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Nov 8, 2026
Mao
Power and Contradiction
Summary
Mao Zedong lived one of the most epic and influential lives of the twentieth century. His impact on the People's Republic of China was vast. Half a century after his passing, he remains a divisive and controversial figure. Kerry Brown's Mao: Power and Contradiction (Reaktion Books, 2026) gives an accessible narrative of his life, from the fall of the Qing in the early part of the twentieth century to the long years in which Mao Zedong struggled not only to ensure the Communist Party of China survived, but that it then came to power after a civil war with the nationalists. Mao's tragic failures as ruler were some of the worst to ever befall a modern society, while his personal life remains a source of intense interest.
Kerry Brown is Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Lau China Institute at King’s College, London.
Lucas Tse is Examination Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford.
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