Mao: The Unknown Story

Mao Zedong ruled over China with an Iron fist, knocking down the very power and structure that the Emperors had build. Mao in his quest for power was a selfish and paranoid tyrant who manipulated others in the pursuit of getting his enemies before they got him.Mao changed China forever and created a revolution soon not to be forgotten. The East is Red and The revolution is strong, even today Mao...more

Mao Zedong ruled over China with an Iron fist, knocking down the very power and structure that the Emperors had build. Mao in his quest for power was a selfish and paranoid tyrant who manipulated others in the pursuit of getting his enemies before they got him.Mao changed China forever and created a revolution soon not to be forgotten. The East is Red and The revolution is strong, even today Mao continues to dominate China. A communist pushing for global domination.If Mao or communism interests you I recommend this book, but beware read as many sources as you can to get a view from all sides.   hide

Mao: The Unknown Story should be titled Wow!!: The Untold Story. Couldn't put this one down. The most detailed historical and psychological account of Mao and his impact on the average Chinese citizen to date. So well-written and relevant. If you hate delusional, tyrannical leaders who sacrifice the lives of their people for personal gratification and glory,then you will enjoy the author's...more

Mao: The Unknown Story should be titled Wow!!: The Untold Story. Couldn't put this one down. The most detailed historical and psychological account of Mao and his impact on the average Chinese citizen to date. So well-written and relevant. If you hate delusional, tyrannical leaders who sacrifice the lives of their people for personal gratification and glory,then you will enjoy the author's sometimes overly sentimental manipulation of historical data. If you read only one book about Mao this year, this should be the one   hide

A controversial book on a controversial character. Three individuals are often credited with changing and forming the Chinese racial history and character, Confucious for his Analects, the First Emperor for uniting China which continues in various form and dynasties until the modern days, and Mao Tze Tung for forming the People's Republic of China. Such a book on a historical character would...more

A controversial book on a controversial character. Three individuals are often credited with changing and forming the Chinese racial history and character, Confucious for his Analects, the First Emperor for uniting China which continues in various form and dynasties until the modern days, and Mao Tze Tung for forming the People's Republic of China. Such a book on a historical character would have informational value from a historical perspective if it is depicted from a balanced and accurate viewpoint. This book's depiction is coloured by the authors negative views of Mao, and therefore does not paint a full picture.   hide

Go into this book knowing there will be a natural bias BUT it IS meticulously researched and really exposes this maniacal, power hungry, selfish, manipulating bastard for what he really was. Actually I was shocked at how easily the people around him allowed him to browbeat and cow them into submission! I thought people had more backbone than that but it illustrates some very true cultural...more

Go into this book knowing there will be a natural bias BUT it IS meticulously researched and really exposes this maniacal, power hungry, selfish, manipulating bastard for what he really was. Actually I was shocked at how easily the people around him allowed him to browbeat and cow them into submission! I thought people had more backbone than that but it illustrates some very true cultural tendencies of the Chinese. Hitler? Stalin? Pol Pot? None can hold a candle to Mao when it comes to sheer brutal coldness and utter disregard for human life. Pretty sweeping statement? I beg to differ. If only the general Chinese population had access to this book or other books that offer any view other than what's approved by the Chinese communist party line.   hide

Would have given it five stars, but the story of Mao is too unsettling. A 600 page recitation of mass killings, atrocities, and totalitarian insanity. Part of you constantly says, "This can't be true, humans don't behave this way," then you see the book is heavily resourced with almost 100 pages of footnotes alone. The book is a nightmare and scarier than any horror story; it's stunning how...more

Would have given it five stars, but the story of Mao is too unsettling. A 600 page recitation of mass killings, atrocities, and totalitarian insanity. Part of you constantly says, "This can't be true, humans don't behave this way," then you see the book is heavily resourced with almost 100 pages of footnotes alone. The book is a nightmare and scarier than any horror story; it's stunning how anyone or any group would ever want to emulate such a monster. The "Unknown Story" of Mao makes Pol Pot, Hitler, and Stalin look like "also rans" when it comes to sub-human behavior. It's a good read because it reveals the real Chinese "peasant revolution" and exposes the staggering brutality of Mao. The Time magazine book review is dead on, "An atom bomb of a book." Read it, learn it, and fight to ensure such things never occur again.   hide

hard work to plough though at times

What gets me thinking, is how did the Chinese people let this happen? I've just read the bit about THe Long March and how Mao manipulated the situation to get into a more powerful position in the Communist Party, causing the deaths of tens of thousands of people in the process. Surely everyone could see what he was doing was mad. How come they allowed him to get away with it? I've...more

What gets me thinking, is how did the Chinese people let this happen? I've just read the bit about THe Long March and how Mao manipulated the situation to get into a more powerful position in the Communist Party, causing the deaths of tens of thousands of people in the process. Surely everyone could see what he was doing was mad. How come they allowed him to get away with it? I've also read Wild Swans. The overwhealming impression I get from both these books, is that Chinese people are seriously flawed. How could they treat each other like this? How could they let it happen?   hide

Jag förstår att man tycker illa om Mao. Det blir dessvärre lite för enahanda att läsa sida upp och sida ner om hur hemska han var. Man får inte glömma bort att han gjort ett politiskt avtryck som få andra under 1900-talet.

"Mao Tse-tung...was responsible for well over 70 million deaths in peacetime, more than any other twentieth-century leader." From its opening sentence, this book does not hold back. It's a harrowing read, and it's easy to see why it is banned in Communist China! He may not be the most evil person that ever lived, but he certainly gives Stalin a run for his money. If you still labour...more

"Mao Tse-tung...was responsible for well over 70 million deaths in peacetime, more than any other twentieth-century leader." From its opening sentence, this book does not hold back. It's a harrowing read, and it's easy to see why it is banned in Communist China! He may not be the most evil person that ever lived, but he certainly gives Stalin a run for his money. If you still labour under the delusion that he "wasn't that bad" or "had some redeeming features" - you need to read this book!   hide