Jung Chang

Jung Chang, renowned author of 'Wild Swans' and 'Mao: The Unknown Story', shares her gripping experiences growing up during China's Cultural Revolution as the daughter of a denounced official. She discusses the psychological indoctrination that allowed billions to idolize Mao despite his atrocities, including the horrific famine of the Great Leap Forward that claimed millions of lives. Chang also explores why modern Chinese leaders, who suffered under Mao, remain reluctant to denounce him, uncovering the enduring legacy of his totalitarian regime.

Jung Chang, bestselling author and historian known for Wild Swans, reflects on China through personal and family stories. She discusses how intimate narratives reveal broader history. Conversations cover enduring mistrust in family life, traditions like foot binding, the rise of communism and its betrayals, and why many young Chinese now reject marriage and romantic ties.

Jung Chang, author and historian known for Wild Swans, shares vivid memories of life under Mao. She describes brief time as a Red Guard, her father’s persecution, and exile to the countryside as a barefoot doctor. She reflects on cultural destruction at school and how Mao’s legacy still shapes global politics.

Steven Pinker, psychologist and author, links education and literacy to democratic growth. Robert Darnton, historian of books, traces pamphlets, public readings and print’s role in 18th-century politics. Jung Chang, bestselling writer, shares firsthand accounts of censorship and clandestine reading under Mao. They discuss literacy’s political power, book bans and how changing reading habits might reshape public life.

Jung Chang, bestselling author who chronicled three generations in Wild Swans, discusses why she wrote Fly, Wild Swans after her mother’s failing health. She reflects on her family’s experiences under Communism. She recounts research into Mao-era policies and the backlash she faced. She shares why she chose not to return to China and her concerns about Xi’s direction.