From Rebel to Ruler - One Hundred Years of the Chinese Communist Party

**On the centennial of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, the definitive history of how Mao and his successors overcame incredible odds to gain and keep power.** Mao Zedong and the twelve other young men who founded the Chinese Communist Party in 1921 could hardly have imagined that less than thirty years later they would be rulers. On its hundredth anniversary, the party remains in command, leading a nation primed for global dominance. Tony Saich tells the authoritative, comprehensive story of the Chinese Communist Party―its rise to power against incredible odds, its struggle to consolidate rule and overcome self-inflicted disasters, and its thriving amid other communist parties’ collapse. Saich argues that the brutal Japanese invasion in the 1930s actually helped the party. As the Communists retreated into the countryside, they established themselves as the populist, grassroots alternative to the Nationalists, gaining the support they would need to triumph in the civil war. Once in power, however, the Communists faced the difficult task of learning how to rule. Saich examines the devastating economic consequences of Mao’s Great Leap Forward and the political chaos of the Cultural Revolution, as well as the party’s rebound under Deng Xiaoping’s reforms. Leninist systems are thought to be rigid, yet the Chinese Communist Party has proved adaptable. __From Rebel to Ruler__ shows that the party owes its endurance to its flexibility. But is it nimble enough to realize Xi Jinping’s “China Dream”? Challenges are multiplying, as the growing middle class makes new demands on the state and the ideological retreat from communism draws the party further from its revolutionary roots. The legacy of the party may be secure, but its future is anything but guaranteed.

A Project Syndicate Best Read of theYear On the centennial of the founding of theChinese Communist Party, the definitive history of how Mao and hissuccessors overcame incredible odds to gain and keeppower. Mao Zedong and the twelve other young men whofounded the Chinese Communist Party in 1921 could hardly haveimagined that less than thirty years later they would be rulers. Onits hundredth anniversary, the party remains in command, leading anation primed for global dominance. Tony Saich tells theauthoritative, comprehensive story of the Chinese CommunistParty-its rise to power against incredible odds, its struggle toconsolidate rule and overcome self-inflicted disasters, and itsthriving amid other communist parties' collapse. Saich argues thatthe brutal Japanese invasion in the 1930s actually helped theparty. As the Communists retreated into the countryside, theyestablished themselves as the populist, grassroots alternative tothe Nationalists, gaining the support they would need to triumph inthe civil war. Once in power, however, the Communists faced thedifficult task of learning how to rule. Saich examines thedevastating economic consequences of Mao's Great Leap Forward andthe political chaos of the Cultural Revolution, as well as theparty's rebound under Deng Xiaoping's reforms. Leninist systems arethought to be rigid, yet the Chinese Communist Party has provedadaptable. From Rebel to Ruler shows that the party owesits endurance to its flexibility. But is it nimble enough torealize Xi Jinping's "China Dream"? Challenges are multiplying, asthe growing middle class makes new demands on the state and theideological retreat from communism draws the party further from itsrevolutionary roots. The legacy of the party may be secure, but itsfuture is anything but guaranteed.

A Project Syndicate Best Read of the Year On the centennial of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, the definitive history of how Mao and his successors overcame incredible odds to gain and keep power. Mao Zedong and the twelve other young men who founded the Chinese Communist Party in 1921 could hardly have imagined that less than thirty years later they would be rulers. On its hundredth anniversary, the party remains in command, leading a nation primed for global dominance. Tony Saich tells the authoritative, comprehensive story of the Chinese Communist Party—its rise to power against incredible odds, its struggle to consolidate rule and overcome self-inflicted disasters, and its thriving amid other communist parties' collapse. Saich argues that the brutal Japanese invasion in the 1930s actually helped the party. As the Communists retreated into the countryside, they established themselves as the populist, grassroots alternative to the Nationalists, gaining the support they would need to triumph in the civil war. Once in power, however, the Communists faced the difficult task of learning how to rule. Saich examines the devastating economic consequences of Mao's Great Leap Forward and the political chaos of the Cultural Revolution, as well as the party's rebound under Deng Xiaoping's reforms. Leninist systems are thought to be rigid, yet the Chinese Communist Party has proved adaptable. From Rebel to Ruler shows that the party owes its endurance to its flexibility. But is it nimble enough to realize Xi Jinping's "China Dream"? Challenges are multiplying, as the growing middle class makes new demands on the state and the ideological retreat from communism draws the party further from its revolutionary roots. The legacy of the party may be secure, but its future is anything but guaranteed. On the centennial of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, the definitive history of how Mao and his successors overcame incredible odds to gain and keep power.Mao Zedong and the twelve other young men who founded the Chinese Communist Party in 1921 could hardly have imagined that less than thirty years later they would be rulers. On its hundredth anniversary, the party remains in command, leading a nation primed for global dominance.Tony Saich tells the authoritative, comprehensive story of the Chinese Communist Party—its rise to power against incredible odds, its struggle to consolidate rule and overcome self-inflicted disasters, and its thriving amid other Communist parties’ collapse. Saich argues that the brutal Japanese invasion in the 1930s actually helped the party. As the Communists retreated into the countryside, they established themselves as the populist, grassroots alternative to the Nationalists, gaining the support they would need to triumph in the civil war. Once in power, however, the Communists faced the difficult task of learning how to rule. Saich examines the devastating economic consequences of Mao’s Great Leap Forward and the political chaos of the Cultural Revolution, as well as the party’s rebound under Deng Xiaoping’s reforms.Leninist systems are thought to be rigid, yet the Chinese Communist Party has proved adaptable. From Rebel to Ruler shows that the party owes its endurance to its flexibility. But is it nimble enough to realize Xi Jinping’s “China Dream”? Challenges are multiplying, as the growing middle class makes new demands on the state and the ideological retreat from communism draws the party further from its revolutionary roots. The legacy of the party may be secure, but its future is anything but guaranteed. "On the centennial of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, Tony Saich offers the definitive history of the CCP's rise and rule. The party has suffered self-inflicted wounds yet thrived thanks to its flexibility. Looking ahead, Saich assesses how the CCP is adapting to global leadership and the expectations of China's growing middle class"-- Provided by publisher