Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung

Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung was originally compiled by an office of the PLA Daily (''People's Liberation Army Daily'') as an ideological handbook. Lin's approach became known as the "lively study, lively application" of Mao Zedong Thought. In 1961, Lin had required PLA Daily to publish a Mao quote each day to emphasise the central theme of the day's editorial. The emphasis on Quotations started decreasing after the 9th Party Congress in April 1969. The department stated that Quotations was a distortion of Mao Zedong Thought and had a "widespread and pernicious influence". Formats Earlier versions and predecessors of the compilation book featured blue or white covers and sleeves. The most widely produced editions of the Quotations of Chairman Mao were published with a printed red vinyl cover wrapper over cardboard with pages bound in 64 folios that included photos of Mao. Other editions of the book were covered in cloth, silk, leather, paper, and other materials. Most editions were produced in a functional, compact size that fit into a pocket, were easy to carry, and could be taken out at any time "for practice, learning, application." It was published in 32 other common sizes, allegedly the largest format printed on only four pages as large as the newspaper Reference News, and the smallest format the size of a matchbox. == Content ==

Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung consists of 427 quotations, organized thematically into 33 chapters. It is also called "Thoughts of Chairman Mao" by many Chinese. The quotations range in length from a sentence to a few short paragraphs, and borrow heavily from a group of about two dozen documents in the four volumes of Mao's Selected Works. Usually the quotations are arranged logically, to deal with one to three themes in the development of a chapter. The table below summarizes the book. == Distribution ==

The book was known as the "Treasured Red Book" () or "Little Treasure Book" in China. From the mid-1960s through the mid-1970s, it was the most printed book globally. others contend that the distribution ran into the "billions", and others cite "over a billion" official volumes between 1966 and 1969 alone as well as "untold numbers of unofficial local reprints and unofficial translations." The initial print run was distributed only within the PLA, with 4.2 million copies printed. The Foreign Affairs Department of the State Council issued a March 1966 circular requesting any foreigners who had obtained a copy of Quotations to return it, stating that the book was for internal education and study only and was not a complete description of Mao Zedong Thought. This proved not practical and the next month the Central Propaganda Department stated that copies already distributed should not be recalled and that foreign experts and exchange students could request copies to borrow or buy. In 1966, the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party approved Quotations from Chairman Mao for export. To meet overseas requirements, the editors of the Chinese Foreign Languages Press made revisions necessitated by the situation. They added a "second edition preface" endorsement by Lin Biao, dated 16 December 1966 (which was torn out following Lin Biao's death and public disgrace in September 1971). On the last page, they listed the names of the publisher (PLA General Political Department) without an ISBN, the printer and distributor (both Xinhua Bookstore), and the publication year. By May 1967, bookstores in 117 countries and territories around the world—including the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Japan, the Soviet Union, West Germany, Italy, Nepal, Indonesia, Philippines, Burma, Iran, various Arab and African nations and others—were distributing Mao's Quotations. It was translated into more than 50 languages. After the 12 February 1979 directive withdrawing Quotations from circulation, foreigners seeking copies of Quotations were instead to be offered Mao's Selected Works. == Social impact ==

. China During the 1960s, the book was the single most visible icon in mainland China, even more visible than images of Mao himself. In posters and pictures created by CCP's propaganda artists, nearly every painted character, whether smiling or looking determined, was seen with a copy of the book in his or her hand. During the Mao era, when people swore oaths, they would often do so on Quotations. After the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976 and the rise of Deng Xiaoping in 1978, the importance of the book waned considerably, and the glorification of Mao's quotations was considered to be left deviationism and a cult of personality. Quotations continues to be a symbol of Mao Zedong Thought in China today. In certain situations, the book is given as a gift, for example, when public funds are involved, or when personal events arise, such as congratulating newlyweds. Today in China, Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung is mostly seen as a piece of nostalgia. It is difficult to find in bookstores. Euro-American contexts Assessing its legacy in the French Maoist context, Alain Badiou concludes that "Mao's Little Red Book has been our guide, not, as fools say, in the sense of a dogmatic catechism, but on the contrary, so that we can clarify and invent new behaviors in all sorts of disparate situations that were unfamiliar to us." In the United States, Quotations was particularly popular among African American and Asian American radicals, who often viewed the text as a welcome departure from what they regarded as a typically Eurocentric body of theory. With the proceeds, they purchased weapons to arm Black Panther Party members for self-defense against police brutality. India In India, Quotations gained popularity following the 1967 Naxalbari uprising and the beginning of the Naxalite Movement. The leader of the first phase of the Naxalite Movement, Charu Majumdar, placed major emphasis on the text, requiring it to be studied and to be read aloud to illiterate peasants. During this phase of the Naxalite Movement, Quotations was popular among both movement participants and those who sympathized with it. The Indian government banned Quotations beginning in the mid-1970s. == See also ==