Jung Chang

Jon Halliday

A portrait of the late Chinese leader refutes a wide variety of myths about Mao and provides facts about the Long March, his relationship with Stalin, and the impact of his thirst for power on the Chinese people.

The Unknown Story

Jung Chang'S Wild Swans Was An Extraordinary Bestseller Throughout The World, Selling More Than 10 Million Copies And Reaching A Wider Readership Than Any Other Book About China. Now She And Her Husband Jon Halliday Have Written A Groundbreaking Biography Of Mao Tse-Tung. Based On A Decade Of Research, And On Interviews With Many Of Mao'S Close Circle In China Who Have Never Talked Before - And With Virtually Everyone Outside China Who Had Significant Dealings With Him - This Is The Most Authoritative Life Of Mao Ever Written. It Is Full Of Startling Revelations, Exploding The Myth Of The Long March, And Showing A Completely Unknown Mao: He Was Not Driven By Idealism Or Ideology; His Intimate And Intricate Relationship With Stalin Went Back To The 1920S, Ultimately Bringing Him To Power; He Welcomed Japanese Occupation Of Much Of China; And He Schemed, Poisoned And Blackmailed To Get His Way. After Mao Conquered China In 1949, His Secret Goal Was To Dominate The World. In Chasing This Dream He Caused The Deaths Of 38 Million People In The Greatest Famine In History. Combining Meticulous History With The Story-Telling Style Of Wild Swans, This Biography Makes Immediate Mao'S Roller-Coaster Life, As He Intrigued And Fought Every Step Of The Way To Force Through His Unpopular Decisions. The Reader Enters The Shadowy Chambers Of Mao'S Court, And Eavesdrops On The Drama In Its Hidden Recesses. Mao'S Character And The Enormity Of His Behaviour Towards His Wives, Mistresses And Children Are Unveiled For The First Time. This Is An Entirely Fresh Look At Mao In Both Content And Approach. It Will Astonish Historians And The General Reader Alike.

Jade Flynn

Being British, I was never taught about China at any stage of my education, unfortunately, so the myth of Mao still largely remains intact. This is the most comprehensive, mind bogglingly meticulous, abundantly researched and referenced non-fiction that I've had the pleasure of reading. It isn't a comfortable read at times, but an profusely valuable one and a part of history that is sadly left out of the majority of Europe's history curriculum. Before reading, I skimmed a handful of negative reviews, most of what I've seen, complain about the book being too long with too many minor details and boring. It's no secret that the book is just under 1000 pages long, therefore, it's going to be scrupulous, if you think it was boring, clearly you do not hold a strong enough interest in the subject matter, and if you do, maybe it's best to not start off with one of the bigger biographies on Mao out there. It is a book that demands concentration and diligence from the reader, it simply does not benefit from skim reading. To anyone that has a specific interest (or obsession, like me) in China and its history I think your knowledge pool would greatly profit from reading this. Jung Chang amazed me with Wild Swans, and she, along with her husband has done it again. Outstanding.

Mao The Unknown Story

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