China books

Jung Chang has a new book coming out on Mao Zedong, and since she hates her some Mao, you can expect a beat down. Not sure we need this as Mao's suckitude has been well established in places like this, this, and this.

On the other hand, Chang is an excellent writer. Those who have not read Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China really should take a look. By describing the lives of her grandmother, mother and herself, she provides a excellent summary of the 20th century in China. You get the horrible conditions of the early part of the century, the war, the initial liberation of women (still one of the Chinese Communist Party's greatest achievements) followed by famine, civil war, political torture of the intellectual class and the eventual collapse of the true socialist state. This is history everyone should know as China will be increasingly important in all of our lives. If you find more traditional history dry, give this a spin. The 20th century is China is nothing if not interesting.