Hans Granqvist

A highly interesting book that was a product of its time; published in 1967 in the States, it is a translation of the work by Swedish author Hans Erik Granqvist. It deals with, for that time, the latest reports coming from the ongoing Cultural Revolution in China, which took flight during the summer of 1966, and speculations on its impact on China and the world at large. Coupled with the "Red Scarf Girl" it provides an interesting window into that time period; of special interest to me was Granqvist's predictions on the war in Vietnam and China's possible intervention; which did come to pass.

The ideological conflict between the differing forms of Communism - between anti-revisionism: Stalin and Mao versus revisionism: Kruschev and later Gorbachev is often forgotten; it is safe to say that the ideological foundation that was started during the Cultural Revolution is alive and well in 21st Century China; unfortunately, I can't say the same for the traditional underpinnings of Europe and the States. It's going to be an interesting century and I imagine a modern day version of Athens and Sparta in some form.… (más)