible hand of the market, far from being contradictory, are made to complement and reinforce each other."
* See Endless Crisis: How Monopoly-Finance Capital Produces Stagnation and Upheaval from the USA to China
Foster, John Bellamy; McChesney, Robert W. W. (2012-09-01)
- Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2015This is one of the most well researched and chronicled books on the impact that the Communist Party has over all things in China. The author has meticulously researched (from Chinese and non-Chinese sources) the topic and the major structures of one of the most closed, opaque political systems in the world.
Even though the central leadership, standing committee memberships and politburo has changed (as of 2012), this is still highly relevant to many of the themes that the Party continues to struggle with and confront. This includes the growing middle class and income disparity, State-Owned versus Private Corporation governance, environmental issues, the major anti-corruption campaign underway. And this books helps understand why these dominate the party, and why the party behaves the way it does. And the author does this in a very effective manner - well organized, well researched, and well sourced. The chapters on the Shanghai Gang are also very informative as it allows the reader to understand the massive struggle Xi Jinping must of had (continues to have) in installing his key officials into key posts that will help him with his policy agenda.
Highly recommend this for anyone doing business in China (or with Chinese companies), travelling or planning to live in China as this book provides a very well-rounded view of the key decision making body that is present throughout all aspects of life in this interesting country.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2010Politics in China can be often opaque to foreigners. In some sense it is surprising the lack of literature on the Chinese Communist Party and the means in which it functions, but as illustrated in this book, much happens behind closed doors. If one wants an introduction to the party as well as the way in which it governs and integrates itself then this serves perfectly. After reading this one gets a better perspective on how the party operates, the stresses that it deals with, how it has adapted in the past and what it is dealing with today.
The Party uses both example and commentary to show by example how the Party is behind some of the major business decisions of recent history. It gives examples of how the Party directly influences some of the biggest corporates on the planet. In particular the rotation of the CEOs of the 3 biggest chinese telco operators was done behind closed doors without consultation with the public. It discusses Chalco's impact on disrupting one of the biggest potential mergers in modern business history (Rio and BHP), as such a merger would shift bargaining power of mineral prices away from consumer (china) and towards producer. Its actions need to be assessed through the lense of an entity who is both asserting and preserving its power as well as protecting its sovereign interests.
The Party also discusses the internal stresses faced by the communist party. With the phenomenal success of the chinese economy and the wealth that has been created with growth comes greater competition between the lure of the party, and the desire for commercial wealth. This stress has been a source of corruption and rent seeking. With economies directed from the bottom up with preferential state lending, the position of power of local authorities can and is used for personal benefit. The party it is argued acknowledges and accepts this. It must deal with both punishing examples to show vigilance but realizing that removing the rents that are recieved with political power would remove the incentive to join and thus would promote instability.
Overall this is a fascinating overview of how the Chinese Communist Party operates and what it has to deal with. It has had to adapt quickly, and the stresses it is dealing with will likely intensify over time. The way in which the party maintains its power is on a tightrope in which differences in opinion within the party are abundant. Nonetheless they have so far been able to form consensus and progress despite their differences. It is the ability to unify and come to consensus that has taken them this far, despite some near break points. Whether that will continue to be the case, time will tell, but as an overview on what is happening today and some of the solutions the party has crafted, this book is excellent. It is a must read to gain perspective into how the communist party operates and how it sees things.
Top reviews from other countries
- Fesses De TonnerreReviewed in Canada on August 8, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful!
Book goes into some detail regarding the mix of politics and culture that is Chinese communism.
- Sunil MumbaiReviewed in India on July 21, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for any outsider interested in the CP
I approached this book as a ‘foreigner’ curious to learn about the CCP. Coming from a multi-party noisy democracy like India, it was always a puzzle as to how a single party system would work, leave alone survive for 70 years. And of course, there were bits and pieces of stories and anecdotes heard over the years about life in China under the party.
The author does an extremely detailed job on the topic, presenting the various parts of the CCP - in relation to topics such as businesses, army, history etc. The book is rich with anecdotes, real events that shot to national limelight etc to make us get a ring side feel of what transpired in the 15-20 years upto 2010.
Would love to read a sequel that includes the Xi Jinping era.
- Colin ChetwoodReviewed in France on November 3, 2018
4.0 out of 5 stars china
very complete analysis of china capitalist version of communism' (1984)!!
- Pasquale1Reviewed in Canada on August 16, 2017
3.0 out of 5 stars VERY INTERESTING AND OFTEN SURPRISING
Revealed a lot about the current and past history of the Party in China.
I would recommend to everyone
- DanielReviewed in Canada on November 21, 2015
3.0 out of 5 stars Meh
The author uses to many anecdotes to try and carry the book. Interesting but not that informative.