Would you possibly do an episode that covers the rise of Maoist China? I was especially wanting to know about the period of the Great Leap Forward and the resulting famine. My ex-wife’s parents lived through it but we were divorced before I ever had the idea to ask Ze or Nan (my ex-inlaws) about their experiences during it. Your work con…
Would you possibly do an episode that covers the rise of Maoist China? I was especially wanting to know about the period of the Great Leap Forward and the resulting famine. My ex-wife’s parents lived through it but we were divorced before I ever had the idea to ask Ze or Nan (my ex-inlaws) about their experiences during it. Your work concerning Poland/Ukraine/Romania/Russia in The Anti-Humans got me more curious about what happened in China.
I have been reading books on the rise of Maoist China and the Cultural Revolution. I'm working through Dikotter's trilogy now, and I've got The World Turned Upside Down, The Killing Wind, and Tombstone queued up on the shelf. But China intimidates me. For some reason Chinese history seems more opaque to me than that of the Aztecs or Incas. It will take a while for me to get past that, and have the confidence to speak on the matter. In the meantime, check out Dikotter's books, they're great so far.
Lives in China for a few years and read constantly before during and after those years, looking to get a grip on the national character. Suggest Gavin Menzis "1421: the Year China Discovered America" as one window into a major transition period that informs a lot of the way Chinese see themselves today. You'd like Menzis, he was a career Submarine Captain with a lot of experience looking at coast-lines from 12 feet above the waves, precisely the perspective that early mapmakers had. Other big components helpful in understanding China include events that have contributed greatly to the contemporary national character and risen to the level of something like national myths might include the Opium wars, the Long March, the Taiping revolution, and an understanding of the vast administrative network built around the rigorous examinations needed to select qualified scholar/administrators. Understanding the power and extent of the eunuch bureaucracy, and the astounding detail of convention and ritual at play in the Forbidden City, are also very central.
Listening to Laszlo Montgomery's The China History Podcast helps a lot on Chinese history and culture in my opinion though that's coming from an American. Montgomery began studying Mandarin and Chinese history in 1979 at the University of Illinois. For twenty-five years, he has worked for China consumer product manufacturers, helping them build market shares in the U.S. Part of his China career brought him to Hong Kong for nine years beginning in 1989....
Also Can’t Get You Out of My Head Documentary by former BBC Producer Adam Curtis first few episodes talks about Mao Zedong's wife (that lady was NUTS!). I gave me a different perspective when everything I'd heard before centered only around Mao Zedong.
Man, I can tell you first hand that Chinese history is so fundamentally wrapped up in cultural norms and practices that are so old and ingrained that the challenge you speak of is very real. It would be like asking you or I why do we value, say, individual freedom, but if somehow we lived a couple thousand years in the future (and assuming America was somehow still a thing): we don't know, we just do. That's why I've found China's permutation of communism so strange and interesting above all the others. Granted, that's personal bias thanks to family and exposure and all that, but the notion of there being "communism with Chinese characteristics" really isn't a lie.
Not sure the policy on posting other podcasts here, but the podcast "Real Dictators" did an excellent 3 part series on Mao with episode 2 dealing with "The Great Leap Forward" and 3 dealing with "The Cultural Revolution."
We have all seen the numbers who died, but the podcast really captured the unparalleled brutality of the Mao regime.
Would love to hear Darryl's take on Mao, but until then that podcast is very, very good.
That looks like an interesting one, thanks! I’ve been enjoying Lazlow Montgomery’s “The China History” podcast. Here are a couple of relevant episodes.
I’m a new listener, Mr. Cooper caught me with the Nietzsche & Dostoyevsky episode, but I would very much hope that links to other podcasts would be welcome here. He’s only one man after all and can’t explain everything to us.
Cooper's episodes on "How to Serve Man - Sacrifice and Cannibalism" series (7-9) were some of the best podcast episodes I've ever listened to in my life. Really expanded my perspective of humanity and got to one of the fundamental core essences of what it means to be human. Highly recommend anyone to listen.
I've wanted to do an episode (series, really) on Mao and his policies for a long time now, peppered with interviews from in-laws (my partner is Chinese American and her mother lives with us; her parents were among those paraded through the streets during the Cultural Revolution and some of their relatives starved to death during the GLF), but honestly, because there are many family members still currently living in China (and knowing for a fact that one has a file on him in the Ministry of State Security, long story and not mine to tell) I probably never will, since...well, it's kind of hard not to come away from the story of Mao without a bitter taste and as small potatoes as my own podcast is, I don't feel like being responsible even for the possibility of state retribution.
That said, I still have a series about the fall of the Qing Dynasty being kicked around in my head.
Great suggestion, but if we ask for a series on China, don't we run the danger of sending Mr. Cooper off into a reading binge that would leave us without content for months, if not years?
(meant as a compliment to his thoroughness and a very slight attempt at humor)
Would you possibly do an episode that covers the rise of Maoist China? I was especially wanting to know about the period of the Great Leap Forward and the resulting famine. My ex-wife’s parents lived through it but we were divorced before I ever had the idea to ask Ze or Nan (my ex-inlaws) about their experiences during it. Your work concerning Poland/Ukraine/Romania/Russia in The Anti-Humans got me more curious about what happened in China.
I have been reading books on the rise of Maoist China and the Cultural Revolution. I'm working through Dikotter's trilogy now, and I've got The World Turned Upside Down, The Killing Wind, and Tombstone queued up on the shelf. But China intimidates me. For some reason Chinese history seems more opaque to me than that of the Aztecs or Incas. It will take a while for me to get past that, and have the confidence to speak on the matter. In the meantime, check out Dikotter's books, they're great so far.
Lives in China for a few years and read constantly before during and after those years, looking to get a grip on the national character. Suggest Gavin Menzis "1421: the Year China Discovered America" as one window into a major transition period that informs a lot of the way Chinese see themselves today. You'd like Menzis, he was a career Submarine Captain with a lot of experience looking at coast-lines from 12 feet above the waves, precisely the perspective that early mapmakers had. Other big components helpful in understanding China include events that have contributed greatly to the contemporary national character and risen to the level of something like national myths might include the Opium wars, the Long March, the Taiping revolution, and an understanding of the vast administrative network built around the rigorous examinations needed to select qualified scholar/administrators. Understanding the power and extent of the eunuch bureaucracy, and the astounding detail of convention and ritual at play in the Forbidden City, are also very central.
Listening to Laszlo Montgomery's The China History Podcast helps a lot on Chinese history and culture in my opinion though that's coming from an American. Montgomery began studying Mandarin and Chinese history in 1979 at the University of Illinois. For twenty-five years, he has worked for China consumer product manufacturers, helping them build market shares in the U.S. Part of his China career brought him to Hong Kong for nine years beginning in 1989....
https://chinahistorypodcast.libsyn.com/
https://www.chinafile.com/contributors/Laszlo-Montgomery
Also Can’t Get You Out of My Head Documentary by former BBC Producer Adam Curtis first few episodes talks about Mao Zedong's wife (that lady was NUTS!). I gave me a different perspective when everything I'd heard before centered only around Mao Zedong.
https://thoughtmaybe.com/cant-get-you-out-of-my-head/
The China History Podcast gave me such good insight into the history of the Silk Road. Laszlo really did a great job overall though.
Man, I can tell you first hand that Chinese history is so fundamentally wrapped up in cultural norms and practices that are so old and ingrained that the challenge you speak of is very real. It would be like asking you or I why do we value, say, individual freedom, but if somehow we lived a couple thousand years in the future (and assuming America was somehow still a thing): we don't know, we just do. That's why I've found China's permutation of communism so strange and interesting above all the others. Granted, that's personal bias thanks to family and exposure and all that, but the notion of there being "communism with Chinese characteristics" really isn't a lie.
This would be a great topic.
Not sure the policy on posting other podcasts here, but the podcast "Real Dictators" did an excellent 3 part series on Mao with episode 2 dealing with "The Great Leap Forward" and 3 dealing with "The Cultural Revolution."
We have all seen the numbers who died, but the podcast really captured the unparalleled brutality of the Mao regime.
Would love to hear Darryl's take on Mao, but until then that podcast is very, very good.
That looks like an interesting one, thanks! I’ve been enjoying Lazlow Montgomery’s “The China History” podcast. Here are a couple of relevant episodes.
Great Leap Forward
https://overcast.fm/+zbsRpbMqU
The first of 8 on the Cultural Revolution
https://overcast.fm/+zbsR1QPeI
I’m a new listener, Mr. Cooper caught me with the Nietzsche & Dostoyevsky episode, but I would very much hope that links to other podcasts would be welcome here. He’s only one man after all and can’t explain everything to us.
That looks fascinating. Thanks so much for sharing.
Cooper's episodes on "How to Serve Man - Sacrifice and Cannibalism" series (7-9) were some of the best podcast episodes I've ever listened to in my life. Really expanded my perspective of humanity and got to one of the fundamental core essences of what it means to be human. Highly recommend anyone to listen.
I've wanted to do an episode (series, really) on Mao and his policies for a long time now, peppered with interviews from in-laws (my partner is Chinese American and her mother lives with us; her parents were among those paraded through the streets during the Cultural Revolution and some of their relatives starved to death during the GLF), but honestly, because there are many family members still currently living in China (and knowing for a fact that one has a file on him in the Ministry of State Security, long story and not mine to tell) I probably never will, since...well, it's kind of hard not to come away from the story of Mao without a bitter taste and as small potatoes as my own podcast is, I don't feel like being responsible even for the possibility of state retribution.
That said, I still have a series about the fall of the Qing Dynasty being kicked around in my head.
I'd recommend Frank Dikotters books starting with Maos great Famine, intense but very thorough.
Great suggestion, but if we ask for a series on China, don't we run the danger of sending Mr. Cooper off into a reading binge that would leave us without content for months, if not years?
(meant as a compliment to his thoroughness and a very slight attempt at humor)
Second that. Just started a large biography on Mao. "Mao The Unknown Story"
+1. I can’t read enough books by myself to even begin to understand this.