Mao Zedong

蒋建农CPC Party History Publishing House · ChinaMar 2026

Rating 4.0
Word count
486K words
Chapters
73
ISBN
9787509864395

Tags

General Biography Historical ReappraisalAntiheroGroup BiographyHumanistic CarePatriotismDocumentary NarrativeSocial Observation

Summary

This book is like a sweeping documentary, offering a panoramic portrait of Mao Zedong's momentous life. Grounded in an immense body of historical sources, it presents Mao's life and thought objectively and truthfully. The author, Jiang Jiannong, a renowned expert in Party history, brings readers a real and vivid Mao Zedong through meticulous writing and an objective perspective. Understand a flesh-and-blood Mao Zedong within the broad sweep of history!

Editor's review

As one of the biography series published by the History of the Communist Party of China Publishing House, Mr. Jiang Jiannong's Mao Zedong offers readers a portrait of the great man that strives to be comprehensive, objective, and three-dimensional, thanks to its rigorous scholarship and solid foundation in historical sources. This is not a traditional celebratory biography; rather, it seeks to explore, against a grand historical backdrop, Mao's personal traits, the formation of his thought, the logic of his decisions, and his complex interaction with the turbulent currents of his era. Jiang Jiannong has long been engaged in research on Party history, and his writing combines the composure of a historian with the narrative sensibility of a biographer. Drawing on a vast array of archival documents, memoirs, and existing scholarship, he focuses on key historical junctures and intellectual turning points to explain how Mao became the giant who changed China's destiny. The value of reading this book lies not only in learning about a leader's life but also in understanding, through his trajectory, the arduousness, complexity, and inner intellectual driving forces of twentieth-century Chinese revolution, offering contemporary readers a profound perspective for reflecting on history and observing reality. The analysis in the book strives for balance: it showcases his incomparable strategic vision, tenacious will, and devotion to ideals, while not shying away from the twists and controversies of specific historical circumstances, guiding readers toward deeper historical reflection.

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Reading tips

  1. It is recommended to read alongside background materials on twentieth-century Chinese and world history to better understand the temporal and spatial coordinates of the figure's actions
  2. While reading, pay attention to the author's interpretive angle and use of historical sources regarding key historical events (such as the Zunyi Conference, the Yan'an Rectification Movement, and explorations in socialist construction)
  3. Maintain a critical attitude and read this book in dialogue with Mao Zedong studies from other scholarly perspectives to form a fuller understanding

About the publisher

CPC Party History Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

CPC Party History Publishing House is a central-level professional social sciences publisher centered on works on Party history, historical materials, and biographies. Its current catalog contains 68 titles, commonly classified under politics, social sciences, and comprehensive biography. Representative books include 600 Questions for a Knowledge Contest Marking the 95th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China, the 2016 edition of the New Training Textbook for Probationary Party Members, the 2017 edition of the Party Membership Training Textbook, A Reader for Studying the Party Constitution, Uphold the Moral High Line and Hold the Disciplinary Bottom Line, A Practical Handbook for Party Branch Secretaries, and Strengthen the “Four Consciousnesses” and Align with the Core. These titles mainly serve Party member education, admission training, and grassroots Party affairs. Representative authors include Dongfang Zhi, Li Junwei, Xu Yunpeng, Zhao Xiaogang, Zhang Rongchen, and editorial committees, reflecting author resources grounded in editorial teams and Party affairs researchers.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 出版说明
  3. 总序
  4. 序
  5. 引子
  6. 逝者如斯
  7. 第一章 “改造中国与世界”
  8. 故乡、家世
  9. 走出韶山
  10. 在湖南一师
  11. 五四运动的风云际会
  12. 第二章 参加建党
  13. 确立马克思主义世界观
  14. 参与创建中国共产党
  15. 领导湘区工运
  16. 第三章 在大革命中
  17. 推动第一次国共合作
  18. 分析社会各阶级
  19. 致力于农村大革命
  20. 第四章 开辟中国革命之路
  21. 把红旗插上罗霄山脉
  22. 星火燎原
  23. 分田分地真忙
  24. 横扫千军
  25. 第五章 踏遍青山人未老
  26. 逆境中的执着
  27. 中华苏维埃政府主席
  28. 扭转战局的一次次努力
  29. 长征途中的英勇抗争
  30. 第六章 奠基西北
  31. 神来之笔
  32. 团结北上
  33. 高原展红旗
  34. 筑起新的长城
  35. 第七章 领导民族抗战
  36. 实行全面的抗战路线
  37. 争夺统一战线领导权
  38. 打退反共高潮
  39. 建设模范的抗日民主根据地
  40. 论新民主主义革命
  41. 延安整风
  42. 主持中共七大
  43. 指挥解放区战场大反攻
  44. 第八章 为了光明的中国
  45. 争取国内和平
  46. 粉碎国民党军的全面进攻
  47. 转战陕北
  48. 决战前夜
  49. 两种命运的大决战
  50. 第九章 开国立业
  51. 为新中国奠基
  52. 在三大运动中
  53. 改造旧制度 武装新思想
  54. 开展“三反”“五反”运动
  55. 确立社会主义制度
  56. 第十章 探索中国式建设道路
  57. 伟大的开端
  58. 在“大跃进”年代
  59. 大兴调查研究之风
  60. 第十一章 伟人暮年
  61. 国际反霸
  62. “不断革命”
  63. 三线建设
  64. 点燃“文化大革命”之火
  65. “斗、批、改”
  66. 粉碎林彪集团
  67. 提出三个世界理论
  68. “要把国民经济搞上去”
  69. 动荡中交班
  70. 附录 毛泽东对中国特色社会主义的理论贡献
  71. 后记
  72. 再版后记
  73. 修订版后记

FAQ

What is the stance and viewpoint of this book? This book is grounded in academic research and, based on detailed historical sources, strives to present Mao Zedong's life objectively and comprehensively. Its viewpoint falls within the category of serious historical biography, aiming to analyze rather than simply pronounce judgment, and guiding readers to understand the figure and events within their historical context.
How difficult is this book to read? Does it require a lot of historical background knowledge? The book has a certain academic depth, giving equal weight to narrative and analysis. A basic knowledge of modern and contemporary Chinese history will help make reading and comprehension smoother, but the author also provides necessary historical background through clear narration.
How does this book differ from other biographies of Mao Zedong? The book is characterized by rigorous source criticism and is written by a professional Party history researcher. Completed in the twenty-first century, it can draw comprehensively on a large number of declassified archives and research findings from China and abroad. Its analytical framework reflects a more contemporary scholarly perspective, focusing on analyzing the interaction between thought and practice in the course of history.

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About the author

蒋建农 Author

Jiang Jiannong is a Chinese author known for his work on the history of the Communist Party of China and its revolutionary figures; available public information about him is limited, and details of his life remain unclear. Judging from the four works held in the collection, his writing centers on Mao Zedong: there is a biographical volume titled Mao Zedong, as well as Investigation Is Problem Solving: Mao Zedong's Path of Investigation and Research, which examines Mao's methods of investigation and his intellectual practice. At the same time, he extends his scope to the Party's early years and to contemporary politics, the former in The Right Path in the World: Complete Biographies of the Representatives of the First National Congress of the CPC, and the latter in Securing a Moderately Prosperous Society: The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. These works fall mainly under biography, politics, and social culture, and tend to follow figures and events as their threads, combining source-based narration with a clear presentation of context. They suit readers who wish to approach CPC history through key individuals and congresses.