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Maoismo: Una historia global

Maoismo: Una historia global

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  • Create Date：2021-05-26 12:16:16
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  • Author：Julia Lovell
  • ISBN：8417636854
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Summary

Una brillante revisión de la historia global del maoísmo， doctrina imperecedera que traspasa fronteras。

Durante décadas， las naciones occidentales han visto el maoísmo como un fenómeno histórico y político obsoleto， pero， aunque parezca que en las últimas décadas China ha abandonado la confusa utopía de la revolución maoísta en pro del capitalismo， Mao y sus ideas siguen muy presentes en la República Popular y en su gobierno comunista。 Dados los desacuerdos y conflictos que marcan la actual relación entre China y Occidente， la necesidad de examinar y comprender el legado político de Mao es cada vez más apremiante。

Motor decisivo en la Guerra del Vietnam， talismán de la resistencia anticolonialista en África， en ocasiones germen del terrorismo en Occidente。。。 En estas páginas， Julia Lovell analiza el maoísmo como esa fuerza que rebasa las barreras de su propia nación。 La autora casa su evolución en China con su legado global y nos transporta desde las plantaciones de té del norte de la India hasta los Andes， y desde los campos de arroz de Camboya hasta los barrios residenciales londinenses。

Dando comienzo en la eclosión de la revolución maoísta en los años 30 y hasta llegar a sus violentos vestigios en el Asia del Sur y a su reencarnación en la República Popular que es hoy， Lovell traza el relato definitivo de la historia global del maoísmo。

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Reviews

Timothy ，

Fascinating read。 It was engaging and interesting。 And even though it is some 400 pages， it didn't feel like it dragged on。 Fascinating read。 It was engaging and interesting。 And even though it is some 400 pages， it didn't feel like it dragged on。 。。。more

Melissa Michelle ，

It is a comprehensive history of Maoism （Chinese Communism） on a global scale。 Given the massive amount of history being presented， it can make for some dense reading。 If you want to understand China a bit more， I would recommend reading this book。

Jack Stewart ，

Julia Lovell's Maoism: A Global History illuminates the fraught history of Maoist though and organising throughout the twentieth and twenty-first century in a way that has fundamentally changed my understanding of the Cold War。 Her main thesis lies on the idea that Maoism has been sidelined in favour of a binary opposition between the USA and the USSR， with the PRC serving as a third agitator within the conflict。 Whilst I'm not an expert on the history of the Cold War， my understanding of popula Julia Lovell's Maoism: A Global History illuminates the fraught history of Maoist though and organising throughout the twentieth and twenty-first century in a way that has fundamentally changed my understanding of the Cold War。 Her main thesis lies on the idea that Maoism has been sidelined in favour of a binary opposition between the USA and the USSR， with the PRC serving as a third agitator within the conflict。 Whilst I'm not an expert on the history of the Cold War， my understanding of popular conceptions and secondary education confirms this in my eyes。In exploring the nature of Mao's China on both an ideological and geopolitical level， Lovell takes the reader on a global tour - Vietnam， Nepal， India， Cambodia， Peru， Germany， the UK and more - to highlight the wide reach of Mao's values of protracted people's war and third-worldism。 Each chapter serves as a fascinating case study for the different applications of Maoism and confirms Lovell's thesis that it has had an understated effect on the global stage。One criticism of the book I have is a personal one。 I am surprised that Lovell did not include a discussion of Ireland in her chapter on Western Europe。 The PIRA would serve as an excellent case study in both the application of guerilla tactics and anti-imperialism， and the nuances of that particular discussion。 I would love to see a few pages dedicated to that in a 2nd edition。All in all， a fantastic piece of historiography。 One that should be assigned reading for any student of the Cold War。 。。。more

Stanley Xue ，

Thick juicy book on the history of Maoism - not only set in China but stuffed full of case studies on how Maoism has popped up around the world （in Africa， India， Nepal， Peru， and the West）。Dismantles the myth of a non-interventionalist China pushed out by the CCP after Mao's death。 Illustrates how different aspects of Maoism has been used by different people and groups around the world - its violence， its embrace of contradictions。 And how much harm has come from proponents of the ideology （and Thick juicy book on the history of Maoism - not only set in China but stuffed full of case studies on how Maoism has popped up around the world （in Africa， India， Nepal， Peru， and the West）。Dismantles the myth of a non-interventionalist China pushed out by the CCP after Mao's death。 Illustrates how different aspects of Maoism has been used by different people and groups around the world - its violence， its embrace of contradictions。 And how much harm has come from proponents of the ideology （and reactions to Maoism as well）。 Enjoyed it much more than a Lovell's other book I read earlier in the year on the Opium War。 。。。more

Torsten Dennin ，

Massive， sometimes overwhelming knowledge and details。 A great work on Mao and his influence on societies。 Especially in the Western world， we still concentrate on east vs west， and let Marxist/Leninist Maoism with its influence on RAF， Red Brigades， and Shining Path slip。 Many countries have been influenced for many decades by its （anti-） philosophy， and its totalism from Asia to Africa and LatAm to Europe。 You don’t learn this at school 😜😳🏫

Matt Ely ，

I came into this book having some vague idea that the Nepalese civil war and Shining Path in Peru were both somehow connected to Maoism， but that was it。 I also didn't really know what Maoism was。 The book does a commendable job of connecting the dots。 The way in which Mao's thinking （and more honestly， a perception of his thinking） spread due to or despite Chinese funding is fascinating。 It's mostly backwards-facing， but the author does a good job of making explicit connections to the Xi era as I came into this book having some vague idea that the Nepalese civil war and Shining Path in Peru were both somehow connected to Maoism， but that was it。 I also didn't really know what Maoism was。 The book does a commendable job of connecting the dots。 The way in which Mao's thinking （and more honestly， a perception of his thinking） spread due to or despite Chinese funding is fascinating。 It's mostly backwards-facing， but the author does a good job of making explicit connections to the Xi era as well。 If you've ever wondered what Maoism means outside of China （and， frankly， inside it）， this is the place to start。 。。。more

Nilesh ，

Maoism: A Global History takes a simplistic view of what Maoism is/was。 Sadly， that is not its biggest flaw。 The book fails in separating Mao from Maoism， which leads to a highly erroneous final analysis even if one overlooks some incorrect historical connections。Ms。 Lovell wilfully omits any detailed descriptions of the fundamental tenets of Maoism and what separated its radical left orthodoxy from the other Marxist， communist， and socialist economic schools。 If the author had discoursed Maoism Maoism: A Global History takes a simplistic view of what Maoism is/was。 Sadly， that is not its biggest flaw。 The book fails in separating Mao from Maoism， which leads to a highly erroneous final analysis even if one overlooks some incorrect historical connections。Ms。 Lovell wilfully omits any detailed descriptions of the fundamental tenets of Maoism and what separated its radical left orthodoxy from the other Marxist， communist， and socialist economic schools。 If the author had discoursed Maoism's excessive emphasis on rural， agricultural， pre-industrial tendencies （as against the industrial-heavy bias of almost all European economic schools）， she would have realized why today's China policies are anything but Maoistic economically。Mao， the political figure， is completely distinct from Maoism。 Maoism is an economic framework he sketched in the later stage of his life， say in the 1960s。 Even though the sketch was sketchy， encompassed in a small red book， and open to various interpretations， the author should have contrasted it to other similar schools in a book solely on the topic。 This would have helped her discuss why specific types of oppressed worldwide were drawn to it， viz。 societies dominated by the primary rather than industrial sectors; rural， as against urban， communities; and less educated or illiterate classes。 Marxism was more about industrial labor。 Maoism focussed more heavily on the agricultural classes。 In a way， Maoists were violently fighting against not only the feudal landlords but also the urban forces that were suppressing the role and importance of the pre-industrial workers and their work。Let's forget about those who the author tries to brand as Maoists that weren't （Indonesian PKI was more anti-imperial communist than Maoists; Ho Chi Minh was also more nationalist and communist than a Maoist; the Khmers who closed hospital and factories were far more anti-modernist than any Maoist under Mao）。 The point is that the world over the people who called themselves Maoist like zealots - like the Shining Path or a handful of political parties in India or Nepal - were far fewer than what the author makes it out to be。 China was a poor nation with too many problems of its own in those decades。 Like other large nations of the era， it tried to influence events just outside its borders in the '50s and the '60s; however， outside the Korean war and a small number of other cases， Mao did not alter or shape the political course significantly anywhere in the world including India。 Maoism under Mao in China had other local hues in the form of the required worship of the Chairman， Chinese nationalism/expansionism， domestic propaganda methods， violence， etc。 While some outside China revered Mao as a great intellectual， few leaders anywhere supported a control from Beijing or wanted to be Chinese vassals。 Suppose some within China are celebrating Mao as a great past leader for whatever political or appearance-related reasons。 Yet， in almost every case， it has nothing to do with their belief in Maoism。 The author makes the mistake of counting many propagandists， violent or power-hungry leaders of past or present that she dislikes as Maoists with every tiny statement they may have uttered praising him as testaments。 Many who prefer Mao's political methods in violence or hero-worship or brainwashing - like so many examples one can think of in early twentieth-century Europe or later from the Middle East - are anything but Maoists despite similarities in their political methods， achievements， or ambitions。 The same is true about almost every present ruler globally because Maoism is comprehensively anachronistic and outdated in the technology-fuelled， urban world of the present。 The book discusses many lesser-known historic events in detail。 Readers will also appreciate the author's detailed research on oft-ignored communities of Eastern India and Nepal （and the Shining Path）。 A lot more needs to be read and written on Maoism。 This book is unlikely to prove to be the final word。 。。。more

Alex Hill ，

Brilliantly exploring the history of Maoism from its origin to today across the globe

Jeremy ，

As the author said， before this book their was a dearth of literature on global Maoism， the impact that Mao and his philosophy has had on the world。 This is a really interesting and in depth look at the subject。 Much of the book if focused on China， Mao's history and his impact on the country。 The impact of Edward Snow's Red Star Over China cannot be understated。 Even more important became Mao's Little Red Book， through which China spread its propaganda for decades。Lovell also takes us through a As the author said， before this book their was a dearth of literature on global Maoism， the impact that Mao and his philosophy has had on the world。 This is a really interesting and in depth look at the subject。 Much of the book if focused on China， Mao's history and his impact on the country。 The impact of Edward Snow's Red Star Over China cannot be understated。 Even more important became Mao's Little Red Book， through which China spread its propaganda for decades。Lovell also takes us through a number of countries that have had Mao-inspired communist uprisings - Cambodia， Indonesia， Burma， Nepal， India， Peru。 She focused on how the cult of Mao contributed to the ideological foundations of these movements， not just their histories。 Well written， informative and interesting。 Recommended。 。。。more

Justin Brown ，

Maoism had a way to make people slaves while making them feel powerful。Maoism: A global history tells the curiosily absent story of the maoist ideology and how it shapes our world。Good book if you are interested in Maoism （this is not a biography of Mao）。 It ran a bit long and I'll admit I sped through some parts。 Maybe I wasn't as interested in how Maoism shapes places like Peru or Napal as much as I thought。 Maoism had a way to make people slaves while making them feel powerful。Maoism: A global history tells the curiosily absent story of the maoist ideology and how it shapes our world。Good book if you are interested in Maoism （this is not a biography of Mao）。 It ran a bit long and I'll admit I sped through some parts。 Maybe I wasn't as interested in how Maoism shapes places like Peru or Napal as much as I thought。 。。。more

Derrick ，

The reader can learn a number of new things from this book。 After all， that is one of the reasons we like to read。 However， the author， a professor at Birkbeck University， London， strayed into contemporary politics a bit too much。 For example， Nigel Farage is described as a demagogue， rather than one of the most influential British politicians of his generation。 Mao is described as a really worthwhile chap because he was sympathetic to some aspects of women's rights。 （Mao's private life and pred The reader can learn a number of new things from this book。 After all， that is one of the reasons we like to read。 However， the author， a professor at Birkbeck University， London， strayed into contemporary politics a bit too much。 For example， Nigel Farage is described as a demagogue， rather than one of the most influential British politicians of his generation。 Mao is described as a really worthwhile chap because he was sympathetic to some aspects of women's rights。 （Mao's private life and predilection for young girls may contradict such a claim。） Africa is completely without blame， and its poor governance and corruption are （predictably） due to white male colonialists。 However， the author pulls her punches and does not really castigate China's neo-colonialism toward Africa。 Identity politics is all pervasive with the good professors in western universities， these days。 Favourite chapters include the influence of Edgar Snow's Red Star Over China and the chapter on Sendero Luminoso in Peru。 The founder of Sendero Luminoso， a professor of Kantian philosophy， may serve as a rejoinder to those who think more education is always the solution to society's ills。 Had the professor of moral philosophy been successful in Peru， his Maoist-inspired utopia would have been even worse than the Khmer Rouge， Stalin， and， yes， Mao himself。 Maybe a certain skepticism towards politically partisan professors， the author of this book included， would serve the world some good。 。。。more

Will Norton ，

This rather lengthy book centers on Mao and his influence in radical movements across the world。 Unfortunately， those "peasant revolts" led to almost certain bloodshed anywhere they were tried。 From the small scale to the larger bloodbaths of other locus of Mao the book describes a personality and his influence on the minds of the political。 It is strange in my opinion that this type of politics exist to only a small extent now。 Mao is an icon for some and avoided by others given the gruesome hi This rather lengthy book centers on Mao and his influence in radical movements across the world。 Unfortunately， those "peasant revolts" led to almost certain bloodshed anywhere they were tried。 From the small scale to the larger bloodbaths of other locus of Mao the book describes a personality and his influence on the minds of the political。 It is strange in my opinion that this type of politics exist to only a small extent now。 Mao is an icon for some and avoided by others given the gruesome history of his influence and radical left wing movements in general。 Definitely a retrospective of the politics and the power of "revolt" and "revolution" and where it can drive the loss of political sanity。 。。。more

Adam ，

An ambitious undertaking。 Examines the spread of Mao's ideas across the planet。 From Peru to Nepal， Germany to Indonesia。。。his ideas manifested in a number of ways outside of China。 Illuminating。The kind of revisionist history that opens doors of understanding。 An ambitious undertaking。 Examines the spread of Mao's ideas across the planet。 From Peru to Nepal， Germany to Indonesia。。。his ideas manifested in a number of ways outside of China。 Illuminating。The kind of revisionist history that opens doors of understanding。 。。。more

Leif ，

Interesting， but felt a bit scattered and I would have liked more general history about maoism before going into its influence on the rest of the world。

Colton Ness ，

An interesting read that could have used some better editing。

London ，

Significant for its overview of different variants of Maoism implemented internationally。 However， generally so loaded with details—sometimes superfluous—and uncontextualized that it was hard to follow for the casual reader to the point of being dull。 This is a global history written mellifluously。 You’ll need some background on each country’s historical context to fully appreciate the ideas。

Franco Pasqualini ，

An excellent， well researched book onto a topic that has not been given the respect it deserves。 For all the talk that still goes on today about the cold war and Stalin its amazing how little has been said about Maoism's influence across the globe since 1949。 A great read。 An excellent， well researched book onto a topic that has not been given the respect it deserves。 For all the talk that still goes on today about the cold war and Stalin its amazing how little has been said about Maoism's influence across the globe since 1949。 A great read。 。。。more

Dan ，

A comprehensive and deep dive into the cultural phenomenon of the cult of Mao both in China and globally over the past sixty years。 While sometimes a dull read going through the nitty-gritty details of narratives that I feel do not provide that much context to current treads in countries around the world， the focus in Nepal， India， and south-east Asia truly provides a new perspective into the influence of both politics and society of those countries through a Mao lens。

Marsilla Dewi-Baruch ，

The eve of Nationalist expulsion from Mainland China to ROC marked the rise of evil CCP。 It was also the beginning of world’s calamity， particularly to South East Asian nations which China actually assume as inevitable rivals。 This book unleashes shimmering CCP narrative from the early days of Mao ZeDong to the birth of Xi Winnie the pooh’s impregnable fortress。 The entire journey tells the horror of communism and its scheme that kills humanity。 Amid the sickening virtues of Maoism， the book als The eve of Nationalist expulsion from Mainland China to ROC marked the rise of evil CCP。 It was also the beginning of world’s calamity， particularly to South East Asian nations which China actually assume as inevitable rivals。 This book unleashes shimmering CCP narrative from the early days of Mao ZeDong to the birth of Xi Winnie the pooh’s impregnable fortress。 The entire journey tells the horror of communism and its scheme that kills humanity。 Amid the sickening virtues of Maoism， the book also sheds us some unimaginable stories of the underprivileged， oppressed caste of Indian society which ironically CPI stood for。 I have never thought that Indian caste system is brutally heinous and not very far from Zionism。 Overall， this book is highly recommended to China nemesis like me。 Haha。 。。。more

Kiel ，

Remarkable。 We ignore this history， this ideology， to our own peril。 Lovell captures the history of Mao himself and then the impact and history of his thought around the world to the modern day。 It’s a masterful treatise， and smacks of fair minded objectivity even while clearly taking a moral position in the end。 Especially clear in the study is the power of vision， and Mao had that。 It captured the hearts and minds of people all over the world， and continues to brandish forms of influence to th Remarkable。 We ignore this history， this ideology， to our own peril。 Lovell captures the history of Mao himself and then the impact and history of his thought around the world to the modern day。 It’s a masterful treatise， and smacks of fair minded objectivity even while clearly taking a moral position in the end。 Especially clear in the study is the power of vision， and Mao had that。 It captured the hearts and minds of people all over the world， and continues to brandish forms of influence to this day。 I can’t help but feel empathy with oppressed people groups grappling with the competing visions for how to modernize， how to organize， how to rule， and ultimately for what is real。 I take some comfort in the author’s conclusion that the marshaling of Maoist symbols and language in modern China appear to demonstrate a culling out of aspects that had the harshest impacts on the society and the world。 I still have so much to learn and understand， and hope I can love people well as I do。 624 pages or 22 hours of history and revolutions。 。。。more

Jim Sojourner ，

Even if many of Lovell's conclusions are either wrong or divorced from critical the local and international contexts， the book is a worthwhile contribution， engaging with Maoism as a forgotten but driving force of 20th （and 21st） century political violence throughout the world。 Even if many of Lovell's conclusions are either wrong or divorced from critical the local and international contexts， the book is a worthwhile contribution， engaging with Maoism as a forgotten but driving force of 20th （and 21st） century political violence throughout the world。 。。。more

Jason ，

This is a brick of a book: almost 22 hours long， it took me several renewals to get through the whole thing。 But it was so worth it。 In my California history classes， I was taught that Mao was a bumbling fool， a brute who was somehow able to take over one of the largest countries in the world， killed millions of his own people in his idiotic attempt at The Great Leap Forward， and then had at least hundreds of thousands more killed （as well as the destruction of some of China's most valuable hist This is a brick of a book: almost 22 hours long， it took me several renewals to get through the whole thing。 But it was so worth it。 In my California history classes， I was taught that Mao was a bumbling fool， a brute who was somehow able to take over one of the largest countries in the world， killed millions of his own people in his idiotic attempt at The Great Leap Forward， and then had at least hundreds of thousands more killed （as well as the destruction of some of China's most valuable historical and cultural artifacts） in The Cultural Revolution。 This narrative wasn't exactly wrong， but it did have a very strong bias: China had been led down one disastrous avenue after another by their failing oaf of a leader。 When I was in high school， we still believed that China's new acceptance of capitalist ideas meant democracy was soon to follow， and thus hammer down the final nail in coffin of Mao's legacy。Of course， now we see the opposite was true。 China is more authoritarian than ever， and capitalism only serves to give them more global political power than ever before。 Worst of all， rather than fascism giving way to democracy in China， democracy is giving way to fascism in the US。 Everything we assumed about the future is wrong。 So， it's fitting that my view of the past， of Mao himself， was also wrong。The history written in this book was fascinating to me in a way few history books are because， in truth， I knew almost nothing about these events。 I had no idea that Maoism was a truly powerful force， one that found its influence throughout the world。 And while Mao himself was certainly flawed， there's a reason why his personality cult formed: he was an influential and talented writer， a rebel who knew how to inspire the rebels of the world。This book is not meant to make you like Mao， but respect the power and influence he was able to create。 Not only is Maoism still alive and well today， but fascism itself has come back in full force， in part because fascist propaganda is as powerful today as it was seventy years ago。 If you do not respect that power， it'll come back when you least expect it。 。。。more

Bianca Dallaire ，

Avec l'école， j'ai ma surdose de lecture documentaire pour linstant。 Avec l'école， j'ai ma surdose de lecture documentaire pour linstant。 。。。more

Darya geothereader ，

Aim of the book as Julia Lovell puts it herself is to trace the history of Maoism - meaning Mao-influenced ideas and their implementation into revolutionary actions - throughout the 20th century， thus proving that the unbreakable legacy of Mao-era Communist China - conundrum of mistakes， contradictions and achievements - plays a significant role in today's world in general and in modern China in particular。 This aim is achieved through the description of revolutions which directly or indirectly Aim of the book as Julia Lovell puts it herself is to trace the history of Maoism - meaning Mao-influenced ideas and their implementation into revolutionary actions - throughout the 20th century， thus proving that the unbreakable legacy of Mao-era Communist China - conundrum of mistakes， contradictions and achievements - plays a significant role in today's world in general and in modern China in particular。 This aim is achieved through the description of revolutions which directly or indirectly were caused by Mao Zedong Thought。 Indonesia， India， Peru， Nepal; these are only few battlefields of ideologies represented in the book。 By combining purely historical facts with elements of adventure novels Julia Lovell makes the narrative easy to compherend。 Richness of material is fascinating; personal contemporary experience is masterfully intertwined with documentary extracts。 The only stand-alone in this stream is the chapter about Mao Zedong Thought's influence in Europe and the US。 It seems disjointed and far-fetched leaving the impression that the author had to mention it in order not to ruin her own theory of Maoism's universality。 She confesses in the introduction that Mao's ideas were present in the gay rights movement or in feminism movement， but they didn't define the cause and progress of the movements。 Readers are left wondering why more important topics associated with direct Maoism like Malayan Emergency， mentioned several times and never fully described， or terrorist activities of The Communist Party of Phillippines were excluded from the book。 Introduction and conclusion form an alien frame of the work。 When starting the book I was pushed back by the brighly expressed personal attitudes of the introduction which seemed to dominate over the factual material。 One-chapter sketches of revolutions in the very beginning are meant to create an intrigue， yet， they only lengthen the narrative; aims and structure of the book are described later on in an academic language。 In contradiction to the lengthy introduction， short conclusion is based on the experience of author's travels to China and as in fiction the last page of the book is full of questions instead of the answers。 Written this way， it doesn't provide the logical summary of the book。 Combined with the personal introduction， it leaves an impression that the theory of Maoism's dominion over contemporary politics was formed before the whole research had been done， that the assigned task preceded the choice of material。 The above mentioned points notwithstanding， I recommend this book as a rich source of information on politics and Communism。 Some chapters were read by me in one sitting， others took a little effort。 I can't not applause the great amount of research in archives done by Julia Lovell。 。。。more

Dana ，

Excellent， especially the chapters focused on China。 Long and dense but a pleasure to read。

Alberto Nickerson ，

In 2042， the People's Republic of China will turn 75 years old， outlasting the Soviet Union （if we date its birth to 1917）。 Julia Lovell offers a very ambitious and detailed world history of Maoism。 For a single-volume global history， Lovell succeeds in providing a solid introduction to the various facets of Maoism itself。 Subsequent chapters look at Maoism in Europe and the US， Cambodia， Vietnam， Nepal， India， Peru， and Africa。 The book concludes with a chapter on the current situation。 In 2042， the People's Republic of China will turn 75 years old， outlasting the Soviet Union （if we date its birth to 1917）。 Julia Lovell offers a very ambitious and detailed world history of Maoism。 For a single-volume global history， Lovell succeeds in providing a solid introduction to the various facets of Maoism itself。 Subsequent chapters look at Maoism in Europe and the US， Cambodia， Vietnam， Nepal， India， Peru， and Africa。 The book concludes with a chapter on the current situation。 。。。more

Sheila ，

Perhaps too much for me！

Steve ，

A decent history that somehow feels glib in its treatment of so many intensely violent conflicts。 Lovell's ambition to uncover the global reach of Maoism， both intended and unintended， is admirable， but it feels like she doesn't do much with it。She lays out simply the personality cult and contradictions of Maoist thought that have led to so much abuse and violence， but the scope doesn't give much space to dig deeper。 Her analysis is much more focused on the big characters of history and funny as A decent history that somehow feels glib in its treatment of so many intensely violent conflicts。 Lovell's ambition to uncover the global reach of Maoism， both intended and unintended， is admirable， but it feels like she doesn't do much with it。She lays out simply the personality cult and contradictions of Maoist thought that have led to so much abuse and violence， but the scope doesn't give much space to dig deeper。 Her analysis is much more focused on the big characters of history and funny asides about them than a more structural analysis that a dive into Maoism might warrant。It has that uncommitted sheen of "both sides bad" centrism and you get odd sentences like "It was this permissiveness that triggered the US carpet bombing in Cambodia" as if the US had no choice but to commit war crimes。 Lovell seems more interested in gossip grounded in birds-eye "impartial" history。 It's a popular history but one that only sort of confronts its issue， and I feel a people's history approach would have served her subject better。 Maoism is a personality cult， but its adherents deserve more than just one chapter on Africa that ribs on cultural differences。 。。。more

Alwynne ，

Julia Lovell’s account of the influence and the spread of what the West dubbed ‘Maoism’ （Mao Zedong thought） which took ideas developed by Mao and his circle and blended them with elements of Marxist-Leninist doctrine， which Lovell characterises as a curiously malleable framework， ideal for export。 Lovell seeks to survey the history of Maoism’s development， its appeal to the disenfranchised， the impact of its spread， and its persistent legacy。 Although Lovell’s sometimes disconcertingly vague on Julia Lovell’s account of the influence and the spread of what the West dubbed ‘Maoism’ （Mao Zedong thought） which took ideas developed by Mao and his circle and blended them with elements of Marxist-Leninist doctrine， which Lovell characterises as a curiously malleable framework， ideal for export。 Lovell seeks to survey the history of Maoism’s development， its appeal to the disenfranchised， the impact of its spread， and its persistent legacy。 Although Lovell’s sometimes disconcertingly vague on Maoism’s ideological underpinnings and complexities。 Lovell’s book’s a conventional one， largely descriptive， there are elements of political and economic analysis but often overshadowed by an over-emphasis on key figures。 Although part of the problem here’s the sheer scope of the territory she’s aiming to cover， which doesn’t support attempts at a more nuanced consideration – for example Lovell appears to conflate Marxism – in terms of fundamentals of Marx’s thought – Marxist-Leninism， Stalinism and socialism at various points。 Lovell’s Mao seems to almost miraculously rise to power， there’s not a clear enough representation of the numerous forces that contributed to this， or the complex negotiations between Mao and his followers/supporters or wider geo-political issues。 But Lovell does strive， not sure she always succeeds， to have a relatively impartial stance on historical events – and certainly there’s not as much overt pro-West bias as in histories like Applebaum’s Iron CurtainThe opening sections – around a quarter of the work – are taken up with a brief overview of the history of Mao’s ascendency and subsequent leadership， intermingled with elements of Soviet policy in the same period and U。S。 Cold-War strategies。 Unsurprisingly it’s dense， I’m not sure that this level of compression allowed enough space for Lovell’s arguments or provided a lucid portrait of China under Mao， I think if I hadn’t read a number of previous studies， I’d have found it hard to have any real critical engagement with the material。 Given the scale of the work some decisions are puzzling both structurally and in terms of emphasis， Lovell rightly points out the importance of American journalist Edgar Snow’s 1930s Red Star Over China which introduced a particularly flattering version of Mao to the outside world， as well as helped to recruit a generation of bourgeois Chinese youth。 The book sold 100，000 copies in Britain alone。 However， I’d have preferred an analysis of why Snow’s book was so successful （apart from his unique access） rather than finding out about his wife’s fashion addiction or the colour of his dog。 Pankaj Mishra for example has argued that part of the resonance of Snow’s work outside China linked to the construction of Mao as a “Lincolnesque” leader who aimed to “awaken” China’s millions to “a belief in human rights，” introducing them to “a new conception of the state， society， and the individual。” so tying Maoism to a particular strand within American progressivism。 There are similar sections， where attempts to enliven the discussion lead to awkward segues or digressions， the details of American brainwashing attempts for example。 I’m all for a vivid anecdote but not when they affect the balance or the force of what’s being presented。The rest of Lovell’s study’s more fragmented， a series of essay-like chapters broken down into the impact of Maoist-inspired movements on Indonesia in the 60s， Vietnam and Cambodia， Peru， India， and the West。 Anyone who’s read about Indonesia’s killing fields， the Vietnam War， Pol-Pot’s Cambodia， or any of the other countries included， will immediately recognise that Lovell can only present a brief sketch/snapshot of these movements and events。 What Lovell does convey is how a serious consideration of Maoism’s global impact challenges standard cold-war narratives， the ways in which Maoism seemed to open up alternatives to the imperialist policies and ambitions of America， Japan and Europe， aided by the fortuitous coincidence of Mao’s takeover of China during a period of post WW2 decolonisation。 And how an established past history of providing training camps for outside revolutionaries and factions， as well as direct aid， undermines China’s official stance on its previous foreign policy or external， international interventions。 Lovell’s Maoism is well-researched， fairly accessible， sometimes fascinating and arguably most effective in shedding new light on China’s past global ambitions – and the present resurgence of support for elements of Mao Zedong Thought – and tracing the connections between seemingly disparate histories。 It’s also a reasonable introduction to some of the movements she includes here， Peru’s Shining Path， for example， but it’s by no means a definitive account either of Mao， Maoism or the Maoist-adjacent movements included here。 。。。more

M。J。 ，

The research for this book on how Maoism has affected various regions of the globe politically and ideologically was seriously impressive。 Less impressive， however， were a couple moments where the author called different groups' traditional dress "costumes" and separately alluded to a couple racist stereotypes of Africans in her chapter on Maoism in Africa。 The history and many of her observations were rightly on point， but culturally insensitive errors kept me from giving this book a full 5 sta The research for this book on how Maoism has affected various regions of the globe politically and ideologically was seriously impressive。 Less impressive， however， were a couple moments where the author called different groups' traditional dress "costumes" and separately alluded to a couple racist stereotypes of Africans in her chapter on Maoism in Africa。 The history and many of her observations were rightly on point， but culturally insensitive errors kept me from giving this book a full 5 stars。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Maoismo: Una historia global

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Maoismo: Una historia global&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Maoismo: Una historia global&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0