China's Leaders

Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China over 70 years ago, five paramount leaders have shaped the fates and fortunes of the nation and the ruling Chinese Communist Party: Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, and Xi Jinping. Under their leaderships, China has undergone an extraordinary transformation from an undeveloped and insular country to a comprehensive world power.

In this definitive study, renowned Sinologist David Shambaugh offers a refreshing account of China’s dramatic post-revolutionary history through the prism of those who ruled it.

 Exploring the persona, formative socialization, psychology, and professional experiences of each leader, Shambaugh shows how their differing leadership styles and tactics of rule shaped China domestically and internationally: Mao was a populist tyrant, Deng a pragmatic Leninist, Jiang a bureaucratic politician, Hu a technocratic apparatchik, and Xi a modern emperor. Covering the full scope of these leaders’ personalities and power, this is an illuminating guide to China’s modern history and understanding how China has become the superpower of today.

Review

“A colourful and accessible introduction to China's five main leaders to date.”The Telegraph“David Shambaugh is widely regarded as one of the world’s most astute analysts of Chinese politics, and his lucid study pays particular attention to the personalities of the five top leaders who have shaped China since the communist revolution of 1949.”Rana Mitter,The Guardian“A fascinating look at China's evolution since 1949 through the eyes and actions of the country's top leaders: Mao, Deng, Jiang, Hu, and Xi. Fresh, fun, and insightful. Shambaugh has written a must-read book for understanding contemporary China.”Elizabeth C. Economy, Senior Fellow, The Hoover Institution and Council on Foreign Relations, and author of The Third Revolution“David Shambaugh is a seasoned observer and scholar of Chinese politics who masterfully helps us understand the forces that have driven China's leaders over seven decades. In this deeply researched study, he assembles an engrossing mosaic of profiles that brings to life the very different men who have led China over the past decades.”Orville Schell, Director of the Center on US–China Relations, Asia Society, and author of My Old Home“In this fresh look at the interplay of cultural, psychological, and systemic factors shaping top Chinese leaders, Shambaugh explores how the idiosyncrasies of PRC rulers have intersected with broader changes in state behavior. Displaying extraordinary precision and perception, this book will long serve as a classic in leadership studies.”Cheng Li, Director, John L. Thornton China Center, The Brookings Institution, and author of Chinese Politics in the Xi Era“David Shambaugh has been studying Chinese politics for over forty years. In this new book, he offers readers a commanding and authoritative study of the five leaders who have done most to shape the People’s Republic of China since its founding. A significant and important book from one of modern China’s leading