Bombard the Headquarters! The Cultural Revolution in China (Linda Jaivin, Black Inc)

Chairman Mao’s decade of terror is the subject of Bombard the Headquarters!, Australian sinologist Linda Jaivin’s excellent primer on China’s Cultural Revolution. In 1966, Peking University’s Nie Yuanzi created a bold, ink-painted poster denouncing the sinister forces threatening the Chinese People’s Republic. Mao echoed Yuanzi’s daziboa with his own call to ‘Bombard the Headquarters!’, sparking a brutal purge of Chinese culture. The revolution turned students against teachers and parents, and the army against the people, and led to 1.7 million deaths and the detention of 4.2 million people. It also inspired extremist groups such as the Khmer Rouge. Immensely readable, Bombard the Headquarters! will appeal to readers of politics, current affairs, history and sinology. Jaivin guides readers using an introductory cast of characters and timelines, while her conversational storytelling blends individual struggles with broader historical events. Refreshingly free from retrospective pop-psychology, the book also includes a solid list of sources and further reading and viewing recommendations. Bombard the Headquarters! is a gripping and accessible account of the Cultural Revolution and a timely reminder of the dangers of authoritarian power. Jaivin sheds light on a past that China’s current leadership would prefer to obscure, and her portrayal of Mao’s capricious tactics resonates with today’s turbulent political climate. It offers a sobering reflection on how culture wars and divisive leaders continue to shape global unrest.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Michael Kitson is a writer, career bookseller and freelance academic. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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