Foreigners under Mao : western lives in China, 1949-1976 / Beverley Hooper.

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CHOICE Review

From the founding of the People's Republic of China until Mao's death, a small group of Westerners lived in the country. These were "foreign comrades" making their home in China, Korean War POWs repatriating to China, diplomats, foreign correspondents, "foreign experts," and students. Hooper (emer., Chinese studies, Univ. of Sheffield, UK) has mined interviews, memoirs, letters, and archives to produce an illuminating account of the lives of these individuals who lived through the turbulent politics of Mao's China. Because of communist officials, those from each of these six groups were cordoned off from contact with the Chinese people. Life in such a small circle was tantamount to living in a goldfish bowl, occasionally providing camaraderie, but also conflict. For those familiar with the books produced by these individuals about China, it is fascinating to learn about how they lived in this phase of Mao's China. It is also interesting to know about the travails these people encountered during the Cultural Revolution, some of them even suffering attacks by crowds and confinement. Finally, Hooper makes a few astute comparisons between correspondents stationed in Beijing versus those in Moscow. Suitable for all readers. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries. --Franklin Ng, California State University, Fresno