Maoism: A Global History
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- Author：Julia Lovell
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Summary
‘A landmark work giving a global panorama of Mao's ideology filled with historic events and enlivened by striking characters’ Jonathan Fenby， author of The Penguin History of China
Since the 1980s， China seems to have abandoned the utopian turmoil of Mao’s revolution in favour of authoritarian capitalism。 But Mao and his ideas remain central to the People’s Republic。 With disagreements between China and the West on the rise， the need to understand the political legacy of Mao is urgent and growing。
A crucial motor of the Cold War: Maoism shaped the course of the Vietnam War and brought to power the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia; it aided anti-colonial resistance movements in Africa; it inspired terrorism in Germany and Italy， and wars and insurgencies in Peru， India and Nepal， some of which are still with us today。
Starting with the birth of Mao’s revolution in northwest China in the 1930s and concluding with its violent afterlives in South Asia and resurgence in the People’s Republic today， Julia Lovell re-evaluates Maoism as both a Chinese and an international force， linking its evolution in China with its global legacy。
'Wonderful' Andrew Marr， New Statesman
Since the 1980s， China seems to have abandoned the utopian turmoil of Mao’s revolution in favour of authoritarian capitalism。 But Mao and his ideas remain central to the People’s Republic。 With disagreements between China and the West on the rise， the need to understand the political legacy of Mao is urgent and growing。
A crucial motor of the Cold War: Maoism shaped the course of the Vietnam War and brought to power the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia; it aided anti-colonial resistance movements in Africa; it inspired terrorism in Germany and Italy， and wars and insurgencies in Peru， India and Nepal， some of which are still with us today。
Starting with the birth of Mao’s revolution in northwest China in the 1930s and concluding with its violent afterlives in South Asia and resurgence in the People’s Republic today， Julia Lovell re-evaluates Maoism as both a Chinese and an international force， linking its evolution in China with its global legacy。
'Wonderful' Andrew Marr， New Statesman
Reviews
Gemma Williams
，
Fascinating and wide ranging。
Charles Earl
，
The book can be praised for the breath of “facts” — the historical events associated with Mao’s rise， inner conflicts within the movements that were trying to unify and liberate China， the liberation movements that adopted some of the principals of “Maoism” （which the author also interrogates）The most worrisome drawback is the western superiority and racism that leaks through the author’s discussion。 For example， when someone uses the word “Thug” to paint a broad brush of all African liberation The book can be praised for the breath of “facts” — the historical events associated with Mao’s rise， inner conflicts within the movements that were trying to unify and liberate China， the liberation movements that adopted some of the principals of “Maoism” （which the author also interrogates）The most worrisome drawback is the western superiority and racism that leaks through the author’s discussion。 For example， when someone uses the word “Thug” to paint a broad brush of all African liberation movements （as opposed to particular authoritarians in particular times and countries）， then we have to question any and all analyses。 We see that the author is still using a neocolonial lens through which to view the last 100 years。 In this respect， telling is the author’s early on dismissal of communism: “the violence inherent in the theory and practice of Communism”。 I’d like to inform the author that there were at least five Indigenous languages exterminated through violent， capitalist conquest in my small part of the us southeast。 I’d like to remind the author of the violence of the american war of 1776， or of the half million lost in the american civil war， the tens of thousands who perished in the French Revolutions。 How can we take seriously a book which glosses over the degree to which the us and Britain fueled the flames with millions ofdollars and pounds for the carnage of the Russian Civil War？That is， the struggles involved in establishing new governments — be they Capitalist or Socialist — have not been without immense cost， so it is the height of a particular kind of euro-centrism to assume that non-white people should seek non-violent means of liberation when their bondage was brought by genocidal carnage （we can look at the opium wars and enforced opium addiction which ravaged China）。So yes， read it for timelines。 There are real analyses that can be obtained at online resources such as:Foreign Languages Press https://foreignlanguages。press/colorf。。。Marxists。org section on Mao and Chinese Communismhttps://www。marxists。org/subject/chin。。。 。。。more
Titus Hjelm
，
Having read a couple of global histories of communism in recent years， Lovell's book is a very nice addition and expansion to the usual canon。 It also shows well how 'Maoism' has always teetered between doctrinaire party politics and a more symbolic labeling to legitimate local politics （and violence）。 The narrative flows well and there is a nice balance between storytelling and analysis。 My 'beef' with the book is somewhat fringe， but also revealing。 Lovell seems to wholeheartedly embrace the i Having read a couple of global histories of communism in recent years， Lovell's book is a very nice addition and expansion to the usual canon。 It also shows well how 'Maoism' has always teetered between doctrinaire party politics and a more symbolic labeling to legitimate local politics （and violence）。 The narrative flows well and there is a nice balance between storytelling and analysis。 My 'beef' with the book is somewhat fringe， but also revealing。 Lovell seems to wholeheartedly embrace the idea of 'political religion'， often used in connection with socialism and communism （e。g。 Slezkine's House of Government）。 While there are some functional similarities between religion and the veneration of political leaders and/or parties， the concept remains problematic。 It is especially so when it is used the way Lovell uses it， that is， as shorthand for 'irrational' and 'crazy'。 All the crazy things Maoists said and did must be explained by the fact that they were so entranced by the 'cult' of Mao 'worship'。 What makes it worse is that this seems to apply especially to western Maoists。 The analogy comes up a couple of times in the exposition of the history of the CCP， but really kicks off in the chapter on Euro and US Maoism。 Of course some Maoists used the analogy themselves， but one cannot avoid the uncomfortable sense that it is 'religion' when it affects otherwise rational westerners especially。 This is minor glitch that probably most readers won't even notice。 But I sorely wish people would at least try to justify the religion analogy if it needs to be used。 Otherwise it obscures more than it explains。 。。。more
Ryan
，
Without a doubt， the most tedious and obtuse book that I have ever read。 Not just this year， but ever。 The entire time I was reading this， it just felt like an enormous waste。 So， in order to spare anyone else the agony of reading this， here are the most major issues with it。1。 What is Maoism？ Great question！ Because it seems that Lovell doesn't know either。 While in passing she mentions the differences of Maoist strains of thought， including Mao Zedong Thought （MZT） and Marxist-Leninist-Maoism Without a doubt， the most tedious and obtuse book that I have ever read。 Not just this year， but ever。 The entire time I was reading this， it just felt like an enormous waste。 So， in order to spare anyone else the agony of reading this， here are the most major issues with it。1。 What is Maoism？ Great question！ Because it seems that Lovell doesn't know either。 While in passing she mentions the differences of Maoist strains of thought， including Mao Zedong Thought （MZT） and Marxist-Leninist-Maoism （MLM）， she seems to think they are both the same things。 This of course is so far removed from the truth that it would be grounds to stop reading right here if you know anything about these two subjects and the extreme differences that exist between them。 Nevertheless， despite revealing this in the first 50 pages， Lovell proceeds to draw zero distinctions between them and what's more， not even touch upon Maoist Third Worldism （MTW）， whose absence is felt with great peculiarity。Lovell does claim that it is hard to provide a historic overview of （her interpretation of） Maoism across the globe， given the secretive nature that Maoist organizations have had to build up， and the scattered/classified nature of many a party's documents。 But this is a flimsy defense at best when all three of these major branches of Maoist strands have reams of information written upon them already by representatives of those movements。 The fact that she omits an entire branch， and melds the other two together， is completely unacceptable for a book with a goal of covering the global rise of Maoism in the latter half of the 20th century。2。 What is your point？ The moment wherein I knew reading this book was a doomed venture was the following passage from pg。 19。 The Australian sinologist Geremie Barme has compared Trump （'the Great Disruptor'） with Mao: for his erratic populism， his scorn for the bureaucratic establishment， his predilection for brief， earthy statements。。。 This is something that I would expect to read in a freshman history paper， not a book that received a round of applause from a host of reviewers like the Times， the Washington Post， and others。 At its core， attempting to draw parallels between Mao and Trump is like attempting to compare the sun to a light bulb and one of the worst examples I have seen of establishment politics suffering from Trump derangement。 Never have I seen such a clear effort to sell the timeliness of a book then with this bit of the introduction。 It is such a jarring transition from what was written up to this point that I had to set the book down and collect myself。3。 Is this REALLY what you want to write？ Unsurprisingly with all the issues I've mentioned so far， the the lens with which Lovell has adopted for this is excruciating。 First up， we have the famous private account of Mao's doctor Li Zhisui -- this features prominently in the early chapters discussing Mao in China， where an inordinate time is given to his purported grooming habits and sexual appetites。 There's a reason why it has received intensive criticism not just by Chinese academics， but by English sinologists as well。 Warning bells should be going off in your head at this point at the usage of an account like this one， but it is accepted uncritically。 I almost expected to see a resurgence of the dumbest lie ever， which only rags like the SCMP or the Epoch Times would carry， of Mao attempting to sell millions of Chinese women for trade deals reprinted uncritically for this book but I guess even that was a bridge too far for Lovell。With this highlighted early on， you begin to see a pattern in all the chapters that Lovell has painfully laid out for you。 This is not so much a history as it is a lurid recounting of misadventures， wrong turns， and at times insane framing of Cold War events。 It takes real skill to talk about the Years of Lead in Italy and ONLY talk about the Red Brigades instead of the （US-funded） fascist organizations with ties to the military and upper echelons of Italian political leadership。 Yet somehow Lovell defies all odds in managing to do that。Genuinely do not read this book。 I picked it up as used for 10$， and it would have been better for me to burn that money myself because it could have provided a brief bit of warmth rather than this steaming pile of excrement。 。。。more
Adam
，
Maoism is one of the most toxic ideas of the 20th century。 Excellent book on how this idea poisoned minds across the world over several decades。 Must read if you have to understand not only maoism itself but modern also China。
Ryan
，
For me this book was just okay。 I found the first part was better than the rest of the book in that it became less specific about Mao's influence。 I mean clearly Mao is a cult of personality and had lasting influence on other revolution attempts around the world。 It was a good book， but not my favorite read。 For me this book was just okay。 I found the first part was better than the rest of the book in that it became less specific about Mao's influence。 I mean clearly Mao is a cult of personality and had lasting influence on other revolution attempts around the world。 It was a good book， but not my favorite read。 。。。more
Kushan Shah
，
I am so surprised by seeing so few reviews for this book。 This is an outstanding book。 The author Julia Lovell has successfully told the story of the appeal of Maoism to countries across the world， the resulting insurgencies and the subsequent destruction and/or disillusionment。 I will forever be indebted to this book for informing me about the recent history of Indonesia and Peru， the two best chapters of the book IMO， and the history of Maoism in India （which despite being an Indian I had abso I am so surprised by seeing so few reviews for this book。 This is an outstanding book。 The author Julia Lovell has successfully told the story of the appeal of Maoism to countries across the world， the resulting insurgencies and the subsequent destruction and/or disillusionment。 I will forever be indebted to this book for informing me about the recent history of Indonesia and Peru， the two best chapters of the book IMO， and the history of Maoism in India （which despite being an Indian I had absolutely no idea about）。The only criticism I have is about the chapter on Africa which seems to be a bit hazy and vague。 The chapter on Europe is a bit boring too but that may be due to the nature of the topic。 Despite these underwhelming aspects， the brilliance of the other chapters （especially the two I mentioned） far outshine the underwhelming aspects。 This is one of the rare books that has the potential to change your world-view and your understanding of Asia。 A valuable addition to my 'great-books_nonfiction' list。 。。。more
Dennis Murphy
，
Maoism: A Global History by Julia Lovell is a very capable survey of the history and international legacy of Maoism and Mao Zedong Thought。 The first four chapters are about its endemic origins， its controversies， the importance of Red Star Over China， and the desire to spread it to the outside world。 The rest of the book is a series of chapters each focusing on a different geographic and temporal location of Maoism。 Indonesia used and then discarded and attempts to export guerrilla warfare to A Maoism: A Global History by Julia Lovell is a very capable survey of the history and international legacy of Maoism and Mao Zedong Thought。 The first four chapters are about its endemic origins， its controversies， the importance of Red Star Over China， and the desire to spread it to the outside world。 The rest of the book is a series of chapters each focusing on a different geographic and temporal location of Maoism。 Indonesia used and then discarded and attempts to export guerrilla warfare to Africa stand out as an early chapter in a long， blood soaked history。 Its role in influencing activists in the United States and Europe， which largely reimagined him as a libertarian and libertine figure that enabled them to act out their own bourgeois revolution， though influencing some extreme violence as well。 Maoisms complicated relationship with Vietnam， and its blood red pupil in Cambodia massacring incalculable figures in the killing fields。 The Shining Path's own attempt to topple the Peruvian state， as Gonzalo sought to establish his own claim to leading Maoism after his death， and China's own distancing efforts with regards to the bloody terrorist irregulars in India and Nepal。 Even when the Maoists won in Nepal and toppled the monarchy， China asks that they change the name。 The book's last chapter brings the narrative back home， to a China that has left behind Maoism， while still keeping part of its core alive through its market and political reforms。 Xi Jinping is noted as， in some ways， a partial return to Mao and Maoism， though this is viewed cynically， and the Maoists themselves often suffer from state repression （even if they are better off than other dissidents）。 The point of the book is to describe an ideology that has spread throughout the world and still has consequences that are very much alive today。 It is an answer and a repudiation to the idea that China does not interfere with the internal affairs of other countries， which would be laughable if it weren't for so many people that were suckered into being believers。 In a way， Maoism is no longer under the control of the Chinese state - if it ever truly was。 China is embarrassed and seeks to distance itself from Maoist movements， particularly those violent antigovernmental insurrectionists that still abound。 It has influenced ideologies and groups that are not Maoist explicitly as well， including Jihadi-Salafist groups （the Taliban is a very good example of a non-Maoist Maoist group）。 Even back home in China， there is the distinct impression that China cannot fully lay Mao to rest， and that Maoism still lives on。 In a way we are still too recent to Mao to outlive his legacy。 Will he fade， much like the Marxist-Leninists did？ Or will he be continually reinvented and used as people discover him and use him to accomplish their own aims？ This is hard to tell， and part of the reason why a book like this is as useful as it is。 93/100 。。。more
Jason Friedlander
，
Really great and insightful book about the global impacts of Maoism - most of which I had no idea had happened prior to reading this。 Truly learned a lot， especially about the impact of Maoism in revolutions in Africa， Peru， the United States， as well as modern day India and Nepal。 Highly recommend this for anyone who wants to learn about the extent of how far Maoist ideology and iconography has taken over the globe over the past century。Plus points too for how accessibly it was written！
Deborah
，
Overall， a chilling analysis of the "revolutionary" trend that's been alternately simmering and exploding around the world since the 50s that we in the US missed because we were too busy obsessing over our "bipolar" world （or just too plain racist to take seriously）。 Recommended for history and world politics enthusiasts。。。but Jesus， I now think "Manichaean" is the most overused word I've ever come across; more seriously， I tend to think the problems with Marxist and Neo-Marxist philosophies is Overall， a chilling analysis of the "revolutionary" trend that's been alternately simmering and exploding around the world since the 50s that we in the US missed because we were too busy obsessing over our "bipolar" world （or just too plain racist to take seriously）。 Recommended for history and world politics enthusiasts。。。but Jesus， I now think "Manichaean" is the most overused word I've ever come across; more seriously， I tend to think the problems with Marxist and Neo-Marxist philosophies is rooted more in their messianic worldview as opposed to their division of everything into good and evil。 。。。more
Hubert Han
，
A real tour de force
Joel
，
Given the attempts at rehabilitation of Mao’s reputation being undertaken by the Xi regime of the Chinese Communist Party， it is warranted a better understanding of who Mao was and his global legacy in the second half of the 20th century （and through today）。 One need look no further for a comprehensive introduction than Julia Lovell’s meticulously researched and well written account of global Maoism and its ramifications。What emerges from this extraordinary work of scholarship is the picture of Given the attempts at rehabilitation of Mao’s reputation being undertaken by the Xi regime of the Chinese Communist Party， it is warranted a better understanding of who Mao was and his global legacy in the second half of the 20th century （and through today）。 One need look no further for a comprehensive introduction than Julia Lovell’s meticulously researched and well written account of global Maoism and its ramifications。What emerges from this extraordinary work of scholarship is the picture of a tremendously gifted politician， his genius trumped only by his wickedness。 And Lovell does not pull any punches。 Mao is presented here in all his personal and moral failings， a sociopathic figure bent on wreaking the maximum destruction possible – at home and abroad。Maoism differs in many （and significant） ways from Stalinism。 Stalin was above all a bureaucrat in search of order。 His ability to create a massive administrative state that encompassed eight time zones and hundreds of millions of people was prodigious – and thats what Stalinism is。 Attempts at order – totalitarian and brutal， to be sure， but above all oxygenless and clean in its implementation。 Maoism， on the other hand， is the installation of a permanent peasant revolution against the cities。 An insurgency of the body and the mind that knows no limits and seeks no end。 It is a celebration of blood and violence and destruction with the hopes that somehow at the end of it all a spontaneous birth of equality will emerge。 And it did – to a degree – the equality found in death and misery。Maoism was also international， finding allies in a world that was rapidly de-colonizing following the end of WWII。 The justification of peasant violence against the center was attractive in a post-occupation world where insurgencies were gaining legitimacy as colonialism waned; in places like Cambodia and Indonesia and Tanzania。 While Soviet communism was the expression of the semi-Europeanized， semi-industrialized; Maoism was the rebellion of the third world。 Maoism was however significantly more violent。 One anecdote from the book has stuck with me as particularly enlightening。 Upon successfully exporting Maoism to Cambodia in support of the Khmer Rouge， Mao receives Pol Pot。 In a private meeting， Mao tells Pol Pot he is thrilled with the Cambodian genocide – because that was the approach he wished to prosecute in China but had been stymied by reactionaries。The utopia of Maoism is to be found in the killing fields。This book is also particularly relevant in the United States today; because the debate in the public arena around ‘socialism’ fails to explain that the hard left progressives in our country are not Stalinist but actually Maoist。 In the celebration of violence， the iconoclasm leading to the rewriting of history， the attempts at ‘brainwashing’ （this word itself is actually taken from Maoism， or more specifically those seeking to explain what he was up to） through the creation of ‘safe spaces’ and trigger warnings and Maoist style ‘rectification’ ceremonies where the hopes of shaming and purging those who think incorrectly is stymied only by rule of law and free speech rules defended by our constitution， for now。 This is all very Maoist， so reading Lovell’s account of the genesis of this approach to control is important。A final quick point。 In the introduction Lovell （inaccurately） compares Trumpism to Maoism。 “Intriguingly， the rebellious repertoires of Leninism and Maoism seem to appeal to the architects of Trumpolitics。 Steven Bannon sees himself as a ‘tsar of agitation’， as （in his own words） a Leninist plotting to bring the political system crashing down。 The Australian sinologist Geremie Barme has compared Trump （‘the Great Disrupter’） with Mao: for his erratic populism， his scorn for bureaucratic establishment， his predilection for brief earthy statements， his rhetorical obsession with national autarky。” In this analysis， Lovell fails to understand that the desired end states matter， as does the approach – to be sure there is a certain amount of iconoclasm in the Bannon/Trump playbook。 The desire to see the “deep state” disrupted; however the purpose of this disruption for the Trump crowd is to set people free from what they see as the shackles of the state; it is if anything anarcho-libertarian （a celebration of spontaneous order）， and certainly not an overture for the killing fields。 There are Maoists in the United States， operating in the far fringes of the left （ANTIFA， for example） – not saying this wrests credibility from Lovell which she is trying to pursue as a neutral observer。 But alas it is often most difficult for analysts to see what is going on in their own house – confirmation bias and echo chambers being what they are。Nevertheless， “Maoism: A Global History” is an extremely important book， especially today。 I highly recommend you read it。 。。。more
Peter
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Very ponderous。 Many big words。
Gabriel Gale
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Very useful as research material。Her style is repetitive and that reduces the readability of an otherwise very interesting book。
Timothy
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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An interesting read that could have used some better editing。
London
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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。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Maoism: A Global History
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Maoism: A Global History&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft