Synopses & Reviews
In this meticulously researched account, Philip Short draws on extensive interviews and on a wealth of previously secret documentary material to present for the first time a complete portrait of this bewilderingly complex and versatile leader. He traces Mao's development from idealistic student, dabbling in anarchism, to visionary despot whose epic struggle to build a revolutionary realm of Red Virtue took the lives of more of his subjects than did any other leader in human history Hitler and Stalin included.
Readers are left to make up their own minds about a colossal figure who defies categorisation. Was Mao's life a tragic failure, imprisoned by his revolution? Or an unparalleled achievement of the human spirit, paving the way to a new Chinese golden age?
About the Author
Philip Short was for thirty years a foreign correspondant for the BBC, based in Washington, Moscow, Paris, Tokyo and Beijing. He lived and worked in China in the 1970's and early 1980's, and has returned regularly to the country ever since. His earlier books include The Dragon and the Bear, a comparitive study of China and the Soviet Union. He now lives in Southern France.