This documentary history investigates the nature and impact of Mao Zedong's "Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution" through primary source documents. Michael Schoenhals, a noted scholar of Chinese history, presents a curated selection of key documents from the period 1966-1969. These documents reveal the massive and bloody assault on China's political and social systems during this tumultuous era, offering direct insight into the revolution's mechanisms and consequences.

This work is recognized as a valuable resource for its direct engagement with primary source materials from a pivotal period in Chinese history. The selection of documents provides a stark look at the revolution's destructive impact on the nation's fabric. The collection serves as essential reading for scholars and students seeking to understand the Cultural Revolution through the voices and records of the time.