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Witness History

Chairman Mao's Little Red Book

Witness History

BBC

History, Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.41.6K Ratings

🗓️ 10 February 2020

⏱️ 10 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In 1966, the collected thoughts of China's communist leader became an unexpected best-seller around the world. A compendium of pithy advice and political instructions from Mao Zedong, it was soon to be found on student bookshelves everywhere.

(Photo: Front cover of Mao's Little Red Book)

Transcript

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As you'd expect, at the BBC we make podcasts of the very highest quality featuring the most knowledgeable experts and genuinely

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1:07.0

This is the Witness History Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Vincent Dowd.

1:17.0

In 1966, a book which started life in China became an unexpected bestseller around the world.

1:24.8

In the West it was known as Chairman Mao's little red book,

1:28.8

a compendium of pithy advice and political instruction from China's communist leader.

1:35.1

It was soon to be found on student bookshelves everywhere.

1:39.7

Maatitung was in his mid-50s when in October 1949 he proclaimed the People's Republic of China to be controlled by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.

1:54.0

15 years later a small volume of Mao's thoughts was issued by the party.

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