Reviews
"In his impressive and inventively researched book, Rana Mitter uses the May Fourth movement as a theme around which to explore China's bitter 20th century, with its repeated upheavals, foreign invasion and the death of more than 100 million people from man-made and natural disasters. He brings alive the promise felt by the intellectuals, journalists, writers and entrepreneurs who subscribed to the movement. The book is also peppered with excellent summaries of events to keep the non-expert reader up with what was going on, which is often at odds with the version propagated --and still largely accepted--after the communist victory of 1949."--Jonathan Fenby, Financial Times "With compelling prose and insightful analysis, Rana Mitter paints a brilliant, lively portrait of the intellectual and political fervor behind the May Fourth Movement, and how it has shaped, and continues to shape, China's national identity. A Bitter Revolution is critical to understanding the soul of modern China."--Iris Chang, New York Times bestselling author of The Rape of Nanking and The Chinese in America "A fascinating look at a pivotal time in the formation of the culture of modern China.... What is most intriguing about Mitters account is not what was lost in the dark decades that followed, but how much endured."--Publishers Weekly, "In his impressive and inventively researched book, Rana Mitter uses the May Fourth movement as a theme around which to explore China's bitter 20th century, with its repeated upheavals, foreign invasion and the death of more than 100 million people from man-made and natural disasters. He brings alive the promise felt by the intellectuals, journalists, writers and entrepreneurs who subscribed to the movement. The book is also peppered with excellent summaries of events to keep the non-expert reader up with what was going on, which is often at odds with the version propagated --and still largely accepted--after the communist victory of 1949."--Jonathan Fenby, Financial Times "With compelling prose and insightful analysis, Rana Mitter paints a brilliant, lively portrait of the intellectual and political fervor behind the May Fourth Movement, and how it has shaped, and continues to shape, China's national identity. A Bitter Revolution is critical to understanding the soul of modern China."--Iris Chang, New York Times bestselling author of The Rape of Nanking and The Chinese in America "A fascinating look at a pivotal time in the formation of the culture of modern China.... What is most intriguing about Mitters account is not what was lost in the dark decades that followed, but how much endured."-- Publishers Weekly, This is a brave book of big ideas sketched onto a huge canvas... this is a luminous and original study, written in a lively style, which will serve for years as an outstanding introduction to its subject., Prologue Tian'anmen Square, 1989 1. Flashpoint - Beijing, May Fourth, 1919 2. Saving the Nation: the era of the May Fourth Movement 3. Erasing the past: iconoclasm and the destruction of tradition 4. Ugly Chinamen and Dead Rivers 5. Making a stand: the lure and limits of democracy Epilogue The Legacy of May Fourth, 'With compelling prose and insightful analysis, Rana Mitter paints a brilliant, lively portrait of the intellectual and political fervor behind the May Fourth Movement, and how it has shaped, and continues to shape, China's national identity. A Bitter Revolution is critical to understandingthe soul of modern China'Iris Chang, New York Times bestselling author of The Rape of Nanking and The Chinese in America, 'Mitter paints wonderful pen-portraits...he raises such a big question anddoes so in such strikingly good prose.'Sunday Times, This is a brave book of big ideas sketched onto a huge canvas... this isa luminous and original study, written in a lively style, which will serve foryears as an outstanding introduction to its subject., "In his impressive and inventively researched book, Rana Mitter uses the May Fourth movement as a theme around which to explore China's bitter 20th century, with its repeated upheavals, foreign invasion and the death of more than 100 million people from man-made and natural disasters. He brings alive the promise felt by the intellectuals, journalists, writers and entrepreneurs who subscribed to the movement. The book is also peppered with excellent summaries of events to keep the non-expert reader up with what was going on, which is often at odds with the version propagated --and still largely accepted--after the communist victory of 1949."--Jonathan Fenby,Financial Times "With compelling prose and insightful analysis, Rana Mitter paints a brilliant, lively portrait of the intellectual and political fervor behind the May Fourth Movement, and how it has shaped, and continues to shape, China's national identity.A Bitter Revolutionis critical to understanding the soul of modern China."--Iris Chang,New York Timesbestselling author ofThe Rape of NankingandThe Chinese in America "A fascinating look at a pivotal time in the formation of the culture of modern China.... What is most intriguing about Mitters account is not what was lost in the dark decades that followed, but how much endured."--Publishers Weekly, 'Mitter paints wonderful pen-portraits...he raises such a big question and does so in such strikingly good prose.'Sunday Times, 'With compelling prose and insightful analysis, Rana Mitter paints abrilliant, lively portrait of the intellectual and political fervor behind theMay Fourth Movement, and how it has shaped, and continues to shape, China'snational identity. A Bitter Revolution is critical to understanding the soul ofmodern China'Iris Chang, New York Times bestselling author of The Rape of Nanking and TheChinese in America, "A Bitter Revolution is...the first book to explore modern Chinese history through the May Fourth Movement. As such it is pioneering." National Post, "In his impressive and inventively researched book, Rana Mitter uses the May Fourth movement as a theme around which to explore China's bitter 20th century, with its repeated upheavals, foreign invasion and the death of more than 100 million people from man-made and natural disasters. He brings alive the promise felt by the intellectuals, journalists, writers and entrepreneurs who subscribed to the movement. The book is also peppered with excellent summaries of events to keep the non-expert reader up with what was going on, which is often at odds with the version propagated --and still largely accepted--after the communist victory of 1949."--Jonathan Fenby, Financial Times"With compelling prose and insightful analysis, Rana Mitter paints a brilliant, lively portrait of the intellectual and political fervor behind the May Fourth Movement, and how it has shaped, and continues to shape, China's national identity. A Bitter Revolution is critical to understanding the soul of modern China."--Iris Chang, New York Times bestselling author of The Rape of Nanking and The Chinese in America"A fascinating look at a pivotal time in the formation of the culture of modern China.... What is most intriguing about Mitters account is not what was lost in the dark decades that followed, but how much endured."--Publishers Weekly, "A Bitter Revolution is...the first book to explore modern Chinese historythrough the May Fourth Movement. As such it is pioneering." National Post
