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The Cultural Revolution: A People's History, 1962―1976 Paperback – June 6, 2017

4.6 out of 5 stars 753 ratings

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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.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A fine, sharp study of this tumultuous, elusive era . . . [An] excellent follow-up to his groundbreaking previous work . . . Dikötter tells a harrowing tale of unbelievable suffering. A potent combination of precise history and moving examples.” – starred review, Kirkus Reviews

“If [
The Cultural Revolution] were widely circulated in China, it could undermine the legitimacy of the current regime . . . This book is a significant event in our understanding of modern China.” - New York Times Book Review

“Richly documented . . . Dikötter paints a chilling picture.” -
Publishers Weekly

“For those who have swallowed the poisonous claim that the Communist Party deserves some credit for China’s current patchy prosperity, Mr. Dikötter provides the antidote.” -
Wall Street Journal

“Dikötter's well-researched and readable new book on the Cultural Revolution's causes and consequences is a crucial reminder of the tragedies, miscalculations and human costs of Mao's last experiment.” -
The Guardian

“A fascinating account of how people twisted or resisted the aims of Mao’s movement ****” -
Daily Telegraph

“The murderous frenzy of the times, which tore apart friends and families, not to speak of the Communist party itself, is powerfully conveyed.” - Book of the Week,
The Times

“Definitive and harrowing.” - Book of the Week,
Daily Mail

“The final book of his magnificent historical trilogy . . . [Dikötter] has mastered the details so well that with the most sparing use of description he weaves a vivid tapestry of China at the time . . . This brilliant book leaves no doubt that Mao almost ruined China and left a legacy of paranoia that still grips its modern dictatorship under the latest autocrat, Xi Jinping.” -
Sunday Times

“Like Dikötter’s two previous books . . .
The Cultural Revolution exposes, in measured prose and well-documented analysis, the impact of communist rule in a period of extraordinary stress . . . Together, these three books, which Dikötter calls the ‘People’s Trilogy’, constitute a major contribution to scholarship on modern China, one that is unequalled, certainly in the English language.” - Literary Review

“Gripping, horrific . . . A significant event in our understanding of modern China.” -
International New York Times

“Fluent, compelling and based on a wide range of evidence.” -
Financial Times

About the Author

Frank Dikötter is Chair Professor of Humanities at the University of Hong Kong and Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. His books have changed the way historians view China, from the classic The Discourse of Race in Modern China to his award-winning People's Trilogy documenting the lives of ordinary people under Mao. He is married and lives in Hong Kong.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury Press; Reprint edition (June 6, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1632864231
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1632864239
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 1.2 x 7.7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 753 ratings

About the author

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Frank Dikötter
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Frank Dikotter is the author of a dozen books that have changed the way we look at the history of modern China, including Mao's Great Famine, winner of the BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction in 2011. His work has been translated into twenty languages, including The Tragedy of Liberation: A History of the Chinese Revolution 1945-1957, which was short-listed for the Orwell Prize in 2014, and The Cultural Revolution: A People's History, 1962-1976, the final volume in his trilogy on the Mao era. He is Chair Professor at the University of Hong Kong and Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. More information can be found on his website at www.frankdikotter.com

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
753 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book to be a detailed and insightful account of the Cultural Revolution, with one review noting its thorough incorporation of individual experiences. Moreover, the book receives positive feedback for its readability, with one customer describing it as a "vivid read." Additionally, customers appreciate its cultural background, with one review highlighting the many parallels between China's Cultural Revolution and other historical events. However, some customers find the book dry.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

44 customers mention "Information quality"38 positive6 negative

Customers praise the book's detailed and informative content, noting its massive research and insightful analysis.

"...All in all, it is an easy, vivid read with lots of detail and facts that completes the trilogy in a very satisfying way...." Read more

"...This becomes a formidable wall of information, with an absence of analysis apart from interjected comments...." Read more

"Dikotter's research is fantastic. He found a treasure trove of facts showing the very bad effects of one-Party rule...." Read more

"...In all three books Dikötter is all-inclusive; giving all the facts and harrowing statistics that are both mind-boggling and jaw dropping...." Read more

32 customers mention "Readability"25 positive7 negative

Customers find the book well-written and easy to read, with one customer describing it as a vivid read.

"...All in all, it is an easy, vivid read with lots of detail and facts that completes the trilogy in a very satisfying way...." Read more

"...Mr. Dikotter does a good job of drawing disparate personal accounts into an overview of the ebbs and flows of the Cultural Revolution...." Read more

"...are pasted together like snippets in a scrapbook, arranged chronologically to form a narrative...." Read more

"An excellent book, fascinating and ominous...." Read more

16 customers mention "Narrative quality"13 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the narrative quality of the book, with one customer noting its thorough research and incorporation of individual experiences, while another finds it compelling as the other volumes in the series.

"...vivid read with lots of detail and facts that completes the trilogy in a very satisfying way...." Read more

"...He has all the elements of a great narrative at his finger tips but gets bogged down in details...." Read more

"...three books Dikötter is all-inclusive; giving all the facts and harrowing statistics that are both mind-boggling and jaw dropping...." Read more

"...I found especially interesting the occasional individual testimonies of how baffled many people were by the whole process, but still went along..." Read more

5 customers mention "Cultural background"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's coverage of the Cultural Revolution, with one customer noting the many parallels between China's experience and other historical events, while another highlights the vibrant culture and dynamic nature of the Chinese people.

"...The Chinese are a dynamic people and with vibrant culture. Yet their natural genius has been poorly harnessed for so long...." Read more

"...The book covers historical, political and sociological aspects of the Cultural Revolution...." Read more

"Very interesting and very important book. Many parallels between China's Cultural Revolution and what is starting to be seen and currently..." Read more

"I found the book an easy read, gave me a great overview of cultural revolution...." Read more

5 customers mention "Value for money"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book worth the price, with one mentioning it serves as a good primer for a hectic topic.

"...It is a laborious read, but worth while." Read more

"Loved it...." Read more

"It's a good primer for a hectic, crazy, violent time in modern chinese history...." Read more

"It is very reliable price." Read more

3 customers mention "Book dryness"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the book dry.

"...The flat dryness of the accounts actually tends to undercut the terror and suffering rather than exaggerate it...." Read more

"...The book is a little dry but a great historical piece." Read more

"This book is clearly well researched but wow is it dry and the amount of names is incredibly long to keep up with...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2016
    A worthy final instalment ofn the people's trilogy. I found it quite refreshing that the book put a lot of focus on the impact of the Cultural Revolution on the general population and how they tried to get on with their lives while all this was going on. As in the other two books, the all-pervasive violence and how it tears families, friends and the social fabric apart is just beyond words.

    I also liked the way the book makes it absolutely clear as it progresses that the whole exercise was a way for Mao to purge his enemies from the party and how he controlled it completely and almost on a whim. It also added at least to my understanding of why there has been no all-out condemnation of the Cultural Revolution: the fact that huge numbers of people were both victims and perpetrators as the fortunes of the different groupings shifted throughout the period.

    All in all, it is an easy, vivid read with lots of detail and facts that completes the trilogy in a very satisfying way. A great way to show how primary source material can be put to excellent use. It adds to the overall impression of the three books that claims that the revolution and the CCP have been good for China and that the CCP, despite it all, deserves some credit for doing more good than bad, is quite wrongheaded.
    16 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2017
    A sobering history of a dark era. Mr. Dikotter does a good job of drawing disparate personal accounts into an overview of the ebbs and flows of the Cultural Revolution. Provides a picture of the personal impact of the Cultural Revolution and explains how political forces shaped the contours of the Revolution. I think I've read some who suggest that Mr. Dikotter exhibits animus in his writing about China. Perhaps elsewhere, but certainly not here. Unless the events of the book are made up, they speak for themselves with an eloquence Mr. Dikotter doesn't need or try to add to. The flat dryness of the accounts actually tends to undercut the terror and suffering rather than exaggerate it. And, finally, it diminishes the reputations of leaders beyond Mao. Deng Xiao Peng may have been a force for good after Mao, but he doesn't appear heroic at all when he shows up in the pages of this book. Same with Chou En Lai and others....
    5 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2016
    The Cultural Revolution failed on an ideological level. The plot to overthrow communism succeeded, and capitalism (with Chinese characteristics) is the economic model of the People's Republic. On a more practical level it secured Mao's unchallenged power so well that his successors are in control a half century later.

    The Cultural Revolution ('66-'76) was a mass social upheaval of students and workers unleashed by Mao against his perceived enemies within the party and army. During the Great Leap Forward ('58-'62) command economy and collective farming starved some thirty million people to death. Mao's political capital was nearly expended and comrades were emboldened to criticize his policies. It was at once a brilliant and ruthless gambit to weaponize the people against his political enemies.

    When the Cultural Revolution was over the party was purged and the comrades were chastened, notably Mao's Number Two, Liu Shaoqi (who died under Mao's arrest) and future leader Deng Xiaoping (who survived to succeed Mao). The student uprisings nearly led to civil war, until Mao dialed them down and declared the military in charge by late '68. Mao's cult of personality had now been unquestionably established and backed by his junta he was worshipped throughout the land.

    In the later phases the people too were excoriated by military-led revolutionary committees. Ordinary citizens were denounced, interrogated, imprisoned or executed for fabricated class crimes. Professionals, teachers, and students were banished from large cities to be re-educated in the countryside. They labored and starved among a peasant population unable to absorb them. The revolution devolved into endless upheaval whose purpose was to intimidate and control the people.

    This last volume of a trilogy on post WWII China is told through recently available memoirs, articles and archives. They run from popular accounts to unpublished diaries. Anecdotes are pasted together like snippets in a scrapbook, arranged chronologically to form a narrative. This becomes a formidable wall of information, with an absence of analysis apart from interjected comments. Readers are left to their own conclusions, although the events often speak for themselves.

    The book does not take an overtly polemical stance, although some may assert that it does. Is Dikotter a red-baiter​ or Mao hater? Interviews on National Public Radio and the South China Post note the dilemma he faced was 'the level of horror to present'. The book does have a sensational tenor at times. Perhaps it is the extremity of the era, but it is also the focus of the author. Dikotter reflects 'to be silent risks complicity', a line of thought once expressed by Elie Wiesel.

    What is described in this book is so troubling that unless one denies its veracity, one must criticize the regime that made it possible. The hardest lesson may not be what an unchecked leader can do to his people, but rather what an unchecked people can do to each other. It is a disturbing portrait of the events that unfolded.
    13 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

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  • M. S. R.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Tragic as expected, and a warning for Indians.
    Reviewed in India on July 22, 2016
    Cultural revolution brought the worse of human nature and is only paralleled by the Holocaust. Not just millions died, GPCR also destroyed social values in China. The author says only silver lining being that Chinese subjects lost all faith in Mao after a decade of turmoil, ended collectivisation and this led to the path of Deng's greedy growth. As expected this book has received no coverage in India, since for desi intellectuals are still nostalgic about Maoism.

    While reading, I couldn't miss the resemblance between the psychopathic personality of Mao and the hero of Indian media in 2016, i.e. the student leaders of JNU (let us call them Jnusups).
    1. Mao believed his wisdom is perfect, and democracy if fraud. Jnusups also rejects electoral mandate saying only 30% voted for democratic leader, without understanding FPTP system.
    2. Mao was a feminist by day and sexual predator at night. Today the CCP has a culture of having mistresses. Jnusups feminists have two hobbies - street play and sexual harassment. Recently one jnusup had a case registered against him, another was fined for obscenity and threatening a female lecturer.
    3. Mao was born to privilege, starved millions and lived a life of luxury while fighting for lower class. Jnusup are also born/marry into political families. One Jnusup says his family earns only 3000 per month but he pays 3000 Rs fines for misbehaviour, uses iPhone, flies business class and rides Fortuner.
    4. In the cultural revolution teachers (and basically anybody who disagreed) was labelled a capitalist roader and publicly humiliated through struggle session (see image) by Red Guards. Jnusup and other Laal Guards have recently manhandled their college's Vice-Chancellor, and anybody who disagrees is labelled Hindoo fascist.
    5. Mao and his party supported Pak against India at every juncture, even if for the atheists it means being in bed with Islamists. So does Jnusup.
    6. Mao thinks cultural revolution was necessary to restore revolutionary zeal. Ex-Jnusup Yechury also defended the counter revolutionary Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989.
    7. Apart from widespread support through propaganda, Jnusups have been arrested for joining Maoists in Maharastra.
    8. Mao never brushed his teeth. Jnusups never bath, never shave, and wear the same kurta for 6 months.
    9. This happened some years ago. Unable to eat IIT Delhi Hostel’s Rajma Chawal, I went to JNU’s Ganga Dhaba for lunch. There was only one vacant table. I sat down. 5 minutes later a Jnusup (wearing black kurta and red dupatta) kicked me out. He kept pointing at some imaginary 9 dash lines around the table and shouted about his historical rights on the table. Now, I understand why.
    Customer image
    M. S. R.
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Tragic as expected, and a warning for Indians.

    Reviewed in India on July 22, 2016
    Cultural revolution brought the worse of human nature and is only paralleled by the Holocaust. Not just millions died, GPCR also destroyed social values in China. The author says only silver lining being that Chinese subjects lost all faith in Mao after a decade of turmoil, ended collectivisation and this led to the path of Deng's greedy growth. As expected this book has received no coverage in India, since for desi intellectuals are still nostalgic about Maoism.

    While reading, I couldn't miss the resemblance between the psychopathic personality of Mao and the hero of Indian media in 2016, i.e. the student leaders of JNU (let us call them Jnusups).
    1. Mao believed his wisdom is perfect, and democracy if fraud. Jnusups also rejects electoral mandate saying only 30% voted for democratic leader, without understanding FPTP system.
    2. Mao was a feminist by day and sexual predator at night. Today the CCP has a culture of having mistresses. Jnusups feminists have two hobbies - street play and sexual harassment. Recently one jnusup had a case registered against him, another was fined for obscenity and threatening a female lecturer.
    3. Mao was born to privilege, starved millions and lived a life of luxury while fighting for lower class. Jnusup are also born/marry into political families. One Jnusup says his family earns only 3000 per month but he pays 3000 Rs fines for misbehaviour, uses iPhone, flies business class and rides Fortuner.
    4. In the cultural revolution teachers (and basically anybody who disagreed) was labelled a capitalist roader and publicly humiliated through struggle session (see image) by Red Guards. Jnusup and other Laal Guards have recently manhandled their college's Vice-Chancellor, and anybody who disagrees is labelled Hindoo fascist.
    5. Mao and his party supported Pak against India at every juncture, even if for the atheists it means being in bed with Islamists. So does Jnusup.
    6. Mao thinks cultural revolution was necessary to restore revolutionary zeal. Ex-Jnusup Yechury also defended the counter revolutionary Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989.
    7. Apart from widespread support through propaganda, Jnusups have been arrested for joining Maoists in Maharastra.
    8. Mao never brushed his teeth. Jnusups never bath, never shave, and wear the same kurta for 6 months.
    9. This happened some years ago. Unable to eat IIT Delhi Hostel’s Rajma Chawal, I went to JNU’s Ganga Dhaba for lunch. There was only one vacant table. I sat down. 5 minutes later a Jnusup (wearing black kurta and red dupatta) kicked me out. He kept pointing at some imaginary 9 dash lines around the table and shouted about his historical rights on the table. Now, I understand why.
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  • Francisco Rüdiger
    5.0 out of 5 stars Advertência para os que hoje apostam em "Revoluções Culturais"
    Reviewed in Brazil on August 22, 2023
    Trabalho de especialista seríssimo, a obra relata com base em ampla documentação o desatino criminoso que foi a Revolução Cultural chinesa do final dos anos 1960. Aqueles que têm estômago e coragem para ver até que ponto podem chegar o que chamamos eufemisticamente hoje de "cancelamentos" devem ler a obra. Em nome da "democracia", Mao promoveu uma guerra civil controlada entre as várias facções políticas do país, jogou umas contra as outras , de modo que liquidou mais de um milhão de vidas , fora arruinar centenas de milhares de outras. Esquerdismo radical = miséria, estupidez e violência sem fim: lição para nosso tempo.
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  • mygodhuan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well written with background stories of the little man
    Reviewed in Germany on September 15, 2017
    Mr. Dikötter has proven that he is a great storyteller. The book is very well written and I have read it in a single day, because reading was thrilling and well documented with sources at the same time. Recommend also to read his other two books in the triology.
  • Leo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Best Written
    Reviewed in Australia on December 24, 2023
    There are many books with this title, and I have read some. I cannot say better than just to quote from this book:
    ‘Of all the material of this kind that I have read, this one is the best written.’ (Mao, Comments on report on the uncovering of renegades in the Beijing New China Printing Plant), 25 May 1968.

    I also found some similarities here to the political struggles or events of current China. Perhaps the leaders there consciously or unconsciously follow or study this history very closely.
    Or, perhaps, giving the total power they have, they will act similarly determinedly, because they can?.
  • Robert G. Wood
    5.0 out of 5 stars Written by one of the best
    Reviewed in Canada on January 12, 2025
    Thoroughly entertaining, if that is an appropriate phrase for the story of the inexcusable death of millions. It was all Mao's fault. Great read though, and full of well researched detail.