The Longest Night
Three Generations of Chinese Trotskyists in Defeat, Jail, Exile, and Diaspora
Introduction by Gregor Benton
Edited and translated by Gregor Benton and Yang Yang
Description
The Longest Night tells the captivating story of Chinese Trotskyism in its later years, including after Mao Zedong's capture of Beijing in 1949.
The book covers the three main periods of Chinese Trotskyism: the founding generation around Chen Duxiu, Zheng Chaolin, Wang Fanxi, and Peng Shuzhi, who joined the Opposition after their expulsion from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP); the first generation of those who (after 1931) did not first pass through the ranks of the CCP before becoming Trotskyists; and those who became Trotskyists after 1949, mainly in Hong Kong and the diaspora.
Author Bios
Gregor Benton is a Research Professor at Nanyang Technological University. His books include Mountain Fires, honored by the University of California Press as a ‘special book in Asian studies’ and by the Association of Asian Studies as the Best Book on Modern China. His translation of Hu Feng’s Prison Years won the English Pen Award.
Gregor Benton is a Research Professor at Nanyang Technological University. His books include Mountain Fires, honored by the University of California Press as a ‘special book in Asian studies’ and by the Association of Asian Studies as the Best Book on Modern China. His translation of Hu Feng’s Prison Years won the English Pen Award.
More Info
Publication date: December 16, 2025
