This updated biography of Mao Zedong is published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of his death in September 1976. A half-century after his death, Mao Zedong remains one of history’s most polarising figures: a peasant boy who become a revolutionary leader, a general in World War II, and finally the ‘Great Helmsman’, the founding father of the People's Republic of China. His legacy is a mix of national liberation and human tragedy. Today, Mao is no static icon on a banknote, but the architect of a superpower whose ideas, methods, and personal life are continually re-examined through a modern lens.

This comprehensive biography bridges the gap between the revolutionary and the man without overlooking the events that led the ending of China’s ‘Century of Humiliation’, the brutal cost of the Great Leap Forward, and the Cultural Revolution, re-evaluating his ‘mass line’ ideology.

Based on new archival information and startling revelations from his inner circle – including his personal physician, Dr Li Zhisui, and former nurses – Clements offer a clear and accessible portrait of a leader whose persistent influence reminds us why Mao’s story remains essential to understanding the global power dynamics of today.

Book Information
ISBN 9781914979538
Author Jonathan Clements
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint Haus Publishing
Publisher Haus Publishing