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Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China

January 01, 1970

Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China is a book by Sir Richard Evans chronicling the rise of Deng Xiaoping as the leader of the People's Republic of China. The first British edition was published in 1993 by the Hamilton company.[1] The first American edition was published by Viking Books in 1993.[2] This was Evans's first book.[3] Evans had served as the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to China,[4] from 1984 to 1988. To conduct his research, with approval of PRC officials, Evans had interviewed several PRC governmental officials.[5] At the time of publication, there were multiple books about Deng Xiaoping being published in Chinese and English.[6]

Content edit

Glen Jennings, author of a book review for the Australian Journal of Politics and History, wrote that the book is "a lucid account of Deng's life and an accessible general introduction to the CCP and the People's Republic of China."[7] A.P. of Current History wrote that the book "follows" closely the career of Deng "almost entirely from the angle of party politics."[8] The book uses Deng's official biography, interviews of CPC historians, secondary sources, and translations of works by Deng as sources. Ann Kent wrote in the Australian Outlook that the book is "[m]ore a narrative of the complicated ups and downs of Deng's career than a searching portrayal or character study".[9] She argues that the main image of Deng in the book is the "'black cat, white cat' pragmatist, of no fixed ideological address, who ultimately succeeded in reasserting his power and changing China's entire political direction through sheer force of circumstance combined with political acumen."[9] A.P. wrote that "Deng's private life remains remote" and therefore Evans produced "very little about" the childhood of Deng and that Evans "is constantly running into walls and left to cite with hushed attention some fairly banal details" when not discussing Deng's political career.[8]

The book includes a history of the development of the Chinese Communist Party along with information about Deng himself. Peter R. Moody wrote in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science that "There are long stretches with much more Party history than information about Deng."[10] Margaret Flanagan wrote in Booklist that "Since Deng Xiaoping's life literally parallels the course of modern Chinese history, this chronicle also provides a blueprint for comprehending the often arcane complexities of twentieth-century China."[11] In Moody's words, the book concludes that Deng was "pragmatic in economics and repressive in politics".[10] Kent wrote that the book's epilogue "provides a balance sheet of Deng's achievements and failures."[9]

The individuals thanked for the book include Qian Qichen and other members of the Central Committee Research Department. This included the head of the Deng Xiaoping Study Group.[12]

A.P. concluded that Evans's "respect" for Deng "is palpable."[8] Jennings argued that the book is "appraising Deng's career in a generally positive manner".[13] He argued that the author "supports Deng Xiaoping's emphasis on the primacy of economic reform",[14] and also that he "tends to downplay negative issues which have the potential to tarnish Deng's overall reputation as a political pragmatist and determined economic reformer."[13] Mirsky argued that the book has a "trusting quality" towards information given from Communist Party sources.[12]

Reception edit

Dick Wilson of The China Quarterly said in 1994 that "[f]or the time being, this is probably the best book to recommend about China's paramount leader."[4] Mark Meng of the Library Journal said that the book "is well researched and full of insightful observations" and is "[h]ighly recommended for all libraries."[5] Donald Zagoria of Foreign Affairs said that the book "will be a reliable and valued guide for years to come" and that it "is superbly researched, quite readable and extremely judicious in its assessments."[15] Margaret Flanagan of Booklist said that the book is "Highly recommended for Asian studies collections."[11]

Beth Duff-Brown of The New York Times Book Review said "Long on history and short on inside anecdote, this book will tell you everything you've ever wanted to know about Deng except who he really is."[16] Simon Finch of New Statesman said that "this book could usefully replace Deng's state-approved biography for the time being. Yet it still requires "a great leap forward" before another account begins to gauge the full significance of this diminutive and influential old man."[17] Peter R. Moody wrote in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science said that the author "writes clearly, accurately, and often insightfully but does not add much to what others have done."[18] Moody concluded that "This well-written study is probably useful for the general reader, someone interested in history or public affairs who wants a balanced overview of contemporary China and its rulers."[10]

Benjamin Yang of The China Journal said that the book "is of mediocre quality" and argues that "[t]o regard this as the 'best book on modern China in four decades (Asian Times) or to say it offers 'everything you ever wanted to know about Deng' (The New York Times) reflects less on the quality of the book than on the reviewers."[3] Louise do Rosario of the Far Eastern Economic Review said that the book "pales by comparison with" The New Emperors and that Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China "appears to have been written in haste."[19] The Economist stated that there was a large amount of difficulty in writing a biography of Deng since he was still ruling China, and that despite the fact that the author "has a fluent style, and offers some usefully crisp summaries" he "contributes little to an understanding of his subject's complexities" and "adds little to what we already know."[20]

Ann Kent wrote in the Australian Outlook that the book was "competent, readable but not heavily documented".[9] She argued that while it was a "useful guide to Deng's activities" it is a "sanitised version of Deng's life, partly or perhaps" because of Evans's experiences in China.[9] Kent wrote that the book does not explain why Deng became, after Mao's death, "the most important political figure in China"; reconcile the views of Deng being a "ruthless demagogue" and being "China's great liberal reformer"; use primary and secondary accounts regarding Deng's life during the Cultural Revolution and after the death of Zhou Enlai; or "elucidate the controversies" regarding Deng's career.[9] Moody wrote that the lack of "personal detail" is the most disappointing aspect of the work, and that even though the author was not a professional scholar "and it may not be to the point to fault his book for lacking pedantry" Moody argued that the author did not make use of "his on-the-spot experience."[18] Moody stated that Evans and Harrison Salisbury, the author of The New Emperors both "used similar sources" but that "Evans seems to lack Salisbury's nose for the salacious detail that inquiring minds want to know."[18]

Tim Ward of The Globe and Mail argued that the book "embodies this quality of evenness - one of the highest virtues of classical China" and that despite the presence of criticism, the presence of "a dispassionate sense of balance" would cause Deng Xiaoping to approve the book.[21]

References edit

  • A.P. "DENG,XIAOPING AND THE MAKING OF MODERN CHINA - EVANS,R" (book review). Current History. 1994. Volume 93, Issue 584. p. 288-289. ISSN 0011-3530.
  • Goodman, David S.G. "Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China. by Richard Evans." (book review). International Affairs. Royal Institute of International Affairs. Vol. 70, No. 2 (Apr., 1994), pp. 387–388. Available at Jstor. DOI 10.2307/2625347. - DOI 10.2307/2625347
  • Jennings, Glen. "DENG,XIAOPING AND THE MAKING OF MODERN CHINA - EVANS,R" (book review). Australian Journal of Politics and History. 1995. Volume 41, Issue 1. p. 164. ISSN 0004-9522.
  • Kent, Ann. "Deng Xiaoping and the making of Modern China - Evans,R" (book review). Australian Outlook. 1995. Volume 49, Issue 2. p. 307. ISSN 0004-9913. Accession Number 1452107. Indexed at EBSCOHost Academic Search Complete.
  • Mirsky, Jonathan. "DENG,XIAOPING AND THE MAKING OF MODERN CHINA - EVANS,R" (book review). The Times Literary Supplement. 1994. Issue 4747. p. 12. ISSN 0307-661X.
  • Moody, Peter R. "Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China by Richard Evans" (book review). Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, American Academy of Political and Social Science. Volume 538, March 1995. p. 212-213. Available at Jstor.
  • Wilson, Dick. "DENG,XIAOPING AND THE MAKING OF MODERN CHINA - EVANS,R" (book review). The China Quarterly. September 1, 1994. Issue 139. Page 824. ISSN 0305-7410. Available at Jstor.

Notes edit

  1. ^ http://www.worldcat.org/title/deng-xiaoping-and-the-making-of-modern-china/oclc/246844257&referer=brief_results [bare URL]
  2. ^ http://www.worldcat.org/title/deng-xiaoping-and-the-making-of-modern-china/oclc/214534136&referer=brief_results [bare URL]
  3. ^ a b Yang, Benjamin. "Deng Xiaoping and the making of modern China - Evans,R" (book review). The China Journal. The University of Chicago Press on behalf of the College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University. January 1, 1996. Volume 35. Page 155. ISSN 1324-9347. Available at Jstor. Retrieved on April 5, 2012. - DOI 10.2307/2950291
  4. ^ a b Wilson 825.
  5. ^ a b Meng, Mark. "Book reviews: Social sciences." Library Journal. January 1, 1994. Vol. 119, Issue 1. p. 128, 1/7 p. ISSN 0363-0277. Available from Academic Search Complete.
  6. ^ Goodman, p. 387.
  7. ^ Jennings, p. 164
  8. ^ a b c A.P., p. 288.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Kent, p. 307.
  10. ^ a b c Moody, p. 213.
  11. ^ a b Flanagan, Margaret. "Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China." Booklist. 90.13 (Mar. 1, 1994): p1177. Available at Popular Magazines Infotrac, Gale Cengage Learning. Document ID GALE|A15237950.
  12. ^ a b Mirsky, 12
  13. ^ a b Jennings, p. 165.
  14. ^ Jennings, p. 166.
  15. ^ Zagoria, Donald. "Recent Books: Asia and the Pacific." Foreign Affairs. March 1, 1994 (March/April 1994). Volume 73, Issue 2. p. 169, 3/4 p. ISSN 0015-7120. Available from Academic Search Complete. - DOI 10.2307/20045994
  16. ^ Duff-Brown, Beth. "IN SHORT: NONFICTION." The New York Times Book Review. February 27, 1994. p. 26. ISSN 0028-7806. Available from Academic Search Complete.
  17. ^ Finch, Simon. "Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China" (book review). New Statesman & Society. October 22, 1993. Volume 6, Issue 275. p. 41. ISSN 0954-2361. Available from Academic ASAP.
  18. ^ a b c Moody, p. 212.
  19. ^ do Rosario, Louise "Great Dictator, Short Fuse." (book review of Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China) Far Eastern Economic Review. Vol. 157, Issue 20 (May 19, 1994): p. 42. Available on ProQuest
  20. ^ "Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China." The Economist. 329.7835 (Oct. 30, 1993): p103. Available at Popular Magazines InfoTrac, Gale Cengage Learning (Document ID: GALE|A14496858)
  21. ^ Ward, Tim. "Deng Xiaoping & the making of modern China" (book review) The Globe and Mail. ISSN 0319-0714 August 6, 1994. p. C16.

External links edit

January 01, 1970
deng, xiaoping, making, modern, china, book, richard, evans, chronicling, rise, deng, xiaoping, leader, people, republic, china, first, british, edition, published, 1993, hamilton, company, first, american, edition, published, viking, books, 1993, this, evans,. Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China is a book by Sir Richard Evans chronicling the rise of Deng Xiaoping as the leader of the People s Republic of China The first British edition was published in 1993 by the Hamilton company 1 The first American edition was published by Viking Books in 1993 2 This was Evans s first book 3 Evans had served as the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to China 4 from 1984 to 1988 To conduct his research with approval of PRC officials Evans had interviewed several PRC governmental officials 5 At the time of publication there were multiple books about Deng Xiaoping being published in Chinese and English 6 Contents 1 Content 2 Reception 3 References 4 Notes 5 External linksContent editGlen Jennings author of a book review for the Australian Journal of Politics and History wrote that the book is a lucid account of Deng s life and an accessible general introduction to the CCP and the People s Republic of China 7 A P of Current History wrote that the book follows closely the career of Deng almost entirely from the angle of party politics 8 The book uses Deng s official biography interviews of CPC historians secondary sources and translations of works by Deng as sources Ann Kent wrote in the Australian Outlook that the book is m ore a narrative of the complicated ups and downs of Deng s career than a searching portrayal or character study 9 She argues that the main image of Deng in the book is the black cat white cat pragmatist of no fixed ideological address who ultimately succeeded in reasserting his power and changing China s entire political direction through sheer force of circumstance combined with political acumen 9 A P wrote that Deng s private life remains remote and therefore Evans produced very little about the childhood of Deng and that Evans is constantly running into walls and left to cite with hushed attention some fairly banal details when not discussing Deng s political career 8 The book includes a history of the development of the Chinese Communist Party along with information about Deng himself Peter R Moody wrote in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science that There are long stretches with much more Party history than information about Deng 10 Margaret Flanagan wrote in Booklist that Since Deng Xiaoping s life literally parallels the course of modern Chinese history this chronicle also provides a blueprint for comprehending the often arcane complexities of twentieth century China 11 In Moody s words the book concludes that Deng was pragmatic in economics and repressive in politics 10 Kent wrote that the book s epilogue provides a balance sheet of Deng s achievements and failures 9 The individuals thanked for the book include Qian Qichen and other members of the Central Committee Research Department This included the head of the Deng Xiaoping Study Group 12 A P concluded that Evans s respect for Deng is palpable 8 Jennings argued that the book is appraising Deng s career in a generally positive manner 13 He argued that the author supports Deng Xiaoping s emphasis on the primacy of economic reform 14 and also that he tends to downplay negative issues which have the potential to tarnish Deng s overall reputation as a political pragmatist and determined economic reformer 13 Mirsky argued that the book has a trusting quality towards information given from Communist Party sources 12 Reception editDick Wilson of The China Quarterly said in 1994 that f or the time being this is probably the best book to recommend about China s paramount leader 4 Mark Meng of the Library Journal said that the book is well researched and full of insightful observations and is h ighly recommended for all libraries 5 Donald Zagoria of Foreign Affairs said that the book will be a reliable and valued guide for years to come and that it is superbly researched quite readable and extremely judicious in its assessments 15 Margaret Flanagan of Booklist said that the book is Highly recommended for Asian studies collections 11 Beth Duff Brown of The New York Times Book Review said Long on history and short on inside anecdote this book will tell you everything you ve ever wanted to know about Deng except who he really is 16 Simon Finch of New Statesman said that this book could usefully replace Deng s state approved biography for the time being Yet it still requires a great leap forward before another account begins to gauge the full significance of this diminutive and influential old man 17 Peter R Moody wrote in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science said that the author writes clearly accurately and often insightfully but does not add much to what others have done 18 Moody concluded that This well written study is probably useful for the general reader someone interested in history or public affairs who wants a balanced overview of contemporary China and its rulers 10 Benjamin Yang of The China Journal said that the book is of mediocre quality and argues that t o regard this as the best book on modern China in four decades Asian Times or to say it offers everything you ever wanted to know about Deng The New York Times reflects less on the quality of the book than on the reviewers 3 Louise do Rosario of the Far Eastern Economic Review said that the book pales by comparison with The New Emperors and that Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China appears to have been written in haste 19 The Economist stated that there was a large amount of difficulty in writing a biography of Deng since he was still ruling China and that despite the fact that the author has a fluent style and offers some usefully crisp summaries he contributes little to an understanding of his subject s complexities and adds little to what we already know 20 Ann Kent wrote in the Australian Outlook that the book was competent readable but not heavily documented 9 She argued that while it was a useful guide to Deng s activities it is a sanitised version of Deng s life partly or perhaps because of Evans s experiences in China 9 Kent wrote that the book does not explain why Deng became after Mao s death the most important political figure in China reconcile the views of Deng being a ruthless demagogue and being China s great liberal reformer use primary and secondary accounts regarding Deng s life during the Cultural Revolution and after the death of Zhou Enlai or elucidate the controversies regarding Deng s career 9 Moody wrote that the lack of personal detail is the most disappointing aspect of the work and that even though the author was not a professional scholar and it may not be to the point to fault his book for lacking pedantry Moody argued that the author did not make use of his on the spot experience 18 Moody stated that Evans and Harrison Salisbury the author of The New Emperors both used similar sources but that Evans seems to lack Salisbury s nose for the salacious detail that inquiring minds want to know 18 Tim Ward of The Globe and Mail argued that the book embodies this quality of evenness one of the highest virtues of classical China and that despite the presence of criticism the presence of a dispassionate sense of balance would cause Deng Xiaoping to approve the book 21 References edit nbsp Books portal nbsp China portal nbsp 1990s portal A P DENG XIAOPING AND THE MAKING OF MODERN CHINA EVANS R book review Current History 1994 Volume 93 Issue 584 p 288 289 ISSN 0011 3530 Goodman David S G Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China by Richard Evans book review International Affairs Royal Institute of International Affairs Vol 70 No 2 Apr 1994 pp 387 388 Available at Jstor DOI 10 2307 2625347 DOI 10 2307 2625347 Jennings Glen DENG XIAOPING AND THE MAKING OF MODERN CHINA EVANS R book review Australian Journal of Politics and History 1995 Volume 41 Issue 1 p 164 ISSN 0004 9522 Kent Ann Deng Xiaoping and the making of Modern China Evans R book review Australian Outlook 1995 Volume 49 Issue 2 p 307 ISSN 0004 9913 Accession Number 1452107 Indexed at EBSCOHost Academic Search Complete Mirsky Jonathan DENG XIAOPING AND THE MAKING OF MODERN CHINA EVANS R book review The Times Literary Supplement 1994 Issue 4747 p 12 ISSN 0307 661X Moody Peter R Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China by Richard Evans book review Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science American Academy of Political and Social Science Volume 538 March 1995 p 212 213 Available at Jstor Wilson Dick DENG XIAOPING AND THE MAKING OF MODERN CHINA EVANS R book review The China Quarterly September 1 1994 Issue 139 Page 824 ISSN 0305 7410 Available at Jstor Notes edit http www worldcat org title deng xiaoping and the making of modern china oclc 246844257 amp referer brief results bare URL http www worldcat org title deng xiaoping and the making of modern china oclc 214534136 amp referer brief results bare URL a b Yang Benjamin Deng Xiaoping and the making of modern China Evans R book review The China Journal The University of Chicago Press on behalf of the College of Asia and the Pacific The Australian National University January 1 1996 Volume 35 Page 155 ISSN 1324 9347 Available at Jstor Retrieved on April 5 2012 DOI 10 2307 2950291 a b Wilson 825 a b Meng Mark Book reviews Social sciences Library Journal January 1 1994 Vol 119 Issue 1 p 128 1 7 p ISSN 0363 0277 Available from Academic Search Complete Goodman p 387 Jennings p 164 a b c A P p 288 a b c d e f Kent p 307 a b c Moody p 213 a b Flanagan Margaret Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China Booklist 90 13 Mar 1 1994 p1177 Available at Popular Magazines Infotrac Gale Cengage Learning Document ID GALE A15237950 a b Mirsky 12 a b Jennings p 165 Jennings p 166 Zagoria Donald Recent Books Asia and the Pacific Foreign Affairs March 1 1994 March April 1994 Volume 73 Issue 2 p 169 3 4 p ISSN 0015 7120 Available from Academic Search Complete DOI 10 2307 20045994 Duff Brown Beth IN SHORT NONFICTION The New York Times Book Review February 27 1994 p 26 ISSN 0028 7806 Available from Academic Search Complete Finch Simon Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China book review New Statesman amp Society October 22 1993 Volume 6 Issue 275 p 41 ISSN 0954 2361 Available from Academic ASAP a b c Moody p 212 do Rosario Louise Great Dictator Short Fuse book review of Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China Far Eastern Economic Review Vol 157 Issue 20 May 19 1994 p 42 Available on ProQuest Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China The Economist 329 7835 Oct 30 1993 p103 Available at Popular Magazines InfoTrac Gale Cengage Learning Document ID GALE A14496858 Ward Tim Deng Xiaoping amp the making of modern China book review The Globe and Mail ISSN 0319 0714 August 6 1994 p C16 External links editDeng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China 2nd ed London Penguin Books 1995 ISBN 0 14 013945 1 via Internet Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China amp oldid 1189305235, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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