Mao

''One of the greatest historians of China'' Chris Patten

''Balanced, reliable and drawing on the most up—to—date research ... Spence eschews any overall judgement. He lets the facts speak for themselves and they are extraordinary enough'' LITERARY REVIEW

A biography that penetrates Mao''s rhetoric and infamous self—will to distil an intimate portrait of a man as withdrawn and mysterious as the emperors he disdained.

From humble origins in the provinces, Mao Zedong rose to absolute power, unify...