Philip P. Pan Knihy

From an award-winning journalist for <i>The Washington Post</i> and a prominent China correspondent comes an eloquent chronicle of the world's most successful authoritarian state, now undergoing a remarkable transformation. This groundbreaking work delves into the battle for China's soul and the lives of individuals grappling with the trauma of Mao's rule while striving to shape the nation's future. While capitalism has ushered in prosperity and global respect, the Communist government continues to resist the people's demands for political freedom. The author, who reported in China for seven years and speaks fluent Chinese, navigated dangerous territory to uncover stories often overlooked by Western journalists. He shares gripping narratives from various settings, including rusting factories in the northeast and a bustling tabloid newsroom in the south. Among the compelling figures are an elderly surgeon exposing a government cover-up of the SARS epidemic, a filmmaker investigating a Cultural Revolution execution, and a blind man jailed for opposing forced abortions under the one-child policy. The survivors of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, now older and more pragmatic, continue to seek justice in diverse ways, shaped by their experiences of famine, idealism, and the challenges posed by a rapidly changing economy.