Red Star over China: The Classic Account of the Birth of Chinese Communism [Paperback]

Edgar Snow (Author), Dr. John K. Fairbank (Introduction)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0802150934 | ISBN-13: 978-0802150936 | Publication Date: February 16, 1994 | Edition: Revised

The first Westerner to meet Mao Tse-tung and the Chinese Communist leaders in 1936, Edgar Snow came away with the first authorized account of Mao’s life, as well as a history of the famous Long March and the men and women who were responsible for the Chinese revolution. Out of that experience came Red Star Over China, a classic work that remains one of the most important books ever written about the birth of the Communist movement in China. This edition includes extensive notes on military and political developments in China, further interviews with Mao Tse-tung, a chronology covering 125 years of Chinese revolution, and nearly a hundred detailed biographies of the men and women who were instrumental in making China what it is today.

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Grove Press; Revised edition (February 16, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802150934
• ISBN-13: 978-0802150936
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #47,897 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #71 in Books > History > Asia > China

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting for its weaknesses as well as its strenghts, May 11, 2005

By 

Jonny Harman "dreamconsciousness.com" (Moscow, Russia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Red Star over China: The Classic Account of the Birth of Chinese Communism (Paperback)

Written before the Communist Revolution ['49] but after the Long March, this book offers a first-hand biography on Mao Zedong, and tells an engaging story of the Communist advance. Edgar Snow got in behind Communist lines to interview Mao Zedong himself, and so he is as much part of the history as he is a witness to it. His opinions of Mao Zedong are positive and his hopes for the Communist Party are optimistic. I found it a compulsive read until I got perhaps 3/4 the way through, at which point it became a kind of chore to complete. Snow is famous for often being completely wrong about China - travelling through China during the abortive 'Great Leap Forward', where between 30 and 60 million people starved to death, Snow never caught on to a thing - but still this book makes for utterly fascinating reading, if only for its personal insights into Mao Zedong. Still a good read, but not a useful historical source unless one has an understanding of how things eventually progressed. Put simply, it's a marvellous perspective of China at this time, but it's neither a retrospect nor a history.

40 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Acquire a better understanding of the Chinese revolution, February 8, 2000

By 

Nick Zarter - See all my reviews

This review is from: Red Star over China: The Classic Account of the Birth of Chinese Communism (Paperback)

With most Americans sadly ignorant of China and its past, this book provides an incredible inside look at the Chinese revolution and the beginning of communism. Snow's trip through rural provinces and villages during the country's civil war is an adventure in itself. The interviews he does with China's up and coming rulers are purely fasinating, allowing the western public its first chance to get to know such giants as Mao Tse-tung and Chou En-lai on a more personal level.

19 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Snow's writing is truly captivating., November 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Red Star over China: The Classic Account of the Birth of Chinese Communism (Paperback)

Snow truly did Sinology a tremendous favor when he ventured into the soviet area years ago. Red Star Over China stands as an archetypical example of "pre-TV" journalism at its finest. Snow's captivating writing style allows the reader to truly feel as if they are riding along with the "red bandits" as they move through the hills of China conducting guerilla warfare. What Snow has to tell us about Mao, is as fascinating as anything that has been brought up about him in the post-Mao era. I would recommend this book to anyone, it is not just a history book, it, in itself is a part of history, truly a classic.