Publisher's Synopsis
Zhou Enlai was a leading figure in the Chinese Communist Party, Premier (1949-76) and Foreign Minister (1949-58) of the People's Republic of China, who played a major role in the Chinese Revolution. He became one the great negotiators of the 20th century and survived internecine purges, always managing to retain his position in the party leadership.;Zhou's life is the history of modern China. Through his experience we can see dramatic change unfolding; the galvanizing Long March, the social convulsions of the Great Leap Forward, the violent excesses of the Cultural Revolution, and the diplomatic rapprochement with the West.;Han Suyin, whose mother was Belgian, has drawn on many meetings with Zhou, his widow and the memories of hundreds of ordinary citizens to create a social history and a portrait of a leader whose political legacy continues to influence the course of China today.
