Lessons from his father

In this review for the New York Review of Books, I look at two new state-of-the-art biographies of Chinese Communist Party leaders: the former party secretary, Hu Yaobang, whose firing and death led to the 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy movement, and Xi Zhongxun, father of the current leader of China. 

These two books are outstanding for their use of Chinese sources and depth of research. Hu was the most consequential leader but Xi Zhongxun is probably more important due to his son. Through their family life we gain new understanding of how Xi Jinping was raised and clues to how he rules China today. I strongly recommend both.