Customer Reviews

Red-Color News Soldier

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I remember reading a review of this in the Far Eastern Economic Review (Oct 16, 2003 issue) and I said to myself after reading that review that I had to somehow find a copy of this book. One week later, I found it. If this truly is part of the only (known) complete collection of photographs of China within 1966-1976, then Li Zhensheng must be commended for his bravery in capturing some of the most poignant & stark imagery that I have ever seen in my life.

Starting from the beginnings of the "revolution" in 1964-1966, we are taken through from the initial scenes of relative calmness to the all-out assault on those "bourgeois" elements within Heilongjiang province by the time of 1972-1976. I took a look at the images and could not believe how humanity could do these things to its own. Thank goodness that Li Zhensheng (with Robert Pledge and Jacques Menasche) make mention that only in 1981 did China suddenly realise that the Cultural Revolution did not really achieve anything but set China backwards.

There are between 300-400 prints in this book that were culled from over 30,000 negatives taken by Li to New York. If the images in this pictorial story are anything to go by, God only knows what those other 29,600-29,700+ negatives contain. Definitely one to buy for your collection. Recommended without any hesitation.

Although the photographs are the main focus of this book, the accompanying text is also illuminating as an individual's account of his experiences of the Cultural Revolution. The text has, of course, been written with the benefit of hindsight - and one gets a sense of retrospective self-justification coming in. The passion that the period inspired amongst the younger generation is also evident, however.

The photographs are, of course, contemporary accounts of the living through that period, and consequently have the power to shock significantly. The "struggle session" photographs of senior party leaders undergoing "self-criticism" are particularly horrific. The concluding photographs of a "victor" of the Cultural Revolution on her way to her execution after the restoration of a more normal society also have a big impact - though curiously there is a sense of the pathetic about the woman that Li captures.

The photography merits a 5 star rating, the text probably a three. The images are a valuable insight into the strength of emotion in that remarkable period.

For those of us fascinated and puzzled over the cultural revolution in China, here are photos to bring to life what we've been reading.There are many faces to study. This document seems curiously objective even though the author has his own story to tell of being treated unfairly. I would not describe the photos as shocking to those who have studied these events in China's history. This is a great companion to any other narrative one might be studying on the subject. Also, the author is a remarkable person. This is another work on the cultural revolution where I come away feeling gratitude toward the author. Li Zhensheng has a more benign story in comparison with some other personal accounts that were part of my introduction to this subject. I enjoy this additional perspective. There is much to see here.

I confess that this review is only based on a browsing of this startling book in a bookstore. It presents what it claims is the only known photographic documentation of the entire period of China's Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) that the author collected during his days as a photographer for a Communist Party controlled newspaper

The photographs capture the revolution's sudden grip and the mass hysteria that went along with it. There is some pretty stark imagery of public humiliations, of forced "self-criticisms," of rampaging Red Guards, of executions.

There must nearly be around 300 prints or so. A stunning collection that is perhaps a required addition to the library of any Chinese, and a proud addition to everyone else's.

For those readers whose knowledge of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution is limited to film, here is a document that shows that most, if not all, of those scenes were not exaggerated. These photographs do more than document. There is something uncanny about them, as though the events depicted happened only yesterday, or as though they happened to YOU. The text that accompanies the photographs follows the story of the photographer and his work through the years. It is mesmerizing. The horrors of totalitarianism are well known, but this book communicates something original about the human condition that I believe is priceless and rare. If you can't afford this book, you should seek it out at a bookstore or library and read it.

Things can go horribly wrong in China. The current leadership seems wise, but they still revere the instigator of the cultural revolution. It is hard to know what lessons to be drawn from this period. It was the final attempt to severe the Chinese from their thousands of years of rich history. It makes me angry when people don't protect their own culture. The world needs diversity and cultures should be protected. Leaders and people that instigate attacks on their own cultural traditions have my full contempt.

In this book you see the cultural revolution through the photographs of one brave photographer. It will build up your hatred towards totalitarian regimes. It will hopefully teach you not to trust government people, who say they do things for your own good. This is a lesson for humanity not just the Chinese.

I teach art and history, and this book is an absolute godsend for both of these subjects. its a fantastic example of reportage photography, and the Photographs alongside the memoir mean it is an invaluabe resource for teaching about the Cultural Revolution in China, and Asian History. Highly recommended.

I would not call the photos "shocking" so much as chilling. This is as much a psychological treatise as a historical one. A testament to the insanity found in mass movements. The unconditional acceptance of the irrational. We all need to be reminded of what this phenomenon looks like.

Some might call Li Zhensheng brave or foolhardy. Regardless, he let his conscience be his guide and stowed away negatives that captured celebrations, executions and public denouncements. His hidden photos are probably the most critical photos of China to ever appear in print. Well written, put together and documented - this book is absolutely indispensable to any historical library or anyone who wants to understand the Cultural Revolution right here. Photo journalism at its most complete and best.

I salute to the author who kept all these highly restricted photos in a secret location before it deemed safe to be released (after the political climate changed in China). No one in the outside world would be able to imagine the gravity of the Cultural Revolution in China without reading this photographic account on one of the most important event in human history. Although it is a bit expensive, but I've found it worth all the penny and cents.