This first comprehensive account of the early life of longtime Chinese premier Zhou Enlai shows how the rich and diverse personal, educational, and political experiences of his formative years established clear patterns for his future personal and political orientations.

"Lee's short but densely packed account of Zhou Enlai's childhood and youth [1898-1924] corrects some important errors by earlier biographers. . . . This gracefully written biography should appeal to general as well as to academic readers."--Choice
"Lee distinguishes himself by a very careful attitude to facts."--China Quarterly