THEY CAN’T COVER IT UP

My essay in the NYRB on a raft of fascinating new books on the Cultural Revolution, many by Chinese scholars who keep plugging away despite censorship and harassment.

This year is the 50th anniversary of the start of the Cultural Revolution and the 40th anniversary of Mao’s death. Here’s my review of several prominent books on this topic, including an ambitious book by Guobin Yang, a history by Frank Dikötter, an edited volume, and a book by the Yang Kuisong, and an invaluable database by Song Yongyi and Guo Jian. Nov 19 update: the story is now unpaywalled through our friends at ChinaFile. Click here.