This new biography of Zhou Enlai is based on research in official documents as well as from longtime acquaintances of Zhou. The authors successfully give an in-depth analysis on the complex personality and controversial actions of Zhou, both as a person and a leader of the Chinese Communist Party. The analysis explors the nature of his political behavior and how such behaviur played a crucial role in modern Chinese history.

Zhou Enlai is one of the most controversial political figures in the Chinese Communist Party. Drawing on official documents and the testimony of people who knew Zhou, Barbara Barnouin and Yu Changgen provide an in-depth analysis of Zhou's complex personality, both as a person and a leader of the CCP, and his controversial actions. Their biography thoroughly and sensitively explains his political behavior, especially how such behavior shaped modern Chinese history.