Patrolling the Revolution

Reviews / Votes

With an approach at once part historian, part political scientist, Elizabeth Perry looks at the role played by popular Chinese militias in shaping revolutionary political forces, beginning with the armed uprisings in 1920s Shanghai. . . . Perry illustrates with her trademark eye for detail and historical poignancy 'the institutional inversion of the Cultural Revolution.' * Far Eastern Economic Review * Using Chinese archival and other primary sources spanning the better part of the twentieth century, Perry offers a fascinating case study of 'institutional inversion' in the role of worker militias. . . . A must read for scholars of China's modern history and politics. . . . Highly recommended. Graduate students/faculty. -- Suzanne Ogden, Northeastern University * CHOICE * The heart of Patrolling the Revolution is a comprehensive, exquisitely wrought history of a wide range of institutions in twentieth-century China that Elizabeth Perry groups under the umbrella term 'militia.' -- Marc Blecher, Oberlin College * China Quarterly * Excellent and readable. . . . An original, comprehensive, and exhaustively researched history of the relationship between revolutionaries and society in China seen through the prism of pickets and militias, and a welcome rethinking of theories and approaches. It is clearly argued and well written. Despite its historical focus, it asks searching questions about the contemporary relevance of its findings to troubling issues of citizenship everywhere, from Beijing to Washington and Baghdad. -- Gregor Benton, University of Wales, Cardiff * The China Journal * A wonderful, compelling, and thought-provoking work. From the classic Perry introduction, with its masterful mapping of the theoretical terrain, to the clear, richly documented narrative chapters, this book is a pleasure to read. -- Joseph W. Esherick, University of California, San Diego A major contribution to the literature on revolutions and on the Chinese revolution in particular. -- Michael Tsin, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Elizabeth Perry's new study possesses all of the virtues that we have come to expect from its author's publications. Patrolling the Revolution is ambitiously conceived, fluidly written, meticulously researched, and filled with both fascinating empirical detail and sophisticated engagements, with broad debates on the dynamics of political contention. An impressive contribution to a Rowman & Littlefield series that had already, in remarkably short time, firmly established a reputation as an important venue for the publication of major new works on modern China. -- Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom, University of California, Irvine; author of China's Brave New World-And Other Tales for Global Times Perry explores with admirable insight the tensions within, and interactions between, the revolutionary project and the larger political and social environment. The book is impressively well researched, lucidly organized, and written with characteristic clarity. There is remarkable thematic and comparative range-still all too rare in our profession. -- Steve Smith, All Souls College, University of Oxford