Ten Years of Madness is a groundbreaking book that draws some parallels to Studs Terkel's "Working" in that it portrays a wide cross section of the Chinese people, but with a harrowing twist: how they survived the disastrous Great Proletariat Cultural Revolution of 1966-1976. Families were destroyed; an entire generation of artists and intellectuals was lost. These oral histories, expertly conducted and arranged by noted writer and cultural critic Feng Jicai, are essential in preserving the memory of those who survived and those who did not survive China's most calamitous period in its modern history. Originally published in China in 1991 and brought out in a different form here (Voice from the Whirlwind, Pantheon, 1991), this work by the noted Chinese author Feng (The Three Inch Golden Lotus, LJ 3/15/94) gathers the voices of 19 people from various walks of life who narrate candidly their personal experiences during the calamities of the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-76). With a preface translated by famous China expert Howard Goldblatt, Feng has faithfully recorded the interviewees' reminiscences, and it becomes apparent that their hearts and souls have been affected by their painful encounters. Appendixes include an interview with the author, a view of the Cultural Revolution in the eyes of the new generation left intact after the disasters, a chronology of events (1949-79), and the key figures of the revolution. The last two are valued resources for studying the history of modern China. Highly recommended for larger public libraries and the East Asia collection of academic libraries.?Steven Lin, Dallas P.L., Tex. Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. Used Book in Good Condition