In 1949, Mao Zedong came to power in China after a long and brutal civil war. He and his Chinese Communist Party immediately set out to transform their nation into a Communist state. They seized land from wealthy and middle-class farmers and distributed it to poor peasant farmers. The government also took over ownership of all industries. Within a few years, Mao turned China into a totalitarian state, controlling all aspects of his citizens' daily lives. This book describes how he did it and explores the personality of the dictator.
