Ease Reading-Find Your Next Favorite Book

Hot Search

Mao's Last Revolution

roderick macfarquhar michael schoenhals

... Show More
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 during the Cultural Revolution, in a move unprecedented in any communist country, Mao unleashed the Red Guards against the party. Tens of thousands of officials were humiliated, tortured, and even killed. Order had to be restored by the military, whose methods were often equally brutal.

In a masterly book, Roderick MacFarquhar and Michael Schoenhals explain why Mao launched the Cultural Revolution, and show his Machiavellian role in masterminding it (which Chinese publications conceal). In often horrifying detail, they document the Hobbesian state that ensued. The movement veered out of control and terror paralyzed the country. Power struggles raged among Lin Biao, Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping, and Jiang Qing—Mao's wife and leader of the Gang of Four—while Mao often played one against the other.

After Mao's death, in reaction to the killing and the chaos, Deng Xiaoping led China into a reform era in which capitalism flourishes and the party has lost its former authority. In its invaluable critical analysis of Chairman Mao and its brilliant portrait of a culture in turmoil, Mao's Last Revolution offers the most authoritative and compelling account to date of this seminal event in the history of China.

693 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1,2006

This edition

Format
693 pages, Hardcover
Published
August 18, 2006 by Belknap Press of Harvard University Press
ISBN
9780674023321
ASIN
0674023323
Language
English

More editions

About the author

Profile Image for roderick macfarquhar

roderick macfarquhar

... Show More

Readers also enjoyed

Community Reviews

Rating(4.2 / 5.0, 50 votes)
5 stars
21(42%)
4 stars
18(36%)
3 stars
11(22%)
2 stars
0(0%)
1 stars
0(0%)
50 reviews All reviews
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Shuu-chan
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
... Show More
时至今日，悲哀的是，在文革的故乡，中国大陆，人们依然没有正视那场四十多年前的灾难，对文革的讨论因为涉及到其发动者的历史地位与权威而被限制在最小程度，引起这场灾难的罪责被归咎于林彪和江青，而二者只不过是这场运动中毛的从属者和协作者罢了，正如文革中千千万万的红卫兵和互相批斗迫害的人们一样。
大陆唯一的文革博物馆于2015年被悄悄关闭，相对于其开放的10年间，政府的不干涉不支持的态度，毫无疑问，展示了当局的倒退封闭而非反思自省。
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
FHanZ
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
... Show More
A thorough and yet remarkably clear narrative of the major events of the Cultural Revolution, with a focus on central, elite politics. This is a spine off of which further exploration of the CR can be done, without which a new visitor to this time and place would become quickly lost.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Ushi_Chan
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
... Show More
2022-02-10 中文版。目前為止我讀過的最好的共和國史。不多說，必讀。
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
deleted4555778
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
... Show More
★★★★☆ - Definitely helpful for my thesis.

As some of you might know, I was writing a thesis about the Chinese Cultural Revolution for my master's degree. Now, I am finally done and can fully enjoy my Christmas holidays.
Concerning this book, don't read it if you are not doing some research thing or just want to learn more about Cultural Revolution. This book is super complicated and I am 99% sure if you do not know about Cultural Revolution, you won't be able to understand it.
However, if you already know quite a few things, this might be a great book (but it's very long).
So I definitely recommend it if you're writing a thesis, like me!
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
KoemiChi
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
... Show More
The best general account of the Cultural Revolution out there. This book really brings to light the widespread, neighbor on neighbor, in-your-face violence and killing that characterized so much of Mao's ideologically driven movement of social chaos. Definitely worth a read...at least one.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
ProfessorCool
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
... Show More
我都是為了你好呀。我們經驗不足啊。都是敵人在搞鬼啊。
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
AugustusZVl
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
... Show More
Full of running accounts and anecdotal trivia. Didn't analyze enough why Mao initiate Cultural Revolution, lack critical thinking for an academic book
0 0 Reply
Leave a Review
You must be logged in to rate and post a review. Register an account to get started.