People's Trilogy

Frank Dikötter

This sweeping history traces China’s transformation from the aftermath of Mao Zedong’s rule to its emergence as a global superpower. Focusing on the economic reforms, market forces, and political decisions that reshaped the country, it explores the extraordinary gains—and deep social costs—of rapid modernization. The narrative also examines how corruption, inequality, repression, and the Communist Party’s enduring control shaped China’s rise. Combining economic analysis with political history, the book offers a probing account of the forces that paved the way for Xi Jinping’s increasingly centralized leadership.