Reviews
Foreign Affairs Of the thousands of books that have been written about contemporary China, only a few will stand the test of time. This is one of them., Zhiyuan CuiProfessor of Political Science, MITSplendidly relates the human drama of the Chinese people and their leaders, with empathetic understanding and constructive criticism., Lin Chun London School of Economics One of the foremost historians of our time, Professor Meisner offers a brilliant analysis in this new edition of the irony of Chinese socialism and of the origins of Chinese capitalism: the single most important theme in an age of catastrophic "transitions," with implications that go far beyond the border of the PRC., Foreign AffairsOf the thousands of books that have been written about contemporary China, only a few will stand the test of time. This is one of them., Zhiyuan Cui Professor of Political Science, MIT Splendidly relates the human drama of the Chinese people and their leaders, with empathetic understanding and constructive criticism., Lin ChunLondon School of EconomicsOne of the foremost historians of our time, Professor Meisner offers a brilliant analysis in this new edition of the irony of Chinese socialism and of the origins of Chinese capitalism: the single most important theme in an age of catastrophic "transitions," with implications that go far beyond the border of the PRC., William A. Joseph Chair, Department of Political Science, Wellesley College A superb and much-needed updating of a book that has been the definitive text on the history of the People's Republic of China....A deeply thoughtful and thought-provoking account of the socioeconomic, political, and ideological consequences of China's move toward the market in the post-Mao era....enriching and enthralling., William W. Finan, Jr.Editor, Current History With this new edition, Maurice Meisner deftly places the "new" China that so captivates the West into the historical stream of policies, politics, and personalities that have ruled the country since Mao's 1949 revolution. His work is a refreshingly clear exposition of the contradictions and continuities that define China today., William W. Finan, Jr. Editor, Current History With this new edition, Maurice Meisner deftly places the "new" China that so captivates the West into the historical stream of policies, politics, and personalities that have ruled the country since Mao's 1949 revolution. His work is a refreshingly clear exposition of the contradictions and continuities that define China today., William A. JosephChair, Department of Political Science, Wellesley CollegeA superb and much-needed updating of a book that has been the definitive text on the history of the People's Republic of China....A deeply thoughtful and thought-provoking account of the socioeconomic, political, and ideological consequences of China's move toward the market in the post-Mao era....enriching and enthralling., William W. Finan, Jr.Editor,Current HistoryWith this new edition, Maurice Meisner deftly places the "new" China that so captivates the West into the historical stream of policies, politics, and personalities that have ruled the country since Mao's 1949 revolution. His work is a refreshingly clear exposition of the contradictions and continuities that define China today.
Table of Content
Contents Preface to the Third Edition PART ONE: THE REVOLUTIONARY HERITAGE 1. Western Imperialism and the Weakness of Chinese Social Classes 2. The Defection of the Intellectuals 3. The Abortiveness of Bourgeois and Proletarian Revolution 4. The Maoist Revolution and the Yan'an Legacy PART TWO: THE NEW ORDER, 1949-1955 5. The New State 6. The Cities: The Rise and Fall of National Capitalism 7. Land Reform: The Bourgeois Revolution in the Countryside 8. The Social and Political Consequences of Industrialization 9. Agricultural Collectivization, 1953-1957 PART THREE: UTOPIANISM, 1956-1960 10. The Hundred Flowers: Socialism, Bureaucracy, and Freedom 11. Permanent Revolution: The Ideological Origins of the Great Leap 12. Economics of the Great Leap Forward 13. The People's Communes and the "Transition to Communism": 1958-1960 PART FOUR: THE THERMIDORIAN REACTION, 1960-1965 14. The Bureaucratic Restoration 15. The New Economic Policy, 1961-1965 16. The Socialist Education Movement, 1962-1965 PART FIVE: THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION. AND ITS AFTERMATH, 1966-1976 17. The Concept of Cultural Revolution 18. The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, 1966-1969 19. Social Results of the Cultural Revolution 20. The Aftermath of the Cultural Revolution and the Close of the Maoist Era, 1969-1976 PART SIX: DENG XIAOPING AND THE ORIGINS OF CHINESE CAPITALISM, 1976-1998 21. The Legacies of the Maoist Era 22. The Rise of Deng Xiaoping and the Critique of Maoism 23. Market Reforms and the Development of Capitalism 24. The Struggle for Democracy 25. The End of the Reign of Deng Xiaoping: China in the 1990s Selected Bibliography Index
