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Title details for Nixon and Mao by Margaret MacMillan - Available

Nixon and Mao

The Week That Changed the World

by Margaret MacMillan
Barbara Caruso
Audiobook
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With the publication of her landmark bestseller Paris 1919, Margaret MacMillan was praised as "a superb writer who can bring history to life" (The Philadelphia Inquirer). Now she brings her extraordinary gifts to one of the most important subjects today-the relationship between the United States and China-and one of the most significant moments in modern history. In February 1972, Richard Nixon, the first American president ever to visit China, and Mao Tse-tung, the enigmatic Communist dictator, met for an hour in Beijing. Their meeting changed the course of history and ultimately laid the groundwork for the complex relationship between China and the United States that we see today. That monumental meeting in 1972-during what Nixon called "the week that changed the world"-could have been brought about only by powerful leaders: Nixon himself, a great strategist and a flawed human being, and Mao, willful and ruthless. They were assisted by two brilliant and complex statesmen, Henry Kissinger and Chou En-lai. Surrounding them were fascinating people with unusual roles to play, including the enormously disciplined and unhappy Pat Nixon and a small-time Shanghai actress turned monstrous empress, Jiang Qing. And behind all of them lay the complex history of two countries, two great and equally confident civilizations: China, ancient and contemptuous yet fearful of barbarians beyond the Middle Kingdom, and the United States, forward-looking and confident, seeing itself as the beacon for the world. Nixon thought China could help him get out of Vietnam. Mao needed American technology and expertise to repair the damage of the Cultural Revolution. Both men wanted an ally against an aggressive Soviet Union. Did they get what they wanted? Did Mao betray his own revolutionary ideals? How did the people of China react to this apparent change in attitude toward the imperialist Americans? Did Nixon make a mistake in coming to China as a supplicant? And what has been the impact of the visit on the United States ever since? Weaving together fascinating anecdotes and insights, an understanding of Chinese and American history, and the momentous events of an extraordinary time, this brilliantly written book looks at one of the transformative moments of the twentieth century and casts new light on a key relationship for the world of the twenty-first century.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    December 30, 2014

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781490661155
      • File size: 441491 KB
      • Duration: 15:19:46

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      This book uses President Nixon's historic visit to China in 1972 as the jumping-off point for an examination of Chinese and American history and the key figures in the event, Nixon, Mao Tse-tung, and Chou En-lai. The author shows how each country's history and each man's background influenced the meeting. The book gives clear insights into China's movement from isolated giant to world power and can be read in the context of today's burgeoning Chinese economic power. Barbara Caruso is excellent as narrator. Her pronunciation of Chinese names, places, and phrases is precise and clear. More importantly, she uses tone, phrasing, and cadence to good effect, giving what could be dry passages life that carries the listener through them. A less capable reader could have rendered this book deathly dull. R.C.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      Starred review from September 1, 2007
      Richard Nixon's 1972 trip to China took the American people by surprise, but this was a trip that had been in the making for some time. National security adviser Henry Kissinger had made a secret preliminary trip in 1971 to establish parameters for a visit by Nixon and a meeting with Mao Tse-Tung. At the time of the meeting in February 1972, the United States was bogged down in Vietnam, and China was recovering from the effects of the Cultural Revolution. Beginning with Nixon's trip to Beijing, the story then moves backward, relating the events that led up to the journey and telling the stories of how Mao, Nixon, Kissinger, and Chou En-Lai all rose to meet at this particular historical moment. Of more interest are the private negotiations that took place, as each side fought to gain an advantage, however slight. Historian MacMillan provides a detailed overview of the touchy situation as it related to Taiwan and China's persistent argument that Taiwan was, and always would be, part of mainland China. Barbara Caruso does a very credible job of reading, making this an enjoyable listening experience. Highly recommended for all audio collections.-Gloria Maxwell, Metropolitan Community Coll. Lib., Kansas City, MO

      Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from December 4, 2006
      Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to Beijing to open relations with Communist China was both a Cold War milestone and compelling political theater. Diplomatic historian MacMillan, author of the acclaimed Paris 1919
      , gives a lively account of the pomp and protocol surrounding the trip: the awkward banquets, the toasts to peace and friendship (punctuated by occasional anti-imperialist lectures), the Great Wall pilgrimages, the proletarian operas (Nixon attended The Red Detachment of Women
      , in which peasants and revolutionaries battle landlords). MacMillan's even better on the behind-the-scenes negotiations, as the two sides wrangle over every word of the climactic Shanghai communiqué. More than Nixon and the cloistered Mao, the central figures are Henry Kissinger and Chinese premier Chou En-Lai, tasked with finding common ground and finessing differences with subtle verbiage and winks and nods. The author fills in the background with colorful, incisive biographical sketches and a lucid history of Sino-American relations. The encounter seems to have had little impact on the issues discussed during the trip—the Vietnam war, the fate of Taiwan, relations with the Soviets. Still, MacMillan argues, it opened the door to today's necessary relationship between the two Pacific powers, and she turns a potentially dry diplomatic story into a fascinating study in high-wire diplomacy, full of intrigue and drama. Photos.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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