Zhou Enlai by Jian Chen
Zhou Enlai, Chinas first premier, is overshadowed by Mao, but Zhous influence in his own time and since has been vast. Chen Jian shows Zhou using his political and bureaucratic skills and centralism to mitigate the damage caused by Maos radicalism and argues that Zhou created conditions for the post-Mao reforms that have made China a superpower.
A life of Zhou Enlai…can be nothing less than an exploration of China’s history during the greater part of the 20th centuryChen Jian has drawn on such an astonishing wealth of sources in Chinese archives and elsewhere that it is difficult to see how his biography could ever be bettered. -- Philip Snow * Literary Review *
A lucid, well-researched narrative…a satisfyingly fine-grained account of an influential figure often lost in Maoʼs shadow. * Publishers Weekly *
Chen delivers an authoritative, incisive look at an unquestionably significant historical figure. An excellent biography and capable deconstruction of the labyrinthine mechanics behind the CCP’s development. * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *
Enlightening and moves along briskly…describes [Zhou’s] initiatives with clarity and detail. -- Lucy Hornby * Los Angeles Review of Books *
Chen Jian’s Zhou Enlai compellingly documents the whims, illusions, and eccentricities of Mao Zedong. I know of no better account of the arbitrary nature—but also the consequent waste—of authoritarian rule. -- John Lewis Gaddis, author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning George F. Kennan: An American Life
A must-read. Chen Jian’s book illuminates Zhou Enlai’s life from the earliest years to his final days with nuance, empathy, and scholarly depth. Along the way, he also tells the breathtaking story of Zhou’s China. This is a rare work of history shot through with the lived experience, and even occasional pensiveness, of an eminent authority on twentieth-century China. -- Sergey Radchenko, author of Two Suns in the Heavens: The Sino-Soviet Struggle for Supremacy, 1962–1967
At last, Zhou Enlai has the full-dress biography he deserves, one that uses rich documentary evidence to make an objective assessment of his enduring influence on twentieth-century China as well as the world. This is a profoundly important work of history. -- Rana Mitter, author of China’s Good War: How World War II Is Shaping a New Nationalism
Communist China resembles a labyrinth. This brilliant study of Zhou Enlai’s life has given us a key and a map to understand it. A masterpiece and a must-read for anyone who cares about China and its impact on the world. -- Xu Guoqi, author of Chinese and Americans: A Shared History
A lucid, well-researched narrative…a satisfyingly fine-grained account of an influential figure often lost in Maoʼs shadow. * Publishers Weekly *
Chen delivers an authoritative, incisive look at an unquestionably significant historical figure. An excellent biography and capable deconstruction of the labyrinthine mechanics behind the CCP’s development. * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *
Enlightening and moves along briskly…describes [Zhou’s] initiatives with clarity and detail. -- Lucy Hornby * Los Angeles Review of Books *
Chen Jian’s Zhou Enlai compellingly documents the whims, illusions, and eccentricities of Mao Zedong. I know of no better account of the arbitrary nature—but also the consequent waste—of authoritarian rule. -- John Lewis Gaddis, author of the Pulitzer Prize–winning George F. Kennan: An American Life
A must-read. Chen Jian’s book illuminates Zhou Enlai’s life from the earliest years to his final days with nuance, empathy, and scholarly depth. Along the way, he also tells the breathtaking story of Zhou’s China. This is a rare work of history shot through with the lived experience, and even occasional pensiveness, of an eminent authority on twentieth-century China. -- Sergey Radchenko, author of Two Suns in the Heavens: The Sino-Soviet Struggle for Supremacy, 1962–1967
At last, Zhou Enlai has the full-dress biography he deserves, one that uses rich documentary evidence to make an objective assessment of his enduring influence on twentieth-century China as well as the world. This is a profoundly important work of history. -- Rana Mitter, author of China’s Good War: How World War II Is Shaping a New Nationalism
Communist China resembles a labyrinth. This brilliant study of Zhou Enlai’s life has given us a key and a map to understand it. A masterpiece and a must-read for anyone who cares about China and its impact on the world. -- Xu Guoqi, author of Chinese and Americans: A Shared History
A leading scholar of the Cold War and the history of modern China, Chen Jian is Distinguished Global Network Professor of History at New York University and NYU Shanghai; Hu Shih Professor of History Emeritus at Cornell University; and Zijiang Distinguished Visiting Professor at East China Normal University.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780674659582 |
| ISBN 10 | 0674659589 |
| Title | Zhou Enlai |
| Author | Jian Chen |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Harvard University Press |
| Year published | 2024-05-07 |
| Number of pages | 840 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |