„An original, thoughtful and well written study, at once a history of communist China and an exploration of the ideas which shaped it - Marxism-Leninism, Maoism and nationalism. It sheds new light on the tension between the doctrinal foundations and recent economic policies and practices. This informative and learned study also illuminates the differences between political an economic developments in present day China and postcommunist Russia and their respective use of the shared ideological heritage.“ Paul Hollander, Davis Center of Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University