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Mao Zedong; author; 1966; China
Overview
Millions of copies of Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung were printed during the Cultural Revolution in China (1966-76). It was first published in 1966 and contained hundreds of quotes from Mao Zedong’s speeches and writings.
It was also widely distributed outside of China and became known as the ‘Little Red Book’ due to the colour of the cover of the most widely printed version and its small size which could fit into a pocket and be easily carried.
This English language version is dated 1969 and was printed by the Chinese Communist Party’s Foreign Languages Press. The donor Michael Dobson acquired this copy in either 1970 or 1971 when he was in the 5th or 6th form in secondary school, possibly purchasing it from Resistance bookshop in Wellington. It could fit into the top pocket of his jean jacket.
Mao Zedong (1893-1976, China), Chinese Marxist theorist, soldier, and statesman, led China’s communist revolution. He was the leader of the Chinese Communist Party from 1935 until his death, and he was chairman of the People’s Republic of China from 1949 to 1959, and chairman of the party also until his death.
For the Chinese people, owning a copy of Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung and being seen to carry it, was an important demonstration of loyalty. During the late 1960s, the book was the most visible Mao-related object in China, even more so that his portrait.
Michael Dobson bought two badges of Chairman Mao along with the book. He recalls many years later, ‘I thought that in theory Communism / Socialism is a fair system. As a young person the badges & book were a "screw you" message to "the establishment" of the time. A sign of rebellion in the same way as early Gang members wore Nazi insignia. They weren't white supremacists (Mongrel Mobsters with German helmets!) they just wanted to outrage the old fuddy duddys.’
He didn’t read the whole ‘little red book’, ‘just the bits about "running dog lackeys, paper tigers & how political power grows out of the barrel of a gun"’ (pers. Corres. 11 Feb 2025).