Synopsis
Traces the life and career of the Chinese Communist leader who brought reforms and international trade to China in the 1980s.
Children's Literature
This well-researched, competently written biography sets the life and accomplishments of Deng Xioaping against the backdrop of the turbulent events that shaped modern China. During his long life, Deng fought to free China from its feudal and colonial past, helped bring the Communist Party to power, rose to high office and fell from favor several times and finally became the leader of his party and his country. Born in Sichuan Province in 1904 to a moderately wealthy landowner, Deng was sent to study in Paris at age fifteen. There he met other Chinese students who introduced him to the theories of Karl Marx and encouraged him to join their efforts to bring about a revolution in China. Deng became a willing worker for the Communist cause and a follower of Mao Zedong. He was later rewarded for his loyalty with a succession of high governmental positions. A survivor of several government purges, Deng eventually became leader of China. He brought his country into the international arena, encouraged the introduction of technology, and allowed the development of a less regulated, more open economy, but he brutally suppressed political dissent. He remained a staunch Communist until his death in 1997. An introduction that summarizes Chinese history, a glossary of political terms and a pronunciation/names guide will help young readers make sense of the large amount of unfamiliar information. Black-and-white photographs accompany the text. 2001, Lerner Publications, . Ages 10 to 15. Reviewer: Joyce Schwartz