JSnufkin

I am happy with this book. Great account of the political life and measures taken by Deng Xiaoping and their associates after the 70s and, although I am not trained to assess that, I believe it is made in a really scholarly made. The academic consensus seems to agree with this.

My concern, and the reason why it has 4 stars, is that some of the claims regarding the popular support of the reforms are, from my point of view, not justified. I understand that it is beyond the scope of the book, but I don't think all of them were supported by any sources.

I really enjoyed it as a good account of all the intrigues happening at the highest political level of the PRC during the Cultural Revolution. Nonetheless, the omission of anything happening below this level bothers me, as I think it comes from some bias of the authors wanting to reduce the GRCP as palace intrigues.

Additionally, basing the whole psychology and personality of Mao Zedong on only one account who, moreover, as far as I know is a bit polemical, seems far from ideal. Especially considering that the personality of the Chairman is used to push some thesis.

Despite this, it was a really valuable and insightful reading to me.