Mao for Beginners

Originally published as a comic-book introduction, this volume offers a lively, illustrated account of Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communist revolution. It follows the movement from its early years through the civil war, the founding of the People's Republic and the mass campaigns that followed, and it explains the Marxist ideas that shaped the party's direction. Rius takes a sharp, satirical view of his subject, mixing cartoons, commentary and historical summary so that a newcomer can follow the turns of Chinese politics across several decades. The result is a brisk, opinionated primer rather than a neutral textbook.