Bringing together substantial essays by leading scholars, this volume offers a comprehensive introduction to, and analysis of, the politics of the People's Republic of China from 1949 to the mid-1990s. The first four chapters are drawn from The Cambridge History of China, Volumes 14 and 15. The last two chapters have been written specifically for this paperback edition. Richard Baum's chapter covers the events of the 1980s, and Joseph Fewsmith's concluding essay extends the second edition's coverage into the 1990s. The particular strength of the volume is the depth of expert knowledge provided for each extraordinary political era; each period is covered by a specialist on the events of that time. The volume should serve equally well for the general reader with an interest in China and for students, as well as acting as a valuable reference for specialists.