Description: The reforms of the Soviet and Chinese communist regimes were unparalleled-both in the radical, precedent-setting reforms attempted by the two countries and in the outcomes of these attempts. While the Soviet Union collapsed quickly in the midst of its reforms, more than a deca...
Brief description: Christopher Marsh is Professor of Political Science and Director of the J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies at Baylor University. The author of several books, including Unparalleled Reforms: China's Rise, Russia's Fall, and the Interdependence of Transition (Lexington Books, 2005), he also serves as editor of the Journal of Church & State (Oxford UP). Dr. Marsh speaks Russian and Chinese and has conducted field research across Eurasia.
Review Quotes:
"Marsh's account of the fall of the USSR is excellent. Recommended." --Choice Reviews
"Christopher Marsh uniquely brings both Russian and Chinese language skills to this ambitious comparative study of the politics....Marsh presents many worthwhile insights on the transition processes in the two countries." --Robert F. Miller, The Australian National University, The China Journal "Few scholars have been able to marshal the linguistic and research skills that Christopher Marsh has brought to bear on his comparative study of China and Russia. What did Beijing learn from Moscow's turbulent postcommunist years, and where will the ongoing transformation of Chinese politics and economy eventually lead? Marsh contends that analysts have looked at these countries in isolation for too long. In this brilliantly conceived and thoughtful study, Marsh explores the interaction effects of systemic change: How political leaders in China, the Soviet Union and now Russia have been acutely aware of what was happening in each other's states-even if, at times, they doggedly refused to draw the right lessons from what they observed." --Charles King, Ion Ratiu Associate Professor of Romanian Studies, Georgetown University; author of The Moldovans: Romania, Russia, and the Politics of Culture