Mao. A Life (1st US EDITION)Author: Philip Short Condition: Good. Some wear and tear and discolouration on jacket. Hardcover Philip Short's fascinating political biography holds the key to a real understanding of Mao's motivations. Mao was a colossal figure, great within his century, and in Chinese terms launching a new cycle of history. Tracing his life from a peasant upbringing, to his struggle for power, through to his role beyond the grave, the power struggle that followed