Mao Zedong (20th Century History Makers) - Hardcover

Faulkner, Anne

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0749646950 ISBN 13: 9780749646950

Publisher: FRANKLIN WATTS, 2003

Synopsis

20TH-CENTURY HISTORY MAKERS is an important new series of biographies aimed at introducing older children to the most important historical figures of the 20th century. Through lively, straightforward text and both black and white and colour photographs, young readers can find out about the events of the subjects' lives and how they impacted - for both good and evil - on the world at large.

About this title

About the Author:

LIZ GOGERLY is rapidly establishing herself as a respected and successful children's biographer. SIMON ADAMS became a full-time writer 15 years ago. Since then, he has written and contributed to more than 50 children's books. ANN KRAMER and ANN FAULKNER are both successful children's authors who specialize in older nonfiction, particularly history. DR EILEEN YEO, series consultant, is Professor of Social and Cultural History at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 7 Up-Covering the life of the Chinese leader, Faulkner mentions his wives and children as well as his political and military campaigns. However, she seems curiously hostile to her subject, highlighting his frequent betrayals of colleagues, describing him as a "smart, shrewd, manipulative and devious master of propaganda-the complete politician," and relegating his achievements in uniting a fractious nation to the last three sentences of the final chapter. Especially when describing his early career, the author frequently attributes thoughts and feelings to him with no documentation to back them up. She does describe China's weak and divided state, though readers without background information will benefit from consulting a good encyclopedia. The writing style is clear and lively, though Faulkner barely does justice to the complexity of Chinese political life. The illustrations and graphic design uphold high standards: contemporary photographs are well chosen and keyed to accompanying text, shaded text boxes provide appropriate detail, and a few maps provide geographic context. The glossary, "Who's who," chronology, and index are well done, though the list for further reading is quite skimpy, and there is no list of sources. Rebecca Stefoff's Mao Zedong (Millbrook, 1996) is more evenhanded and engagingly written, and Faulkner does not present any substantial information that is not in that book.
Jonathan Betz-Zall, City University Library, Everett, WA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: FRANKLIN WATTS
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0749646950
• ISBN 13: 9780749646950
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 112