ABSTRACT
Oneofthemostimportantby-productsofthereformprogramduringthelast fifteenyearshasbeenthefloodofmaterialsthathavebecomeavailableaboutthe past.Thedocuments,reports,memoirs,etc.provideagoodopportunitytoreassessmanyfindingsconcemingtherisetopoweroftheChineseCommunist Party(CCP)andthefirstdecadesofitsruleoverChina.Thisshortnotetriesto provideacategorizationofthesematerialsasawayofintroducingsorneofthe moreuseful. 1Naturally,thelistisfarfromcompleteandismeanttoservemore asaguidethanasacomprehensivereview.Comprehensivenessishamperedfurtherbythefactthatmanyofthepublicationsarefor"interna!circulation" (pgtl'-~ltfi).2
