Frank Dikötter, Mao’s Great Famine, The History of China’s most devastating catastrophe, 1958-62

Frank Dikötter’s work, appearing half a century after the most murderous year (1960), will henceforth be the leading account on the “Great Famine.” Like Jasper Becker’s book, Dikötter’s focuses on describing and conveying to the reader the stark effects of the famine at the local level, whereas a series of other good accounts have concentrated on analysing the decisions and political conflicts at the top of the Communist hierarchy. Unlike Becker, Dikötter is careful with his sources: it is th..