Canton Under Communism: Programs and Politics in a Provincial Capital, 1949-1968

This book looks at a given geographical region at a particular time just as the title states. Although it is local in focus, the issues are national in scope, i.e., it is a look at how national policies influenced the local region. The author was one of the first Westerners to visit Canton after the opening of China. He questions himself whether this region is representative of the entire country.Prior to the take over of the nation by the communists, China was under the traditional imperial system of government. In 1949 the communists took charge. The first chapter describes Canton before the take over. Initially the communists consisted of a small group. Communist efforts to gain mass support were restrained by power realities," he writes.This book is a good first hand account of what occurred during the period covered. A lot of details are revealed from the interviews he conducted.