Formally titled Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung, The Little Red Book was published from 1964 until about 1976 and widely distributed throughout China, with translated versions available to the rest of the world.

It is the world’s second most published book, after the Bible. Reputedly a billion copies circulated during the Cultural Revolution, invariably covered in red plastic and designed to be portable … shrunk to fit the pocket of an army uniform (or indeed the back pocket of a Western radical student’s jeans).

The preface was written by Lin Biao, general of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) from 1927 to 1971, the key driver behind the creation of Mao Zedong's personality cult.

Here are some sample quotes from the book (organised into 33 topics):

"Every Communist must grasp the truth: Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun."

“The people, and the people alone, are the motive force in the making of world history.”

"A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery … A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another."

The book remains a primary symbol of the Cultural Revolution, and part of the essential kit for the PLA Red Guards. But, in China, it was way more ubiquitous than that, “viral” before the word was used in that context. The Little Red Book was everywhere, waved enthusiastically more than it was read, recited more than it was discussed … a physical talisman that symbolised a creed and without which in your possession you ran great risks. Indeed, all Chinese citizens were expected to own a copy of the book. Don’t leave home without it!

Today in China, the book is mostly seen as a piece of nostalgia. It can be purchased at shops in Beijing, Shanghai other major cities in China, as well as at some tourist attractions. It’s no longer a talisman, but now a relic, a symbol of a not-quite forgotten but largely discarded period in China’s history. Ironically, The Little Red Book has now achieved what looks like being its most enduring significance: as a piece of capitalist kitsch.

Story Idea: Remo Giuffré
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References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quotations_from_Chairman_Mao_Tse-tung
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiaohongshu
https://thechinaproject.com/2023/04/27/mao-zedongs-little-red-book-the-worlds-second-most-published-book/
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34932800

Images

1. Red Guard with The Little Red Book
2. The Little Red Book: first edition, first printing
3. Chairman Mao with soldiers waving their books
4. Farmer
5. Girl holding Chairman Mao's quotes, 1968
6. In the factory, and on the farm
7. Lots of Little Red Books
8. 1993 centenary reprint of the 1966 bilingual edition, published by the People's Republic of China Printing Office