Mao: The Unknown Story

Mao: The Unknown Story by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday is a groundbreaking biography that offers an unprecedented look into the life of Mao Zedong, the founding father of the People's Republic of China. This meticulously researched book, written by the celebrated author of Wild Swans, Jung Chang, and her husband, historian Jon Halliday, sheds new light on one of modern history's most enigmatic and controversial figures.

Based on a decade of exhaustive research and including interviews with individuals from Mao's inner circle in China who had never previously spoken, as well as nearly everyone outside China who had significant interactions with Mao, this biography presents a portrait of Mao that is both comprehensive and startling. The book reveals Mao as a man driven not by idealism or ideology, but by a ruthless ambition for power and control.

The authors expose the myth of the Long March and detail Mao's intricate relationship with Stalin, a partnership that began in the 1920s and aided Mao's rise to power. They reveal how Mao welcomed the Japanese occupation of China as a strategic opportunity and used schemes, poison, and blackmail to achieve his political aims. After Mao achieved victory in 1949, his hidden agenda was global domination, an ambition that precipitated the deaths of 38 million people in the most devastating famine in recorded history. In total, over 70 million Chinese citizens perished due to Mao's policies during peacetime.

Blending meticulous historical research with the compelling narrative style of Wild Swans, this biography vividly brings to life Mao's tumultuous journey, highlighting his relentless manipulation and contentious policies. The book also delves into Mao's private life, unveiling for the first time his behaviour towards his wives, mistresses, and children.

This is an entirely fresh and groundbreaking perspective on Mao, both in terms of content and narrative approach. Mao: The Unknown Story is sure to astonish historians and general readers alike, challenging established perceptions of Mao and offering new insights into the catastrophic impact of his rule.

'This is a bombshell of a book,' Chris Patten, The Times

'The first great political biography of the twenty-first century,' Spectator