| 520 | ## | $aA comprehensive history of the People's Republic from its founding through the post‑Mao era, Meisner analyzes the political, social and economic transformations under Mao—land reform, collectivization, the Hundred Flowers campaign, Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution—and the aftermath following Mao’s death in 1976. He then explores Deng Xiaoping’s reforms (1978–late 1990s), highlighting the shift from Maoist socialism to market‑oriented “socialism with Chinese characteristics,” the uneasy coexistence of authoritarian control and economic liberalization, and the enduring debates on democracy, socialism, and capitalism. |