Description
Book Synopsis: The concluding volume—following Mao's Great Famine and The Tragedy of Liberation—in Frank Dikötter's award-winning trilogy chronicling the Communist revolution in China.
After the economic disaster of the Great Leap Forward that claimed tens of millions of lives from 1958–1962, an aging Mao Zedong launched an ambitious scheme to shore up his reputation and eliminate those he viewed as a threat to his legacy. The Cultural Revolution's goal was to purge the country of bourgeois, capitalistic elements he claimed were threatening genuine communist ideology. Young students formed the Red Guards, vowing to defend the Chairman to the death, but soon rival factions started fighting each other in the streets with semiautomatic weapons in the name of revolutionary purity. As the country descended into chaos, the military intervened, turning China into a garrison state marked by bloody purges that crushed as many as one in fifty people.
The Cultural Revolution: A People's History, 1962–1976 draws for the first time on hundreds of previously classified party documents, from secret police reports to unexpurgated versions of leadership speeches. After the army itself fell victim to the Cultural Revolution, ordinary people used the political chaos to resurrect the market and hollow out the party's ideology. By showing how economic reform from below was an unintended consequence of a decade of violent purges and entrenched fear, The Cultural Revolution casts China's most tumultuous era in a wholly new light.
Details
Discover the untold story of China's most tumultuous era with The Cultural Revolution: A People's History, 1962-1976. This captivating book, the concluding volume in Frank Dikötter's award-winning trilogy, offers a gripping account of Mao Zedong's ambitious scheme to purge the country of bourgeois elements and defend his communist ideology.
Unveiling classified party documents and previously unheard leadership speeches, Dikötter takes you on a journey through the chaos of the Cultural Revolution. Witness the rise of the Red Guards, fervent young students who swore to protect the Chairman at any cost. Immerse yourself in the intense rivalries and street battles that tore the nation apart, as different factions fought for revolutionary purity.
But the revolution's consequences were far-reaching. The military's intervention turned China into a garrison state, marked by bloody purges that claimed the lives of millions. From this chaos, however, a surprising transformation emerged. Ordinary people, empowered by the political upheaval, utilized the market and undermined the party's ideology, leading to unforeseen economic reforms from the bottom up.
With The Cultural Revolution, you will gain a unique understanding of this pivotal era, forever changing your perception of China's history. Don't miss the opportunity to delve into the secrets and revelations, hidden within the pages of this remarkable book.
Experience the revolution like never before. Grab your copy of The Cultural Revolution: A People's History, 1962-1976 today and immerse yourself in the groundbreaking insights that shed new light on China's past.
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