The Red Emperor

Deeply researched … incisive … The early part of The Red Emperor by Michael Sheridan has even a reader unschooled in psychoanalysis wondering about the sort of life-long imprint that trauma can inflict … the most vivid and compelling biography of Xi published to date. – James Kynge * Financial Times *Michael Sheridan is one of the best informed and wisest writers on China. This book on Xi Jinping should be widely read by all who are interested in the life and times of the man who is likely to be the last Emperor of China. – Chris Patten, last Governor of Hong KongExtraordinary … compelling * Daily Mail *… accessible and very readable, especially given the complexities of the material at hand. Historical fact is easily explained and interwoven with anecdotes from different corners which make for a really gripping read. If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about the man behind today’s China, then this is the perfect gateway. * PA Media *Immensely readable, it deftly navigates the complexities of the subject matter, effortlessly and plainly explaining historical fact and bringing it to life with gripping anecdote. * Sunday Post *This is a fast-paced and well-written biography. Sheridan identifies the key events and people, and then works them together into a dramatic narrative. * Literary Review *Boisterous, no-holds-barred … the fact Sheridan is not beholden to maintaining access to China, like some other recent authors of books on Xi, makes this a fairly comprehensive account for the general reader. * The Irish Times *a racily readable account of Xi that moves fluidly between the attested public record and more contested allegations. It progresses clearly and helpfully through Xi’s backstory, career, likely influences and espoused ideas. – Julia Lovell * The Times *the best and most complete Xi bio to date – Paul French, author of Midnight in Peking

Michael Sheridan first reported from Hong Kong and China in June 1989 and later served as the Far East correspondent of the Sunday Times for 20 years, covering the rise of China, the handover of Hong Kong in 1997 and the city’s struggle for democracy. Earlier he worked for Reuters, ITN and the Independent, reporting on war in the Middle East, global diplomacy and European politics, with postings in Rome, Beirut and Jerusalem. His work has also appeared in the Spectator, Tablet, Vanity Fair and the Hong Kong Economic Journal. In 2021 he published The Gate to China, a critically acclaimed history of Hong Kong.