The Battle For China's Past: Mao and the Cultural Revolution

--Shows that the Mao era was benficial for most Chinese citizens-- "A powerful mixture of political passion and original research, a brave polemic against the fashionable view on China. ... Aims a knockout blow at Jung Chang’s recent book on Mao, which Bush and the conservatives rave-reviewed." Gregor Benton, Professor of Chinese History, University of Cardiff "This important book opens a much needed window onto Chinese perceptions of the country's post-Mao direction. ... Highlights the renewal of popular support for socialism and the growing opposition to contemporary state policies." Martin Hart-Landsberg, Professor of Economics, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon Mao and his policies have long been demonised in the West, with the Cultural Revolution considered a fundamental violation of human rights. As China embraces capitalism, the Mao era is being surgically denigrated by the Chinese political and intellectual elite. This book tackles the extremely negative depiction of China under Mao in recent publications and argues most people in China, including the rural poor and the urban working class, actually benefited from Mao's policy of a comprehensive welfare system for the urban and basic health and education provision for the rural, which is being reversed in the current rush towards capitalism. By a critical analysis of the mainstream account of the Mao era and the Cultural Revolution and by revealing what is offered in the unofficial e-media debates this book sets the record straight, making a convincing argument for the positive effects of Mao's policies on the well-being of the Chinese people.

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1. Debating the Cultural Revolution 2. Constructing History: Memories, Values and Identity 3. Constructing History: Memoirs, Autobiographies and Biographies in Chinese 4. Mao, the Unknown Story: An Intellectual Scandal 5. Mao: the Known Story and the Logic of Denial 6. How a Medical Doctor Doctors History: A Case Study of Li Zhisui 7. Challenging the Hegemony: Contrary Narratives in the E-Media (I)-Mao and the Cultural Revolution 8. Challenging the Hegemony: Contrary Narratives in the E-Media (II)-the Mao Era 9. The Problem of Rural-Urban Divide in Pursuit of Modernity: Values and Attitudes 10. Battle of China's history: Seeing the Past from the Present Conclusion Truth and Belief Values of Socialism and China's Future Direction Notes Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Mobo Gao is Professor of Chinese Studies at the University of Adelaide and the author of Constructing China (Pluto, 2018), The Battle for China's Past (Pluto, 2008).

Review :
This study is a powerful mixture of political passion and original research, a brave polemic against the fashionable view on China. ... His analysis of Chinese blogs and websites reveals a very different view on China's recent past and current politics from the official one. On the whole, ... this is a breath of fresh air and a welcome return to the rebel spirit. -- Gregor Benton, Professor of Chinese History, University of Cardiff This important book opens a much needed window onto Chinese perceptions of the country's post-Mao direction. By drawing upon a variety of recent Chinese writings, ... Gao offers important insights into the role of media and ideology in shaping consciousness, the dynamics of social change, and the challenges of building socialism. -- Martin Hart-Landsberg, Professor of Economics, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon