Bibliograph

Heaven cracks, earth shakes, the Tangshan earthquake and the death of Mao's China, James Palmer

Type

Label

Heaven cracks, earth shakes, the Tangshan earthquake and the death of Mao's China, James Palmer

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (p. 261-264) and index

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Heaven cracks, earth shakes

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

772086784

Responsibility statement

James Palmer

Sub title

the Tangshan earthquake and the death of Mao's China

Summary

In Heaven cracks, earth shakes, acclaimed historian James Palmer tells the story of 1976, the most tumultuous year in modern Chinese history. The year began with the death of the popular Premier Zhou Enlai, whose passing was widely mourned by the masses-- but this public grief quickly turned to anger when the Gang of Four stifled attempts to mourn Zhou publically. When a massive earthquake struck Tangshan a few months later, the disaster revealed the profound failures of Mao's China. As Tangshan lay in ruins, the central government cared more about ideological struggles than rescuing its own people. The year climaxed with Mao's death, followed in short order by a palace coup, which wrested the reins of power from the Gang of Four and put an end to the Cultural Revolution. -- Jacket, p. [2]

Classification