Deng was a giant of a man. Not in size but in stature. He was the man who ensured China grew to be an economic powerhouse within 20 years after his death. What is remarkable is that he only became a paramount leader after he was released from the exile imposed during the Cultural Revolution. So, he started ruling China at the ripe age of 73.
This just-released 700-page biography is a very readable book. It is written in a chronological manner. Not much is known of Deng’s life as his modus operandi is not to leave notes but to commit all records to memory. This was his means to stay alive.
I highly recommend this book as the previous biography by Richard Evans was published way back in 1994.