Margaret MacMillan, praised as "a superb writer who can bring history
to life" (The Philadelphia Inquirer), brings her extraordinary gifts
to one of the most important subjects today-the relationship between the
United States and China-and one of the most significant moments in
modern history.
In February 1972, Richard Nixon, the first American president ever to
visit China, and Mao Tse-tung, the enigmatic Communist dictator, met for
an hour in Beijing. Their meeting changed the course of history and
ultimately laid the groundwork for the complex relationship between
China and the United States that we see today.
That monumental meeting in 1972-during what Nixon called "the week that
changed the world"-could have been brought about only by powerful
leaders: Nixon himself, a great strategist and a flawed human being, and
Mao, willful and ruthless. They were assisted by two brilliant and
complex statesmen, Henry Kissinger and Chou En-lai. Surrounding them
were fascinating people with unusual roles to play, including the
enormously disciplined and unhappy Pat Nixon and a small-time Shanghai
actress turned monstrous empress, Jiang Qing. And behind all of them lay
the complex history of two countries, two great and equally confident
civilizations: China, ancient and contemptuous yet fearful of barbarians
beyond the Middle Kingdom, and the United States, forward-looking and
confident, seeing itself as the beacon for the world.
Nixon thought China could help him get out of Vietnam. Mao needed
American technology and expertise to repair the damage of the Cultural
Revolution. Both men wanted an ally against an aggressive Soviet Union.
Did they get what they wanted? Did Mao betray his own revolutionary
ideals? How did the people of China react to this apparent change in
attitude toward the imperialist Americans? Did Nixon make a mistake in
coming to China as a supplicant? And what has been the impact of the
visit on the United States ever since?
Weaving together fascinating anecdotes and insights, an understanding of
Chinese and American history, and the momentous events of an
extraordinary time, this brilliantly written book looks at one of the
transformative moments of the twentieth century and casts new light on a
key relationship for the world of the twenty-first century. **
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