I love photography and here the author has captured the mob rule mentality of the cultural revolution. Coupled with a personal account this book brings home the high cost of Mao’s constant revolution. Wonderful images and eye opening narrative.An excellent and personal photo documentary of China's Cultural Revolution. Most photos like these did not survive so we haven't many candid sources. The author/photographer actually lived these events and was swept up in them. After going through this book, you will have an excellent insight into what those years were like in China. And you will have a clearer idea of the degree to which China wants to 'rewrite' history to essentially suppress and deny that all of this happened.I first learned of this book through an online Smithsonian Magazine article about Kang Wengjie's performance of the Loyalty Dance. When I bought the book, I thought it would have some really damning photos of some world-famous event, like Peng Dehuai's public criticism or something. That expectation was my fault -- this book covers "only" the events that Li Zhensheng witnessed in Heilongjiang Province.That said, Li's photos are compelling and shocking in their own right. The Cultural Revolution is a period that many in China's current leadership would prefer to simply forget, without any retrospective analysis of Mao's role in the mania of the time. "Madness" would be an appropriate description, a term deficient only in its mildness.In addition to the pictures, Li provides an autobiography, giving a personal depth to the experience that -- to me -- was just as affecting as the pictures he took. His stories of loss and pain underscore the humanity of what he saw, and prevent readers from distancing themselves from the subjects.One thing I would like to see is a clearer rendering of the hanja in the title -- as a student of Chinese, I'd have liked to learn more about the language from the pictures. Then again, I suppose that's not the book's true purpose anyway.The collection of photos in this book is simply amazing. Although the internet has made many hard-to-find photos of the Cultural Revolution more common, it is still a challenge to find them. With Li Zhensheng's "Red-Color News Soldier," we have 300 photos taken from the same region, Heilongjiang. They show mass rallies, executions, the Down to the Countryside movement, Red Guards, struggle sessions, and other facets of the Cultural Revolution.These are Li's photographs when he was a photographer working for a state newspaper, where Li participated in the Cultural Revolution. Despite taking part in struggle sessions, he was eventually denounced himself, although he did not receive the harshest of punishments. We learn of this from the narrated text that introduces different sections of the book. In addition, there are very meticulous captions to help the reader make sense of what is happening.Unfortunately, the book is very awkwardly designed. The written narrations go right up to the edge of the page, making them difficult to read. The cover is an awkward vinyl. Such rare and interesting material deserves better treatment.I bought this book as a gift for my friend who grew up in China when the revolution was in full force.I thought she might like it since the photo's are by a famous Chinese photographer and he is in no way disrespectful in the way he represents what his country was going through during this tumultuous time. I read it before giving it to her and found it fascinating. The author/photographer explains what was happening in China at the time as well as carefully explaining what each photo is recording.Li's photos captured the extreme madness of hundreds of thousands people in China during that so-called Cultural Revolution and it reveals the very dark side of human nature as seen from, for instance, that young woman cheerfully recorded the place, date and time when she saw Mao going by in his jeep, the humiliating punishment of all sorts of people such as Communist Party Provincial secretaries or provincial governors, newspaper workers, peasants, or whoever in huge mass demonstration against so-called "Anti-Revolutionary Reactionaries" to different Red Guard factions infightings they reminded me how Hitler got into power, how Japanese militarism got in total control in Japan in its war efforts, and, believe it or not, how George W. Bush & Co. got "elected" into the White House, they all show that similar built-in weakness of human characteristics- or the human genes! This book tells a lot about all of us. The monolithic political power, century's religious indoctrination are at work around clock and real enlightening secular education around the world is probably struggling in a losing battle. A good book of historical documents.This is a great book for anyone who is interested in the CR as well as the history surrounding Harbin. I purchased it for an older relative who lived through these times as a young man and even though he cannot read English he was very happy to receive the book.For anyone interested in learning more about the Cultural Revolution and Mao's China, this book contains rare photographic documentation of the times, done by a young photojournalist working for regional newspaper in a norther province. HIs personal recollections, in written passages, give the reader an authentic and unblinking look at the political turmoil and mass hysteria that characterized much of the revolution.An amazing and important photographic journey through China's Cultural Revolution, recording the impact of Mao's policies on daily life in China's north east. Un-censored photographs from this time are hard to come by. The photographs in this book are the work of Li Zhensheng, an official photographer who kept much of his work hidden from the censors. The photographs in this book detail the true horror of this political experiment. The photos show beatings, executions and scores of public meetings at which people were denounced for such 'crimes' as 'hoarding riches' (a separate photographs shows an example of such 'riches' - an artificial leather handbag, three watches and two brooches). Most poignant for me was the series of pictures showing the execution of Wu Bingyuan who, on hearing the death sentence, proclaimed 'This world is too dark' and closed his eyes never to reopen them. The photos show Wu's final journey to the execution ground, head held high and eyes clenched shut. Later photos show his lifeless body. If you have any interest in China, history, politics or photographic history - this book is invaluable.Good.It is good.Not meant for enjoyable reading...it is terrifying how close America is to the Maoist revolution with the main topic being "how political correctness will eventually be used to set up show trials, public humiliations and public assassinations by the state. Political correctness was the cause of death of millions in communist China and WILL BE USED IN AMERICA EVENTUALLY if the left keeps winning...they will one day close the door to elections and bring in their agenda with force...be warned...and get this book to see how you are being gradually sifted from who you are to who they INSIST you will be! How you will think and what you will be permitted to SAY, OWN, and what you will DO to protect yourself from public shaming and torture, and possibly even public death because of someone else's testimony of how you have failed to be a true comrade. Here in this book people were made to DENOUNCE THEMSELVES before being killed publicly...it is truly disgusting and all documented historically by a Chinese journalist.Un libro increíble y muy interesante. Un fotógrafo muy recomendable.