Mao Zedong

A brief and not at all sensational account of Chairman Mao. Meaning, it does not address any of the sensational aspects of Mao's personality (such as Mao's physician did) or dwell on the disasters of the Cultural Revolution of of the Great Leap Forward or get into the whys and wherefores of Mao's (m......more

This was no deep look into the trivial doings of Mao, but rather a synopsis of his life. I found it to be absolutely perfect for what it was. The details all seemed to be on the same plane: no sudden dips down into minutia, unmatched elsewhere. Likewise, no skipping over the surface to cover great g......more

This is a good quick read for someone who interested in the way Mao created a public personality and clung to failing policies despite some evidence of his own doubt and criticism from others. His journey from a child born in a peasant village who was quick to follow the winds of radical movements a......more

Out of the Canon of literature on Mao, there is a surprising lack of decent, objective biographies. Expecting no less from Jonathan D Spence, this biography is highly readable, informative and contains the key chapters of his life. The only snag is its a bit too concise. Having said that, containing......more

Short, but informative biography of Mao. It's not as detailed as full-fledged biography, but it got all the important things out imo. I would say there are three big stages of Mao's life, his time as a student/upcoming revolutionary during the collapse of the Qing Dynasty and the chaos in China afte......more