Overview

Following the defeat of Chiang Kai-shek in 1949, after a bloody civil war, Mao hoisted the red flag over Beijing's Forbidden City, and the world watched as the Communist revolution began to wash away the old order. Due to the secrecy surrounding the country's records, little has been known before now about the eight years that followed, preceding the massive famine and Great Leap Forward. Drawing on hundreds of previously classified documents, secret police reports, unexpurgated versions of leadership speeches, eyewitness accounts of those who survived, and more, The Tragedy of Liberation bears witness to a shocking, largely untold history. Interweaving stories of ordinary citizens with tales of the brutal politics of Mao's court, Frank Dik�tter illuminates those who shaped the liberation and the horrific policies they implemented in the name of progress. People of all walks of life were caught up in the tragedy that unfolded, and whether or not they supported the revolution, all of them were asked to write confessions, denounce their friends, and answer queries about their political reliability. One victim of thought reform called it a carefully cultivated Auschwitz of the mind. Told with great narrative sweep, The Tragedy of Liberation is a powerful and important document giving voice at last to the millions who were lost, and casting new light on the foundations of one of the most powerful regimes of the twenty-first century.

Full Product Details

9798200784646

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Frank Dik�tter is a Dutch historian who specializes in modern China. He is best known as the author of Mao's Great Famine, which won the 2011 Samuel Johnson Prize. Bruce Mann is an award-winning voice artist and actor. He was born in the U.K. and now lives in California. His awards include several AudioFile Earphones Awards, two Audie nominations, and an AudioFile Excellence Award. Bruce began his audiobook career in 2001 with a recording of the classic Red Badge of Courage. His audiobook highlights include Two Crafty Criminals by bestselling author Philip Pullman, Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs (with Simon Callow) and Equilateral by the award-winning Ken Kalfus. Of all his recordings, his personal favorite is the classic Turn of the Screw by Henry James. Bruce trained at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and has also studied with several eminent voice and acting teachers. In addition to his voice-over work, Bruce is also a busy theater and film actor and has appeared in theaters throughout the U.K., Europe, and in the U.S.A. He has featured on both British and American television and has appeared in several feature films. He has also directed and produced a variety of audiobooks by authors including George R. R. Martin, Salman Rushdie, Neil Gaiman, Terry Brooks, Tanith Lee, and Janet Evanovich. When not acting, Bruce is a keen musician, and has played Hammond Organ or bass guitar in many rock and blues bands. He is also a published songwriter with numerous credits. Bruce holds three degrees from the University of Cambridge, and more recently received his PhD. He is an experienced and skilled editor and proofreader of academic texts.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available