From the outset of his hefty biography of the second most powerful leader in the history of modern China, Ezra Vogel wants readers to know that writing about Deng Xiaoping was not easy.
As a figure who for decades swam with the sharksâ??and survivedâ??at the highest levels of Chinese politics under an emperor-like Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping (1904-97) relied on a prodigious memory rather than prepared texts when he spoke; he left behind no notes or personal papers; and in most matters he scrupulously observed party discipline. Even as he suffered through three purges, Deng was said to have refrained from speaking with his wife and children about political matters.
Read Full Article »