Mao Tse Tung

Putting a face to one of the greatest guerrilla leaders of the 20th century, Mao Tse Tung, the man who freed the Chinese from corrupt rule, then proceeded to kill millions in the name of the Communist revolution, this entry in A&E's popular Biography series shows Mao as a peasant-leader who was a bundle of contradictions. Crude in manner and appearance, he nevertheless was sophisticated in his ability to inspire his people and wage guerrilla warfare. On the one hand, he was able to lead the longest strategic retreat in military history (a 6,000 mile trek during which only 20,000 of 80,000 people survived) and, on the other, he was an inveterate womanizer. Perhaps, the most revealing aspect of Mao's personality is that he loved danger, excitement and risk--and had no compunctions about creating situations in which all three of those elements came into play. A compelling study of a quixotic leader, this is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. [Note: for a more in-depth look at modern China, WinStar Home Entertainment's 3-volume China: A Century of Revolution is a must; see review of Vol. 3, Born Under the Red Flag in VL-11/97.] Aud: H, C, P. (S. Fisher)