Maurice Meisner

[Chimurenga.]

I just found his name through a footnote and I read some reviews of his books. They seem to be alright. Can anyone on here vouch and say they are worth checking out? If so, what would you recommend?

[Chimurenga.]

Up.

Maoists, help me out.

[Chimurenga.]

Ok, maybe some titles will jog the memory.

"The Deng Xiaoping Era: An Inquiry into the Fate of Chinese Socialism, 1978-1994"
"Mao Zedong: A Political and Intellectual Portrait"
"Mao's China and After: A History of the People's Republic"
"Marxism, Maoism, and Utopianism: Eight Essays"

These are the books that I'm most interested in.

[heiss93]

"Mao's China and After: A History of the People's Republic"
"Marxism, Maoism, and Utopianism: Eight Essays"

Those were both excellent books. Meisner was sympathetic to the socialist experience in China, but also harshly critical of certain failings of the Maoist regime. He has a much more sophisticated understanding of Marxist theory than other Sovietoligists. His analysis of the genuine radical democracy that emerged in Maoist China, especially during the Shanghai Commune was excellent. So other than works written by explicit Maoists, his works are probably the best "objective" histories of the Maoist era you can get.

I see your a supporter of the PSL, and I would just add that I found some of Meisner's analysis of the GPCR ultraleft, to be somewhat similar to that of Sam Marcy's.

[Chimurenga.]

"Mao's China and After: A History of the People's Republic"
"Marxism, Maoism, and Utopianism: Eight Essays"

Those were both excellent books. Meisner was sympathetic to the socialist experience in China, but also harshly critical of certain failings of the Maoist regime. He has a much more sophisticated understanding of Marxist theory than other Sovietoligists. His analysis of the genuine radical democracy that emerged in Maoist China, especially during the Shanghai Commune was excellent. So other than works written by explicit Maoists, his works are probably the best "objective" histories of the Maoist era you can get.

Great. I will definitely check out a book or two of his.

One more question: I noticed that there are two different versions of Mao's China And After, one from 1979, and then a revised one from 1986. The revised part is on Mao's China. Do you know if it is a revision based on new information or something like a change of sympathies?

Anyways, thanks again.

[Chimurenga.]

I see your a supporter of the PSL, and I would just add that I found some of Meisner's analysis of the GPCR ultraleft, to be somewhat similar to that of Sam Marcy's.

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[Chimurenga.]

up once more.