Friends and Enemies

Reviews / Votes

'Not a line is wasted in this book. It is packed with details and sweeping explanations of historical periods and current circumstances. The book is a treasure trove for all those dealing with China. The insights Brown has accumulated during his long engagement with the country are invaluable and set the book aside from loudly advertised books on China-books that are also designed for the general reader but likely to showcase all that has gone wrong, pointing the finger at the bad guys in the Communist Party without attempting to understand policy decisions. The book should be on the shelves of all those who engage with China professionally, and of all who take a private interest in the country.' -Oliver Hensengerth, University of Southampton, in 'International Affairs' 'Highly accessible and stimulating and an excellent introduction to one of the great forces of the 20th and 21st centuries.' -Michael Rank, 'Asian Affairs' '"Friends and Enemies" is an intelligent and accessible history of the Party. Brown condenses almost ninety years of CCP history (till 2008) into the first hundred pages. [It] is a useful complement to more detailed, technical sources [...] The book would make excellent reading for students, and I recommend it to anyone with an interest in modern China who is not already a master of the twists and turns of twentieth-century Chinese politics.' -Mireille Mazard, 'The Newsletter', International Institute for Asian Studies