The author simply does not have enough material to discuss Xi Jinping’s inner life in any detail, other than some of the early parts. So motives are scarce: We see what he has done, but not always why. Nevertheless, for readers who have not been following the news from China closely in recent years, this is an excellent primer on how life in the PRC has transformed under his rule ... Behind the claims of restoring China’s historical greatness, once the work of consolidation is done, what comes next?The author, unfortunately, largely avoids this question ... This book is timely and informative, but it is not a book to ease one’s fears about the future.
His book is based on his five years of reporting from Beijing and Hong Kong, interviews with CCP insiders, diplomats, businessmen, and ordinary Chinese citizens, and a wide variety of primary and secondary sources ... Wong provides important context to Xi’s rise to power.
[Wong's] critical biography synthesizes a huge body of research ... A penetrating and timely unraveling of the personality and impact of a strongman president.
