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Title: Enduring Insights On Revolutionary China
Review: Lucien Bianco's work is just as valuable now as when it first appeared nearly 40 years ago. It is packed with shrewd insights on policies and personalities, though the concise nature of the text does not permit a detailed narrative. It helps explain the complex intellectual currents, political developments and socioeconomic conditions that led to the People's Republic of China. Bianco stresses throughout the contingent nature of this process, rather than its inevitability, giving due attention to non-Communist actors. The annotated reading list, though dated, remains as enjoyable as it is helpful. No other work has supplanted it, but key recent titles of similar length include D. Qing, "Wang Shiwei & Wild Lilies," J. Spence, "Mao Zedong" and L. Feigon's provocative "Mao: A Reinterpretation."
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