Dongping Han

Absolutely fascinating work of history. Totally rejects typical views of the Cultural Revolution as a complete disaster, although at the same time is critical of a few aspects of Mao-era policy and mentions common criticisms and tries to respond to them. The story is told through many, many personal anecdotes and life stories of those who lived in a small area of China. This micro-history approach obviously means you don't get a good overview of the Cultural Revolution but I think what's done here is much more important - you get an idea of how it affected ordinary life through the stories of those who were actually affected by it, which is an incredibly important angle rarely touched on elsewhere. It includes a few critical perspectives but these are almost all from communist party officials criticised and financially punished during the era. The ultimate picture is positive, convincing and inspiring. Excellent book I recommend to anyone interested in communism or China.… (altro)