The New Emperors: China in the Era of Mao and Deng by Harrison E. Salisbury

In this sweeping account of modern China, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Harrison E. Salisbury examines the rise of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping—two leaders who transformed a nation and reshaped the course of the twentieth century. Drawing on decades of firsthand reporting and rare access to Chinese archives, Salisbury traces the turbulent years of revolution, political purges, and reform. He reveals how Mao’s revolutionary zeal gave way to Deng’s pragmatic vision, leading China from isolation to global prominence. The New Emperors offers an intimate portrait of power, ideology, and survival in a country perpetually reinventing itself.