During its fifty years of existence the People's Republic of China has seen dramatic changes, from the proclamation of the independent state through the period of the Communist Revolution, the Cultural Revolution, the Reform Period. These changes are analysed from the political, economic and social points of view, chllaenging accepted orthodoxy. Throughout, the emphasis is on change in the context of contemporary China, and as part of the Chinese Communist Party's search for paths to development.

These essays present fresh insights into the history of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), from its founding in 1920 to its assumption of state power in 1949. They draw upon considerable archival resources which have recently become available.

Originally published in the early 1970s, The Yenan Way in Revolutionary China has proved to be one of the most significant and enduring books published in the field. In this new critical edition of that seminal work, Mark Selden revisits the central themes therein and reconsiders them in light of major new theoretical and documentary understandings of the Chinese communist revolution.

Whether one views Mao Zedong as a hero or a demon, the "Great Helmsman" was undoubtedly a pivotal figure in the history of 20th-century China. The first part of this volume is an introductory essay that traces the history of 20th-century China, from Mao's early career up to the Chinese Communist Party's victory in 1949, through three decades of revolution, to Mao's death I 1976. The second half offers a selection of Mao's writings - including such seminal pieces as "On the New Democracy" and selections from the "Little Red Book" - and writings about Mao and his legacy by both his contemporaries and modern scholars. Also included are headnotes, a chronology, Questions for Consideration, photographs, a selected bibliography, and index.

"The spectacular expansion of the Communist forces during the Sino-Japanese War is represented as a demonstration of the effectiveness of 'Maoist strategy.' Mr. Kataoka shows that, in reality, the Chinese Communist movement had been rurally oriented as early as 1928, and that the Communists' flight from Kiangsi to Yenan therefore constituted an indictment of 'Maoism.' ... Drawing on captured Communist documents that he studied in Taiwan, Mr. Kataoka details the process of land distribution and construction of military bases behind the protection afforded by the war. He ends his account in 1943, when Yenan was preparing for armed insurrection against Chungking."--Dust jacket

Comprehensively indexed and with an introduction newly written by the editor, a leading expert in the field,Mao Zedong and the Chinese Revolutionis sure to be recognized as a vital reference resource for all serious Mao scholars.

Representing a lifetime of research and writing by noted historian Arif Dirlik, the essays collected here explore developments in Chinese socialism and the issues that have occupied historians of the Chinese revolution for the past three decades. Dirlik engages Chinese socialism critically but with sympathy for the aspirations of revolutionaries who found the hope of social, political, and cultural liberation in Communist alternatives to capitalism and the intellectual inspiration to realize their hopes in Marxist theory. The book's historical approach to Marxist theory emphasizes its global relevance while avoiding dogmatic and Eurocentric limitations. These incisive essays range from the origins of socialism in the early twentieth century, through the victory of the Communists in mid-century, to the virtual abandonment by century's end of any pretense to a socialist revolutionary project by the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. All that remains of the revolution in historical hindsight are memories of its failures and misdeeds, but Dirlik retains a critical perspective not just toward the past but also toward the ideological hegemonies of the present. Taken together, his writings reaffirm the centrality of the revolution to modern Chinese history. They also illuminate the fundamental importance of Marxism to grasping the flaws of capitalist modernity, despite the fact that in the end the socialist response was unable to transcend the social and ideological horizons of capitalism.

The Chinese Revolution is long in the making, an unfolding process that has spanned most of the twentieth century. This comprehensive and ready-reference guide will help students and interested readers to understand the process and the events that have contributed to the ongoing revolution in the most populous nation on earth. Seven essays provide information and analysis of the revolution from the first decades of this century through 1998. Ready-reference components include lengthy biographical sketches of the seventeen most important and influential leaders in twentieth-century Chinese history, and the text of nine primary documents provides direct access to their words, which shaped the Revolution. A timeline of significant events, a glossary of selected terms, and an annotated bibliography of suggested reading for students add value to the guide. The first essay puts the Chinese Revolution into the context of Chinese culture and practice, especially in light of Confucian teaching, and examines national and international events that contributed to the Revolution. Five essays examine specific aspects of the Chinese Revolution: the thought of Mao Zedong; the political philosophy of Deng Xiaoping; the multiethnic character of China; China's relations with the United States and the Soviet Union; and China's interest in Hong Kong and Taiwan. A concluding essay assesses the consequences of the Chinese Revolution. The essays, biographical sketches, primary documents, timeline, and annotated bibliography all contribute to this comprehensive yet accessible student's guide.