China Under Communism

by Alan Lawrance

Overview

China Under Communism examines how Marxism took root, flourished and developed within the context of an ancient Chinese civilization.

Through analysis of China's history and traditional culture, the author explores the nature of Chinese communism and how it has diverged from the Soviet model. This book also provides insight into the changing perceptions Westerners have of the Chinese, and vice versa.

Key features include:

* assessment of controversial issues: The Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution and Mao's record
* coverage of gender and family, ethnicity, nationalism, and popular culture
* long historical context.

This timely evaluation details how China's political and economic policies have been inextricably linked, and assesses past failures and successes, as well as major problems for the future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415150453
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	09/24/1998
Series:	The Making of the Contemporary World
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	172
Product dimensions:	5.44(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Alan Lawrance is Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Hertfordshire.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1 The Communist victory and consolidation of power, 1949–53 2 ‘Leaning to one side’, 1950–3 3 The politics of the People’s Republic, 1953–7 4 China’s independent road, 1954–64 5 The Great Leap Forward, 1956–64 6 The Cultural Revolution, 1965–71 7 A Great Power triangle, 1964–79 8 A decade of transition, 1972–81 9 ‘Socialism with Chinese characteristics’, 1981–9 10 Chinese society in the 1990s 11 Conclusion

Editorial Reviews

'Alan Lawrence's volume does a reasonably good job of summarising China's recent past for the general reader or for first year under graduates with no prior knowledge of China.' - Times Higher Education Supplement

From the Publisher

The author examines the history of the Chinese Communists since their accession to power in 1949, beginning with the initial problems facing the Communists at home and abroad, the early successes of the new regime, and how Mao's Marxism was replaced by more pragmatic policies. He also covers the changing relationships with the Soviet Union and the US, the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, the rise of market forces under Deng Xiaoping, and problems faced in the process of modernization. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknew.com)

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