Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China

By: Ezra F. Vogel

Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin

Length: 33 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Once described by Mao Zedong as a "needle inside a ball of cotton", Deng was the pragmatic yet disciplined driving force behind China's radical transformation in the late 20th century. He confronted the damage wrought by the Cultural Revolution, dissolved Mao's cult of personality, and loosened the economic and social policies that had stunted China's growth. Obsessed with modernization and technology, Deng opened trade relations with the West, which lifted hundreds of millions of his countrymen out of poverty. Yet at the same time he answered to his authoritarian roots, most notably when he ordered the crackdown in June 1989 at Tiananmen Square.

Deng's youthful commitment to the Communist Party was cemented in Paris in the early 1920s, among a group of Chinese student-workers that also included Zhou Enlai. Deng returned home in 1927 to join the Chinese Revolution on the ground floor. In the fifty years of his tumultuous rise to power, he endured accusations, purges, and even exile before becoming China's preeminent leader from 1978 to 1989 and again in 1992. When he reached the top, Deng saw an opportunity to creatively destroy much of the economic system he had helped build for five decades as a loyal follower of Mao-and he did not hesitate.

©2011 Ezra F. Vogel (P)2021 Tantor

Detailed and Balanced Biography

A detailed biography of one of China’s most profoundly important political figures, this book is balanced and fair. I recommend it to readers who want to understand how China’s dramatic transformation from Mao to now came about. I wish the narrator had been better schooled in how to pronounce the many Chinese names and places in the book.

Admire Deng

Mao built the foundation and Deng redirected to the right way and brought it to the next level. Thanks to Deng that China has what it achieved

Enlightening in an Objective Manner

It’s rare to get such an insight from an objective viewpoint of events as they happened - it’s effect positively and negatively in such an organized light.

Most information is politicized on these topics or largely biased without insights into the underlying infrastructure but Vogel’a presentation gives light to all angles and perspectives from foreign leaders to the domestic public

Fantastic Book, Beautifully Orated

I was initially skeptical of this book given how long it is and the fact that previously I have never read about modern chinese history. I found the background was sufficient to grasp the main content of the novel, and the writing was wholly clear and digestible for the uninitiated. No matter what your thoughts are on 20th century chinese political developments, I think we all can read this book to gain a more rigorously founded understanding of what decisions were made, who made them, and insights into why they were made. I found myself saddened when the book ended that there would never be a sequel as Deng is dead, which I think speaks to the power of this biography.

An excellent introduction to modern China

Loved the way Ezra lays out events and builds up to explaining the complexities of China in the XXth century.

It avoids the blatant criticism of authors like Walker Magnus, and instead focuses on events and facts.

It however might seem a bit overwhelming at first, 30 hrs long but totally worth it.

Great book

The author did just for the book. Because it connected so many dots and made it digestible for a wider audience. Interesting to learn the history of China

A deep dive but slanted

Its hard for the west to understand China and not judge when write. The author does better than most keep their bais in check

A Well Crafted and Objective Chronicle

Having lived in China from 1985-87, I found Vogel's analysis and documentation an obvious labor of love and worth every minute.

A must for Western readers

This is a long academics’ book. Too long and detailed for many of Today’s readers.

That said we should all be familiar with the assessment of Today’s China and conclusions the final Section. While released coincident with Xi Jing Ping’s appointment as Party leader , it sets the stage for his work, including the realities he will face moving China forward.

Quite detailed, but well written, skilled readers and historians are sure to praise it.

A well researched exploration of the foundation of modern China

As a biography and a history, this book does an excellent job of explaining Deng Xiaoping as a leader, as well as the changing realities of China during his life. It’s valuable knowledge for anyone looking to understand how China reached the position it’s in today, as Deng was the one who initially put the country on its current path.

What this book does not do however is explore the human side of the subject manner, that’s not it’s purpose. It explores the hows and whys of the Deng era without stating opinions of right and wrong, and maintains a professional detachment from the emotional side of the subject matter. This is not a mark against the book, it should just be understood going in that this is more a work of research than a work of literature.

As for the performance, it was fairly well done. I felt like it would have been strengthened if someone more familiar with the Chinese language had been chosen to do it, since the pronunciations of the many Chinese words had a very American take to them, but I never felt like it seriously detracted from the experience.

Overall a solid read, but definitely a book that scholars will enjoy more than the casual reader