Praise for Mao Zedong: A Life "Spence is the best known and most talented historian of China writing in English today. . . . His
Mao Zedong succeeds."
–
Los Angeles Times "Exceptionally successful."
–
The New Yorker "The task of bringing Mao to a large, non-specialist audience is one for which Spence is eminently well-suited. His lucidly written, compellingly narrated explorations of modern Chinese history have attracted a readership unmatched by that of any other academic China specialist. His study of Mao is short . . . his writing tight, his judgments restrained."
–
The Washington Post "An elegant account, at once sparse and robust."
–
The Economist "Jonathan Spence [is] an eloquent chronicler of Chinese history. . . . [A] brisk, elegant book. . . . Spence skillfully uses Mao's letters and poems to explore the Chinese leader's thinking and relationships."
–
USA Today "There is no better person to write a general, readable account of Mao than Spence, an acclaimed Chinese historian and author of several biographies."
–
Library Journal (starred review) "Fluid and informative despite its brevity."
–
Publishers Weekly