oliainchina's reviews
514 reviews

Shirer and Anna Frank seem to be more gripping right now but in my teens I would have been raving about this one.

Acceptably answers the question - What was going on in Central Asia while Russia and China were busy with revolutions, as well as civil and world wars. As always with Hopkirk - the history is written in vivid portraits of spies, warlords, agents, ragtags and gentlemen.

The account pictures rather a physician's life in Mao's inner circle than a detailed explanation of what was going on in the Chairman's mind. It's more about a one man's survival than about politics. And if this story of 22 years around Mao wasn't limited by one volume, it definitely could fill a whole shelf.
Four stars - for inflated expectations.