From humble origins in the provinces, Mao
Zedong rose to absolute power, unifying
with an iron fist a vast country torn apart by
years of weak leadership, colonialism and
war. In this sharply drawn and insightful
account, Jonathan Spence, award-winning
historian and author of acclaimed books
about both the old and the new China,
brings to life this modern-day emperor and
the tumultuous era that he did so much to
shape.
Both a canny tactician and a hardworking
organizer, Mao parlayed the privations of
the famous Long March and the success of
his guerilla army into