Mao: The Unknown Story

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It's a hit!

Simply amazing. This book is a masterpiece of research combined with terrific storytelling.

Is the book biased? Sure. After reading several revi... (show more)

Simply amazing. This book is a masterpiece of research combined with terrific storytelling.

Is the book biased? Sure. After reading several reviews which basically call this "fiction," I was hesitant to buy it. I gave it a second look after Dennis Prager praised it on his radio show, and I am so glad I did. Here's my take on it: Although the authors leave you with no doubt they find Mao disgusting, I don't believe, like many do, that they are making these horrors up. You see, I have already studied the Maoist culture of Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge - heck, I've been there. What was done by Pol Pot to Cambodia was pretty much a distilled version of what Mao did to China, condensing 30 or so years into 4. The Khmer Rouge was overthrown, and the evidence of their ghoulish murderous regime and devastating social experiment was exposed for all the world to see. However, in China, the long-dead tell no tales. Out of sight, out of mind, out of the historical record. This is real, people. These things really do happen - yes, even today.

Some of the authors' assertions are speculative and too easily claim knowledge of Mao's mind and motives. But all this just inspires me to make further inquiry. Mao was so interesting, and despite its negative pitch I can see through this biography the admirable qualities he exploited to build his cult of personality.

This book is long, but I never once got bored throughout all 616 of the "reading" pages [the book includes at the end almost 200 pages of notes, sources, and lists of interviewees, to counter the many who doubt its veracity]. To be honest, I'm kind of sad I'm finished with it, and not least of the many reasons why is the absolutely top-notch cover design by Peter Mendelsund. It's lovely to look at and hold, the paper quality and typography are excellent, and the book will not fall apart during the considerable time it may take to read it. (show less)

 

 

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No, it's a flop!

The problem of this book can be succinctly captured by this quote: "In their zeal to protect something precious, people sometimes decide to dig the... (show more)

The problem of this book can be succinctly captured by this quote: "In their zeal to protect something precious, people sometimes decide to dig the moat too far out, thinking that it is safer to defend too much than risk defending too little. The result is that they end up trying to defend the indefensible, clinging to an extreme position that is actually vulnerable only because of its exaggeration." - D. Dennett

I believe that all politicians are corrupted to a certain extent. Mao Tze Tung is no doubt a totalitalian statesman. His climb to power indeed had wrecked havoc probably comparable to the worst cases in history. However, this particular caricature of Mao Tze Tung is way too overdone and extreme. This posture I believe is very much attributed to a similar degree of Nationalistic zealousness from the authors. Without much romanticizing, Mao is already well known to have a dark history. But this does not appropriate an Orwellian form of cleansing of everything else of the subject matter, especially without making a good enough effort in putting forth a well crafted and structured exegesis.

Many arguments are shallow and are simplistic syllogistic assertions that are quite obviously contorted out of context. The passages are mostly done in chronological order. But it is difficult to see how the authors are capable in writing the book in another format with the obvious lack of a much needed cohesiveness of the anecdotal debris. When it comes to descriptions and arguments of Chiang, mistakes, bad decisions and indecisiveness are pretty much all excused. Whenever the passage is about Mao, even an involuntary sneezing can be taken as a malicious attempt to spread deadly germs. This I do not expect from any good journalist or author.

I am not an expert of the history of Mao. However, this thick brick (of paper) does not only (attempt to) make Mao to be a one-of-a-kind devil that had once loomed Earth, it also makes everyone who were around him to look stupid and dumb. How could those obvious devilish stupid acts, if they were indeed the truth and the whole truth as the author has interpreted, evaded all the smart eyes back then? These decades of history cannot be done single handedly. The book pretty much makes Mao to look as if he won all he had by sheer luck, or everyone who could be collectively-able to stop him at various stages must be the most foolish lemmings. The Mao depicted in the book is almost like a cartoon-evil character who won what he won because he was simply evil and because the script made it to be. This exaggeration makes many passages in the book unconvincing and laughable. (show less)

 

 

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  After her success with "Wild Swans", Jung Chang went on to relate what it meant for China to live under Chairman Mao. Mao was a master of misinformation. Not wanting to let the rest of the world see what life was like in China, Mao kept all forms of media and information proccessing under his control. So Chang is revealing what few outside of China knew was happening. Co-authored by her husband, historian Jon Halliday, this tells of Mao's rise to power, his control of the army and h... (show more)

  After her success with "Wild Swans", Jung Chang went on to relate what it meant for China to live under Chairman Mao. Mao was a master of misinformation. Not wanting to let the rest of the world see what life was like in China, Mao kept all forms of media and information proccessing under his control. So Chang is revealing what few outside of China knew was happening. Co-authored by her husband, historian Jon Halliday, this tells of Mao's rise to power, his control of the army and his battle within China while also at war with Japan. The Cultural Revolution is revealed as Mao's effort to retain power while his view of Vietnam was to keep sending in more soldiers claiming the US will run out of bullets before China runs out of people. "Mao: The Unknown Story" takes a man thouoght of as a Chinese hero (many in China still have this view) and uncovers a man with an unrelenting need for power, no matter the cost to the people of China or the country of China. (show less)

   

   

  by Mark Hruska on Jul 02, 2009 at 01:22AM

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  Undoubtedly a magnum opus for Chang and Halliday, the authors cast a revealing light into the life of one of the greatest monsters of the 20th century in an incredibly detailed and fastidiously researched piece of work.

  Mao is portrayed as what he was, one of the greatest monsters of the 20th century responsible for an estimated 70 million deaths. I was left with the image of an incredibly self-centred, sadistic, megalomaniac who displayed a horrifying disregard for human life.

  The only c... (show more)

  Undoubtedly a magnum opus for Chang and Halliday, the authors cast a revealing light into the life of one of the greatest monsters of the 20th century in an incredibly detailed and fastidiously researched piece of work.

  Mao is portrayed as what he was, one of the greatest monsters of the 20th century responsible for an estimated 70 million deaths. I was left with the image of an incredibly self-centred, sadistic, megalomaniac who displayed a horrifying disregard for human life.

  The only criticisms I can levy at this text are seated within the methodology employed by the authors, at times the book was let down by the selective use of evidence and a very clear lack of objectivity, there where points throughout the text when it becomes clear that contextual specifics have been brushed aside in the authors unrelenting vilification of Mao.

  Well worth the read though and its a book that I will stay with me for a long time! (show less)

   

  by Facebook User on May 04, 2009 at 10:00PM

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