So China’s in the news lately. A little.
Ten years ago, I reviewed a new biography of Chairman Mao. Enjoy!
The hundreds of millions of men, women, and children who bore indescribable hardships under Mao Zedong wouldn’t appreciate the objectivity of Alexander V. Pantsov and Steven I. Levine.
The mission of Mao: The Real Story (Simon & Shuster; 755 pages; $35), its authors believe, is “neither to praise nor to blame” the dictator, but to depict him as “a complicated figure who indeed tried his best to bring about prosperity and gain international respect for his country.”
It’s curious — to be charitable — treatment for the gangster statesman with history’s highest body count. But while Pantsov and Levine posses poorly calibrated moral compasses, their thoroughness can’t be challenged. Aided by “the release of important new documents from China and exclusive access to major archives in the former Soviet Union,” Mao exhaustively explores every aspect of the chairman’s life — from his upbringing and education, through his struggle to control the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), to his triumphs as a successful guerilla, godlike dictator, and marquee Cold Warrior.
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