Part one of the series China: Through Mao's Eyes describes Mao
Zedong's youth, his formative adulthood, and his consolidation of
power. Archival photographs from Mao's childhood and education, film
clips from his campaigns against foreign invaders and Chinese
nationalists, and lavish, government-produced reconstructions of the
Long March detail the drama of those decades. Film excerpts featuring
Jiang Qing, the actress who became Mao's fifth wife and a feared
political force, highlight the Chairman's unpredictable life choices.
Based on Philip Short's definitive biography Mao: A Life.
