

#4282
Mentioned in 6 episodes
Mao's Great Famine
The History of China's Most Devastating Catastrophe
Book • 2011
This book by Frank Dikötter provides an unprecedented account of China's Great Famine, which resulted from Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward.
The Great Leap Forward was an attempt to rapidly industrialize and modernize China, but it ended in one of the deadliest mass killings in human history, with estimates suggesting between 30 to 45 million deaths.
Dikötter's research, based on newly opened Communist Party archives, reveals the direct responsibility of top Chinese government officials, including Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, for the famine.
The book details the devastating impact on rural areas, the forced collectivization, and the extreme violence and starvation that ensued.
It also challenges the myth that the central leadership was unaware of the famine, showing instead that they made deliberate choices that exacerbated the crisis.
The Great Leap Forward was an attempt to rapidly industrialize and modernize China, but it ended in one of the deadliest mass killings in human history, with estimates suggesting between 30 to 45 million deaths.
Dikötter's research, based on newly opened Communist Party archives, reveals the direct responsibility of top Chinese government officials, including Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, for the famine.
The book details the devastating impact on rural areas, the forced collectivization, and the extreme violence and starvation that ensued.
It also challenges the myth that the central leadership was unaware of the famine, showing instead that they made deliberate choices that exacerbated the crisis.
Mentioned by
Mentioned in 6 episodes
Mentioned by 

as a source of information on the Great Chinese Famine.


Lex Fridman

2,238 snips
#331 – Balaji Srinivasan: How to Fix Government, Twitter, Science, and the FDA
Mentioned by 

when discussing 

's works on China.


Peter Robinson


Frank Dikötter

154 snips
Empire of Illusion: Frank Dikötter on Why China Isn’t a Superpower
Mentioned by James Lindsay in the context of his discussion on the household registration system in China.

58 snips
Communism 3.0: Corporate Communism | James Lindsay
Mentioned by 

as part of a "trifecta of evil" alongside books about the Gulag and the Nazi regime.


Tom Bilyeu

50 snips
Warning For America: Corrupt Government, Rich, Poor, Trump Verdict & 2024 Election | Michael Malice PT 1
Mentioned by 

in a discussion about the consequences of suppressing free speech and the resilience of nations.


Tom Bilyeu

40 snips
The Unspoken Truths About Masculinity And Leadership! | Konstantin Kisin PT 2
Mentioned by Kanthan to support his claims about Mao Zedong's achievements and debunk Western narratives.

Mao: Tyrant or Great Leader? Debunking American Lies
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

building on or challenging other landmark secondary accounts in English.

Keith Kruger

Joseph Torigian, "The Party’s Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping" (Stanford UP, 2025)