A Year Like No Other: Notes from an Old People's Daily Reporter

Author: Ji Xichen
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-04-01
Features: As a reporter for the People's Daily, the author had the opportunity to witness many significant historical events during the "unprecedented era." After the destruction of the "Gang of Four," he interviewed many key figures, including Ye Jianying, Tan Zhenlin, Xu Forwarding, Nie Rongzheng, and Hu Guofeng. He also gained access to a vast amount of documents and archives while covering the trial of the "Two Cases." After years of preparation from his decade-long interview experience, he spent over ten years writing this in-depthwork on the "Cultural Revolution." This book begins with the slander and criticism of the then Chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army, Luo Ruiqing, in 1965, and proceeds in chronological order around historical events, culminating in the trial of the Lin Biao and "Gang of Four" counter-revolutionary groups. It provides a panoramic account of the entire process of the "Cultural Revolution," from its inception to its conclusion, from multiple perspectives. The author's narrative of major events during the "Cultural Revolution" combines both broad overviews and detailed descriptions, particularly preserving numerous real-life anecdotes and interviews from his reporting. Many of these rare and valuable historical materials remain unknown to the public.