China changes face: The road from revolution 1949 - 1989 - John Gittings

The dramatic events of spring 1989 brought China's dilemmas to world attention. Yet the Beijing massacre was only the culmination of the long-running conflict in China between socialist ideals and the desire for economic and political reform.

John Gittings, Asia specialist for the Guardian, here analyses the political, social, and cultural changes in China since the Communist victory in 1949. A new epilogue written for this paperback edition covers the tragedy in Beijing, much of which he witnessed, and the repression that has followed. The main part of this book, however, provides the background everyone needs to understand China today. Among the many topics are: the Cultural Revolution; the evolving theories of socialism, and the recent tolerance of capitalism and enthusiasm for foreign trade; student demonstrations; the conservative backlash against reform; and the changing fortunes of political figures such as Mao Zedong, the Gang of Four, and Deng Xiaoping.