| List of Tables and Illustrations | |
| Preface | |
| Acknowledgments | |
| A Note on Sources and Methods | |
| Abbreviations Used in the Text | |
| Introduction: The Age of Peng Xiaoping | 3 |
| Pt. I | The Roots of Reform, 1976-1980 | 25 |
| Ch. 1 | Burying Mao: April 1976-July 1977 | 27 |
| Ch. 2 | Deng Takes Command: August 1977-December 1978 | 48 |
| Ch. 3 | The First Fang/Shou Cycle: Novemher 1978-Angust 1980 | 66 |
| Ch. 4 | High Tide of Reform: Gengshen, 1980 | 94 |
| Pt. II | The Road to Tiananmen, 1981-1989 | 119 |
| Ch. 5 | Polarization and Paralysis: January 1981-April 1982 | 121 |
| Ch. 6 | Defining the Spirit of Socialism: Summer 1982-December 1983 | 143 |
| Ch. 7 | The Rebirth of Liberal Reform: January 1984-Summer 1985 | 164 |
| Ch. 8 | Social Origins of Student Protest: Summer 1985-December 1986 | 189 |
| Ch. 9 | Combating Bourgeois Liberalization: January 1987-Spring 1988 | 206 |
| Ch. 10 | Bittersweet Fruits of Reform: March 1988-April 1989 | 225 |
| Pt. III | The Beijing Spring, 1989 | 245 |
| Ch. 11 | The Beijing Spring: April-May 1989 | 247 |
| Ch. 12 | CrackingDown: June 1989-February 1990 | 275 |
| Pt. IV | The Old Order Changes, 1990-1995 | 311 |
| Ch. 13 | Picking Up the Pieces: Winter 1990-Autumn 1991 | 313 |
| Ch. 14 | Deng's Final Offensive: January-October 1992 | 341 |
| Ch. 15 | The Last Cycle: October 1992-Summer 1993 | 369 |
| Ch. 16 | The Mandate of Heaven: Summer 1993-Summer 1995 | 377 |
| Epilogue: Burying Deng | 391 |
| Abbreviations Used in the Notes | 395 |
| Notes | 397 |
| References | 473 |
| Index | 491 |
