People's China: A Brief History

By Craig Dietrich

Book Overview

Now substantially revised and updated, this balanced and lively history of the People's Republic of China offers a narrative and interpretive appraisal of this great nation since its post-World War II beginnings. Examining first 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 then goes on to illuminate such epic events as the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, and the post-Mao reforms. Addressing the bold economic reform of the 1980s, this new edition critically analyzes the cry for democracy which tragically led to the 1989 bloodshed in Tiananmen Square, taking full account of the confrontation's aftermath. Looking at the '90s, the text examines the efforts of China's aging leadership to regain control and to find a place in a radically changed international environment. Complete with illustrative biographies of major figures since 1949, this book tells the essential story of contemporary China: the background, the ideology, the massive campaigns, the bureaucratization, the blunders, and the achievements.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195081862
• ISBN13: 9780195081862
• Release Date: March 1994
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.8" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

Good introduction for students and curious general readers

The purposes of Dietrich's book should be kept in mind. The book is not a detailed scholarly book and does not pretend to be. It is, however, a fair-minded and useful introduction to the PRC's history for students at the beginning undergraduate level. Students and China buffs must begin somewhere, after all, and Dietrich's book is as good as any (and much better than many) for this purpose. I have happily used the book for introductory classes I have taught in major U.S. and Canadian universities.