Modernization and Revolution in China

Book excerpt: Extensively revised and fully updated in this fifth edition, this popular textbook conveys the drama of China's struggle to modernize against the backdrop of a proud and difficult history. It features new analysis of the issues facing China’s fifth generation of leaders, including the current economic climate, China's relations with its neighbors and the United States, the latest Tibetan crisis, and the election of Xi Jinping. Incorporating new analytical summaries in each chapter and updated suggested readings, this new edition covers: The breakdown of imperial China in the face of Japanese and Western encroachments The early struggles between the ideologies and armies of Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong China's bitter and costly war with Japan The Chinese Communist Party’s successes during the 1950s Mao Zedong’s turbulent and tragic Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution Deng Xiaoping’s far-reaching reforms that resulted in the dismantling of socialism and China’s dramatic economic growth The triumphant hosting of the 2008 summer Olympics and China’s emergence as a world power. Spanning the years from China's defeat in the Opium Wars to its current status as a potential superpower, the fifth edition of Modernization and Revolution in China is essential reading for courses on Modern Chinese History, Chinese Politics and Modern East Asia.