Colin Thubron"China's year of death and resurrection was never described with more lucid understanding or to more forceful effect. A mesmerizing book." Alan Paul, author of "Big in China""James Palmer understands China, and in this fascinating, gripping book, he shows how the natural disaster of an earthquake helped end the unnatural disaster of the Cultural Revolution." Frank Dikotter, author of "Mao's Great Famine""This is a terrific book, gripping yet humane, and essential reading for anybody wishing to understand how Mao's reign came to an end." Isabel Hilton, editor, chinadialogue"James Palmer has written an incisive and gripping account of one of the most dramatic moments in recent Chinese history: political intrigue and natural disaster in the closing days of Maoism." "Kirkus Reviews
""A compressed, fast-moving survey of the waning rule of Mao Zedong, precipitated by the horrendous Tangshan earthquake of 1976. Beijing-based author Palmer efficiently lays out the devastati