Summary Of Mao's Great Famine

Frank Dikotter’s Mao's Great Famine: The History of China's Most Devastating Catastrophe, 1958-1962 is a historical narrative that examines the events leading up to and during China’s “Great Famine”. Through the narrative he presents, Dikotter aims to show the ways in which Great Leap Forward policies resulted in the “near collapse of a social and economic system on which Mao had staked his prestige.” Mao’s Great Famine examines the political situation of the Chinese Communist Party that allowed for upwards on 45 million to starve and die as well as the extensive economic, environmental, and social costs of Mao’s grand vision that was the Great Leap Forward. Dikotter’s detailed accounts of political events, the economic transformation, and …show more content…
This book is called Mao’s Great Famine; however, I do not believe that Dikotter devotes enough time to discuss the actual events of the famine from a political perspective. The first half of the books examines the political and economic side of those years and important events that occurred but there is not enough discussion and analysis in my view of how the CCP perceived and handled the famine. The audience would benefit from a discussion of how the famine was discussed among party leaders from the beginning and not only a discussion of how leadership discussed the famine as they were finally confronted with it in 1960-61. In the preface, Dikotter highlights that important role that the opening of archives has played in bettering our understanding of Mao, the CCP, and the famine. Despite this, I think certain sections of the book, especially those discussing party politics, rely too heavily on the narrative to explain events and there is not enough archival evidence and analysis to support the narrative. Mao’s Great Famine is not a book from those looking for a deep analysis of the CCP or Great Leap Forward