Book description
Mao Zedong, first chairman of the People's Republic of China, one
of the founders of the Chinese Communist Party, and the architect of
the Cultural Revolution, was active in Chinese politics for most of
his eighty-two years, and became one of the most important
revolutionary figures in the twentieth century. He spent the 1920s and
1930s struggling to build the Chinese Communist Party. After the
establishment of the People's Republic, he strove to impose his vision
of socialism on his impoverished country, convinced that if the power
of the people could be harnessed, China could become an economically
successful and egalitarian country. The Great Leap Forward which he
initiated was, however, a disaster resulting in millions of deaths.
Mao used the Cultural Revolution to re-impose his authority; his
critics were persecuted and a personality cult was fostered. His
'Little Red Book' sold over 740 million copies. This book offers the
reader a powerful insight into the life and work of this intriguing man.
