Now completely revised and updated, this balanced and lively history of the Peoples Republic of China offers a narrative and interpretive appraisal of this great nation since its post-World War II beginnings. Opening with the sweeping changes that occurred when Mao Zedong and the Communists defeated Chiang Kai-shek in 1949 and took over a China which was still reeling from World War II, this text introduces the unique characters and events which have shaped recent Chinese history. It also illuminates such epic events as the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, and the post-Mao...