A detailed chronicle of an era of chaos and political turbulence, The Political and Economic History of China (1949-1976) is a must-read book for anyone interested in the history of modern China. This series, in three volumes, covers the Cultural Revolution, the Great Leap Forward, the Golden Age of Industrialization, and the other important events that shaped China. The incidents in this series are the ones which laid the groundwork for the subsequent 30 years of reforms in China and which have influenced the latest ideological and policy developments, such as President Xi's recent series of reforms. Written by Hu Angang of Tsinghua University. He is the director of the National Research Group of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China's most prominent political think-tank. Hu Angang is a Professor in the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University. He is also Visiting Professor at Harvard University, Japan's Keio University, and Guest Professor at Tongji University. He is the chief editor of National Report, a monthly journal of China's political research which is read by China's top leaders. Translator: Hu Guangyu is a professor in the school of Human and Social Science at North China Electric Power University/Tsinghua University, Beijing. Pubisher's note.