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.
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Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2016
- Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2016
Top reviews from other countries
- M. S. R.Reviewed in India on July 22, 2016
Tragic as expected, and a warning for Indians.
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.M. S. R.Tragic as expected, and a warning for Indians.
Reviewed in India on July 22, 2016
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 RüdigerReviewed in Brazil on August 22, 2023
Advertência para os que hoje apostam em "Revoluções Culturais"
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mygodhuanReviewed in Germany on September 15, 2017
Well written with background stories of the little man
