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A balanced and lively history of the People's Republic of China, this remarkable book sketches the historical circumstances of the Chinese revolution and the cast of characters who seized power in 1949 after decades of national disintegration and defeat. The author argues that Mao did not single-handedly shape China's recent history; rather, events grew out of the complex interaction between Mao, other major Chinese leaders, influential political organizations, and an often unpredictable population. He also evaluates the nature and success of China's goals of economic and social modernization under communist rule. Clearly and chronologically, this book tells the essential story of contemporary China: the background, the ideology the massive campaigns, the bureaucratization, the blunders, and the achievements.