The Tragedy of Liberation: A History of The Chinese Revolution, 1945-1957

After a bloody civil war, Chairman Mao Zedong hoisted the red flag over Beijing's Forbidden City in 1949. Instead of liberating China, the communists imposed a regime of tyranny, causing widespread misery and sending 5 million civilians to the grave. Frank Dikötter's gripping account of this revolution interweaves stories of ordinary civilians with the brutal politics of Mao's court. Written with great narrative sweep and including compelling details that have only recently come to light, this is a groundbreaking history that casts new light on the foundations of one of the most powerful regimes of our times.