An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List

366. The Architect of Modern China

September 06, 2023

Description

“Let us advance courageously, to change the backward condition of our country, and turn it into a modern and powerful socialist state!” Deng Xiaoping, a man purged by Mao and his followers twice...
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Books Referenced

The Great Transformation

Author: Chen Jian and Odd Arne Westad

Context:

Rana mentions this as 'a great new book, actually, forthcoming' about the long 1970s period in Chinese history

Unlikely Partners

Author: Julian Gewirtz

Context:

Rana describes this as 'the fantastic book' and 'the best source' for understanding the different economic models that Deng and other leaders experimented with

Never Turn Back

Author: Julian Gewirtz

Context:

Rana mentions this as Julian Gewirtz's 'most recent book' which is a biography of Zhao Ziyang, helping to put him back into the Deng Xiaoping story

China's War with Japan

Author: Rana Mitter

Context:

Tom mentions this book when introducing Rana Mitter as a guest, describing it as one of two 'wonderful books on China's experience in the Second World War'

China's Good War

Author: Rana Mitter

Context:

Tom mentions this alongside 'China's War with Japan' as one of Rana Mitter's books about China in WWII

A Bitter Revolution: China's Struggle with the Modern World

Author: Rana Mitter

Context:

Tom and Rana discuss this book that Rana wrote about 20 years ago, which looks at the May 4th movement and the legacy of liberal China