Mao's Last Revolution

By Michael Schoenhals, Roderick Macfarquhar,

Book cover of Mao's Last Revolution

Book description

The Cultural Revolution was a watershed event in the history of the People's Republic of China, the defining decade of half a century of communist rule. Before 1966, China was a typical communist state, with a command economy and a powerful party able to keep the population under control. But…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Mao's Last Revolution as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This instant classic was the first to draw deeply on a wide range of previously inaccessible sources about the Cultural Revolution of 1966 to 1976. Highly readable and authoritative, it provides extensive insight into Mao’s actions and those of his subordinates and victims and documents the destructive impact of these conflicts all across China from the initial salvos at Peking University in May 1966 to the immediate aftermath of Mao’s death, which led to the arrest of Mao’s most ardent radical followers, the “Gang of Four”.

From Andrew's list on China from Mao through Tiananmen.

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