The most authoritative life of the Chinese leader every written, Mao: The Unknown Story is  based on a decade of research, and on interviews with many of Mao’s  close circle in China who have never talked before — and with virtually  everyone outside China who had significant dealings with him. It is full  of startling revelations, exploding the myth of the Long March, and  showing a completely unknown Mao: he was not driven by idealism or  ideology; his intimate and intricate relationship with Stalin went back  to the 1920s, ultimately bringing him to power; he welcomed Japanese  occupation of much of China; and he schemed, poisoned, and blackmailed  to get his way. After Mao conquered China in 1949, his secret goal was  to dominate the world. In chasing this dream he caused the deaths of 38  million people in the greatest famine in history. In all, well over 70  million Chinese perished under Mao’s rule — in peacetime.