--- product_id: 5073172 title: "Blood Red Sunset: A Memoir of the Chinese Cultural Revolution" price: "€ 43.66" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.hr/products/5073172-blood-red-sunset-a-memoir-of-the-chinese-cultural-revolution store_origin: HR region: Croatia --- # Blood Red Sunset: A Memoir of the Chinese Cultural Revolution **Price:** € 43.66 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Blood Red Sunset: A Memoir of the Chinese Cultural Revolution - **How much does it cost?** € 43.66 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.hr](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/5073172-blood-red-sunset-a-memoir-of-the-chinese-cultural-revolution) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description A searing first hand account of China's Cultural Revolution that joins the ranks of great memoirs such as Life and Death in Shanghai , Wild Swans and A Chinese Odyssey First banned in its native land, this earthy, unflinching memoir has become one of the biggest bestsellers in the history of China. In 1968, a fervent young Red Guard joined the army of hotheaded adolescents who trekked to Inner Mongolia to spread the Cultural Revolution. After gaining a reputation as a brutal abuser of the local herd owners and nomads, Ma Bo casually criticized a Party Leader. Denounced as an “active counterrevolutionary” and betrayed by his friends, the idealistic youth was brutally beaten and imprisoned. Charged with passion, never doctrinaire, Blood Red Sunset is a startlingly vivid and personal narrative that opens a window on the psyche of totalitarian excess that no other work of history can provide. This is a tale of ideology and disillusionment, a powerful work of political and literary importance. “A deceptively straightforward story carried forward by deep currents of insight.”— The Washington Post “A genuine, no-holds-barred, unadorned piece of writing…echoing the realities of contemporary China.”—Liu Binyan, The New York Times Book Review Review: A Detailed and Beautifully Written Account on a Fall From "Grace" - This book is out of this world. Ma Bo's clear recount of his life in the inner Mongolian steppes is astonishing. From an impassioned red guard, to being labelled a counter-revolutionary, Ma Bo's story is concise, beautifully-written, and jaw-dropping. There are nuggets scattered around Ma Bo's writing of not only historical and personal truths, but of life truths. This book was a roller coaster of emotions, and is a perfect caricature of Communism - the more inept and spineless you are, the quicker you rise; it's all a charade fuelled by greed and lust for power. Death is glorified, merit and hard-work is praised in speech but belittled in action. What scares and surprises me is that Ma Bo is one of only few skilled and brave enough to have written such a detailed and personal account on a time period that has robbed millions of their lives, and even more of their childhood, education, and future. To think that this, at any moment, can happen again in China (or gradually, as we are beginning to see in the West) is just frightening. I know now more than ever why the people of Hong Kong are rising up, and why CCP-sympathisers have been silent on the Cultural Revolution for so long. The CCP have a lot to answer for, and as long as brave men such as Ma Bo tell their tale, they will never rewrite history and squelch the human spirit. Review: A truthful look at communism - This book relates the experience a person lives under communism and the terror it brings to every day life. How Chinese communists treat people who are the least bit skeptical or independent thinkers is explained by a man who experienced it. The citizens of China have lived under the brutality, persecution, poverty and misery since the communists took over. Non party members are treated like cattle. You’re a number not a human being. Your every waking moment is directed towards the benefit of the state not you or your family. You have to work in horrendous conditions benefiting no one other than the communist party. You don’t own anything you’re just allowed to live there. If you make any money it goes to the central government. You’re lucky to get anything to eat even after working all day long. All you folks who are enamored by socialism and communism should read this book. Take a look at how people actually live. Do some research and realize how many people have died under communism. Just in China it is believed to be 300 million deaths since the revolution . Most of those people starved to death. A truly horrible existence. Aren’t we lucky to live in such a great country? Count your blessings or you could always move to a communist country and see for yourself. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #405,640 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #106 in Historical China Biographies #475 in Asian & Asian American Biographies #555 in Chinese History (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 30 Reviews | ## Images ![Blood Red Sunset: A Memoir of the Chinese Cultural Revolution - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61mqi0eCA8L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Detailed and Beautifully Written Account on a Fall From "Grace" *by C***S on July 26, 2020* This book is out of this world. Ma Bo's clear recount of his life in the inner Mongolian steppes is astonishing. From an impassioned red guard, to being labelled a counter-revolutionary, Ma Bo's story is concise, beautifully-written, and jaw-dropping. There are nuggets scattered around Ma Bo's writing of not only historical and personal truths, but of life truths. This book was a roller coaster of emotions, and is a perfect caricature of Communism - the more inept and spineless you are, the quicker you rise; it's all a charade fuelled by greed and lust for power. Death is glorified, merit and hard-work is praised in speech but belittled in action. What scares and surprises me is that Ma Bo is one of only few skilled and brave enough to have written such a detailed and personal account on a time period that has robbed millions of their lives, and even more of their childhood, education, and future. To think that this, at any moment, can happen again in China (or gradually, as we are beginning to see in the West) is just frightening. I know now more than ever why the people of Hong Kong are rising up, and why CCP-sympathisers have been silent on the Cultural Revolution for so long. The CCP have a lot to answer for, and as long as brave men such as Ma Bo tell their tale, they will never rewrite history and squelch the human spirit. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A truthful look at communism *by J***L on February 2, 2022* This book relates the experience a person lives under communism and the terror it brings to every day life. How Chinese communists treat people who are the least bit skeptical or independent thinkers is explained by a man who experienced it. The citizens of China have lived under the brutality, persecution, poverty and misery since the communists took over. Non party members are treated like cattle. You’re a number not a human being. Your every waking moment is directed towards the benefit of the state not you or your family. You have to work in horrendous conditions benefiting no one other than the communist party. You don’t own anything you’re just allowed to live there. If you make any money it goes to the central government. You’re lucky to get anything to eat even after working all day long. All you folks who are enamored by socialism and communism should read this book. Take a look at how people actually live. Do some research and realize how many people have died under communism. Just in China it is believed to be 300 million deaths since the revolution . Most of those people starved to death. A truly horrible existence. Aren’t we lucky to live in such a great country? Count your blessings or you could always move to a communist country and see for yourself. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent memoir for anyone *by M***. on May 31, 2013* "Blood Red Sunset" is the biography of Ma Bo's time spent in the Chinese laogai/gulag system. While participating in the Cultural Revolution, he is accused of being a counter-revolutionary and is sent to the frontiers of China. He describes his desolate and lonely decade that included living among semi-nomadic herders. There are a few people who come in and out of the book, such as a romantic interest and several other inmates, most of whom have ambiguous morals. While Ma Bo clearly lost faith in communism, the book is less of an academic judgement than it is his story. The language and style of the translation are easy to read, although some of the details are not very pleasant. All in all, this was a very informative and very interesting book. ## Frequently Bought Together - Blood Red Sunset: A Memoir of the Chinese Cultural Revolution - The World Turned Upside Down --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.hr/products/5073172-blood-red-sunset-a-memoir-of-the-chinese-cultural-revolution](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/5073172-blood-red-sunset-a-memoir-of-the-chinese-cultural-revolution) --- *Product available on Desertcart Croatia* *Store origin: HR* *Last updated: 2026-09-30*