China's Leaders

List of Boxes, Tables and Figures

Preface and Acknowledgements

1. On China's Leaders and Leadership

2. Mao Zedong: Populist Tyrant

3. Deng Xiaoping: Pragmatic Leninist

4. Jiang Zemin: Bureaucratic Politician

5. Hu Jintao: Technocratic Apparatchik
6. Xi Jinping: Modern Emperor

7. Conclusion: China's Leaders in Perspective

Notes

"A colourful and accessible introduction to China's five main leaders to date."
The Telegraph

"David Shambaugh is widely regarded as one of the world's most astute analysts of Chinese politics, and his lucid study pays particular attention to the personalities of the five top leaders who have shaped China since the communist revolution of 1949."
Rana Mitter, The Guardian

"A fascinating look at China's evolution since 1949 through the eyes and actions of the country's top leaders: Mao, Deng, Jiang, Hu, and Xi. Fresh, fun, and insightful. Shambaugh has written a must-read book for understanding contemporary China."
Elizabeth C. Economy, Senior Fellow, The Hoover Institution and Council on Foreign Relations, and author of The Third Revolution

"David Shambaugh is a seasoned observer and scholar of Chinese politics who masterfully helps us understand the forces that have driven China's leaders over seven decades. In this deeply researched study, he assembles an engrossing mosaic of profiles that brings to life the very different men who have led China over the past decades."
Orville Schell, Director of the Center on US-China Relations, Asia Society, and author of My Old Home

"In this fresh look at the interplay of cultural, psychological, and systemic factors shaping top Chinese leaders, Shambaugh explores how the idiosyncrasies of PRC rulers have intersected with broader changes in state behavior. Displaying extraordinary precision and perception, this book will long serve as a classic in leadership studies."
Cheng Li, Director, John L. Thornton China Center, The Brookings Institution, and author of Chinese Politics in the Xi Era

"David Shambaugh has been studying Chinese politics for over forty years. In this new book, he offers readers a commanding and authoritative study of the five leaders who have done most to shape the People's Republic of China since its founding. A significant and important book from one of modern China's leading analysts."
Kerry Brown, Director of the Lau China Institute and Professor of Chinese Studies, King's College London, and author of The World According to Xi

"An authoritative and highly informative introduction to the major political leaders of contemporary China."
Michael Dillon, Professor of History, Affiliate of the Lau China Centre, King's College, London

"A highly regarded and experienced specialist in the study of Chinese elite politics, Shambaugh is in his element delineating the overlaps and divergences in the leadership styles of Mao and four of his successors."
Jeff Wasserstrom, University of California-Irvine

"a very good book indeed"
SupChina

"a superb overview of the Chinese Communist Party's seven-decade rule through profiles of five main leaders."
Bookish Asia

"The book has a clear structure, and by emphasizing the comparison of the five leaders it is immediately clear what the book is about. Shambaugh's writing is clear and accessible, and also offers readers without much specialist knowledge on the subject a good overview of China's modern history."
China2025

"Shambaugh's comparative leadership lens leads to some intriguing insights that reflect his long career as a keen and well-connected observer of CCP elite politics."
Patricia M. Thornton, The China Quarterly

"David Shambaugh is now the doyen of China scholars. With his latest book, China's Leaders: From Mao to Now, he brings his scholarship to the reach of lay audiences...a highly readable and well-documented book spanning modern China."
Nayan Chanda, Global Asia

David Shambaugh is an internationally recognized authority and award-winning author on contemporary China and the international relations of Asia. He is the Gaston Sigur Professor of Asian Studies, Political Science & International Affairs, and Director of the China Policy Program in the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. He was previously Reader in Chinese Politics at the University of London's School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), where he also served as Editor of The China Quarterly. Professor Shambaugh is also a frequent commentator in the international media, serves on a number of editorial boards, has been a consultant to the US government, research institutions, foundations, and private corporations, and has taught undergraduate and graduate students for more than three decades.