Jonathan Chatwin

Read Jonathan Chatwin's review essay on Frank Dikötter's Red Dawn Over China: chinabooksreview.com/2026/03/05/h...

The CCP presents its victory in 1949 as historical inevitability. A new book suggests it had more to do with the Soviets, luck and brutal tactics — but overlooks some other key context.

Read Jonathan Chatwin's review of Red Dawn Over China: chinabooksreview.com/2026/03/05/h...

How Communism Won China | China Books Review The CCP presents its victory in 1949 as historical inevitability, hard-won after years of struggle. A new book suggests it had more to do with the Soviets, luck and brutal tactics — but overlooks some...

My piece for the China Books Review on how communism won - a long essay on Frank Dikotter’s new book, ‘Red Dawn over China’.

chinabooksreview.com/2026/03/05/h...

Sorry for your loss Mike; that must be incredibly tough.

BBC Sounds - Lost Horizon by James Hilton - Available Episodes Listen to the latest episodes of Lost Horizon by James Hilton on BBC Sounds.

BBC are currently replaying their 1981 adaptation of James Hilton's Lost Horizon. #Orientalism on steroids with some very questionable accents.
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/serie...
Recommend @waymarks.bsky.social #OtherEverests chapter on Western escapism in the #Himalaya for context shorturl.at/Pchxp

The other thing to say is that maturation happens even without exposure to this stuff - 17 year olds tend to (not always) make better decisions in all sorts of ways than 12 year olds.

We should do both, surely - ban it for under 16s and legislate to hold the companies to appropriate standards. The tilt towards these awful algorithms is a commercial choice.

I am a 15-year-old girl. Let me show you the vile misogyny that confronts me on social media every day | Anonymous Objectification, hate, rape threats: the politicians debating online abuse mean well, but to truly understand, they need to see what I see

For anyone who thinks social media shouldn’t be banned for under 16s, I would encourage them to read this.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Frank Dikötter on the Chinese Communist Party’s Troubled Early Years - The Wire China The historian on countering long-held narratives about the CCP’s role in the war against Japan and the legacy of those years on its rule today.

It’s always hugely enjoyable and thought-provoking to chat with Frank Dikotter. Here is our conversation about his new book, which traces the story of communism in China from the end of imperial age to 1949 - a prequel of sorts to his ‘People’s Trilogy’.

www.thewirechina.com/2026/02/20/f...

Frank Dikötter on the Chinese Communist Party’s Troubled Early Years - The Wire China The historian on countering long-held narratives about the CCP’s role in the war against Japan and the legacy of those years on its rule today.

"There were vastly more Communists, as a proportion of the overall population, in almost any country in Europe than there were in China throughout the 1930s."

Frank Dikötter discusses his new book, Red Dawn Over China, with @jmchatwin.bsky.social for The Wire China:

Three-year Lectureship in the History of Modern China - please share widely!

jobs.york.ac.uk/vacancy/lect...

#China #Skystorians #History

Such a breeze driving through #Beijing during the Spring Festival break with more than half the population of the city heading back to their home towns for the new year. 马年快乐！Happy Horse Year all! #China

Why the NYTimes gave column inches to idiots like this will also form a chapter I hope

*disgust

Handsome at Any Cost

In years to come, when someone writes The Fall of the American Empire there will be a chapter on influencers like this guy

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/s...

Ha I read half of this and gave up in a mixture of discuss and disbelief.

Bloomsbury Asian Arguments namecheck

How the World Sees America, With Adam Tooze Podcast Episode · The Ezra Klein Show · 30/01/2026 · 1h 4m

Historian @adamtooze.bsky.social selects 'The Southern Tour: Deng Xiaoping & the Fight for China's Future' as one of his book recommendations on @ezraklein.bsky.social's @nytimes.com podcast.

Listen now: https://apple.co/3Mk9DL5

Get your copy: https://bit.ly/3ZN3nyw
#China #USA #Politics 📕

“You’d hear of odd things, if I lived alone with that mawkish, waxen face; the most ordinary would be painting on its white the colours of the rainbow, and turning the blue eyes, black, every day or two”

If you think WH is a love story, you haven’t read it properly

‘Emily Bronte’s tremendous story of hate’ - hits the nail on the head

Frank Dikötter: How Communism Won China Register now to join us for the book launch of Red Dawn Over China and understand the origins of China’s communist revolution. Frank Dikötter will be in discussion with Orville Schell.

On February 24, join @chinabooksreview.com for the book launch of “Red Dawn Over China” and understand the origins of China’s communist revolution. Frank Dikötter will be in discussion with Orville Schell of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at Asia Society.

How the World Sees America, With Adam Tooze Podcast Episode · The Ezra Klein Show · 30/01/2026 · 1h 4m

After a fairly rubbish week of being in and out of hospital with a bad blood clot, I was delighted to learn that the great Adam Tooze chose ‘The Southern Tour’ from @bloomsburypol.bsky.social as one of his book recommendations on the @nytimes.com Ezra Klein Show!

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

Big fan of the transcript rendering of Tiananmen here

Adam Tooze picks The Southern Tour as one of his book recommendations on the @nytimes.com Ezra Klein podcast - brightened up an otherwise dreary few weeks!

The longest January on record is over, and in the garden there are signs of life.

I wondered how long it would take someone to mention Bruce Chatwin in the current debate about Raynor Winn’s veracity.
As Francis Wyndham said of him, though, he told not a half-truth but a ‘truth and a half’…

‘Drawn north, like a migratory bird’

Cc @rsmythfreelance.bsky.social

These are wonderful!

How the World Sees America, With Adam Tooze Podcast Episode · The Ezra Klein Show · 30/01/2026 · 1h 4m

After a fairly rubbish week of being in and out of hospital with a bad blood clot, I was delighted to learn that the great Adam Tooze chose ‘The Southern Tour’ from @bloomsburypol.bsky.social as one of his book recommendations on the @nytimes.com Ezra Klein Show!

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...