Mao Zedong and China's Revolutions A Brief History with Documents

Whether one views Mao Zedong as a hero or a demon, the "Great Helmsman" was, undoubtedly, a pivotal figure in the history of twentieth-century China, a man whose life and writings provide a fascinating window on the Chinese experience from the 1920s onward. Part Mao biography, part historical overview of the turbulent story of China's Communist revolutions, the introductory essay traces the history of twentieth-century China, from Mao's early career up to the Chinese Communist Party's victory in 1949, through three decades of revolution to Mao's death in 1976. The second half of the volume offers a selection of Mao's writings including such seminal pieces as "On New Democracy" and selections from the Little Red Book and writings about Mao and his legacy by both his contemporaries and modern scholars. Also included are headnotes to the documents, a chronology, Questions for Consideration, 12 images, a selected bibliography, and an index.

Timothy Cheek is associate professor of history at Colorado College, where he has taught since 1988. His research and teaching focus on the recent history of China, especially the role of Chinese intellectuals in the twentieth century and the history of the Chinese Communist Party. His books include Propaganda and Culture in Mao's China: Deng Tuo and the Intelligentsia (1997); New Perspectives on State Socialism in China (1997), with Anthony Saich; The Secret Speeches of Chairman Mao (1989), with Roderick MacFarquhar and Eugene Wu; and China's Establishment Intellectuals (1986), with Carol Lee Hamrin. He is currently researching contemporary Chinese historiography and the development of professions in modern China.