The killing wind : a Chinese county's descent into madness during the cultural revolution / by Tan Hecheng ; translated by Stacy Mosher and Guo Jian.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 475-487) and index.

The Origin of the Massacre. The River of Death ; My Destiny with Daoxian ; Daoxian on the Eve of the Massacre (The August 5 county seize-and-push meeting ; The August 8 gun-snatching incident) ; The Random Killings Begin (First blood at the Xiaba production brigade ; Xique Zhengjia sparks off the massacre) -- Assembling the Machinery of Slaughter. The Killing Wind Spreads through Administrative Lines ; Qingtang District and the Rise of the Peasant Supreme Courts (In the hometown of the philosopher ; The rise of the peasant supreme courts ; A commune Communist Party secretary's story) ; The Red Alliance Role in the Killing Wind (Establishment of the Yingjiang Frontline Command Post ; The August 21 Yingjiang reporting meeting ; The Yingjiang Political and Legal Work Conference) -- Chetou and Shangguan Districts : Murder as Spectacle. Chetou District's Model Killings (The real story of Chetou District's "landlord and rich-peasant insurrection" ; Blood-soaked Meihua ; An advanced commune encounters a new challenge) ; Shangguan District : in the Eye of the Storm (Shangguan Commune's on-the-spot killing rallies ; Killing turncoats as well as landlords) ; Other Communes in Shangguan District (Dongmen Commune : Graffiti on a cottage wall ; The killings at Wanjiazhuang Commune ; The unbearable lightness of Futang Commune) -- Gongba District, the County's Top Killer. A Dubious Honor (One day in Yanhetang) ; The Killings at Daoxian's Deadliest Commune (Interview with the Butcher of Gongba Commune) ; Some Who Got Away ; Death before Marriage -- Qingxi District's PAFD Commander. High-Level Participation in Qingxi District (The Great Leap brigade's killing sputnik ; Killings approved by the county organization department head) ; When the Pebble Rises from the Water -- Xianglinpu District's Militia Push. The Shangdu Militia Headquarters (The pressure to stay in the lead) ; Even Heaven Wept ; Two Classic Cases ; The Banality of Evil ("The tough job is left to me" ; A brigade secretary's story ; Whatever the Communist Party says) -- Deadly Politics. A Little Education Is a Dangerous Thing (The legend of Widow's Bridge ; If you loved the Communist Party, would the party kill you?) ; The Price of Truth (The destruction of two Rightist families ; Death of a "little Peng Dehuai") ; The Scapegoated Landlord Class -- The Killers. Beyond the Pale (The "big rice pot" ; Between humans and beasts) ; Brainwashed (The Communist Party secretary who killed a poor-peasant association chairman ; Duty before family ; The iron maiden of Daoxian) -- The Outliers. The Anomalous Xianzijiao District (Qiaotou Commune's mass-killing rally ; The last victim) ; The Zhenggangtou Phenomenon ; The Miracle of Life ; The Story of an Execution Ground Survivor -- The Crackdown. The 6950 Unit Arrives in Daoxian (The hard task of halting the killing) ; No Regrets (An interview with Revolutionary Alliance leader Liu Xiangxi ; An interview with Red Alliance leader He Xia) ; The Petitioners (Master petitioner Li Niande ; A mansion and a family's fate ; Rise of a master petitioner) ; Change of Plans (A drinking mishap) ; Killings in the Counties and Cities Surrounding Daoxian -- The End of the Killing Wind. Huang Yida and the Fall of the Red Alliance (Midnight run to the provincial capital ; Hua Guofeng's directive ; The September 23 Tragedy ; The exposure study sessions) ; Reversals (In prison ; Heaven's unfathomable will) -- Afterword : Living for Truth -- Appendix I : Basic Statistics on the Victims of the Daoxian Cultural Revolution Killings -- Appendix II : Official Culpability in Daoxian's Killing Wind.

The origin of the massacre. The river of death -- My destiny with Daoxian -- Daoxian on the eve of the massacre -- The random killings begin -- Assembling the machinery of slaughter. The Killing Wind spreads through administrative lines -- Qingtang District and the rise of the peasant supreme courts -- The Red Alliance role in the Killing Wind -- Chetou and Shangguan Districts : murder as spectacle. Chetou District's model killings -- Shangguan District : in the eye of the storm -- Other communes in Shangguan District -- Gongba District, the county's top killer. A dubious honor -- The killings at Daoxian's deadliest commune -- Some who got away -- Death before marriage -- Qingxi District's PAFD commander. High-level participation in Qingxi District -- When the pebble rises from the water -- Xianglinpu District's militia push. The Shangdu Militia headquarters -- Even heaven wept -- Two classic cases -- The banality of evil -- Deadly politics. A little education Is a dangerous thing -- The price of truth -- The scapegoated landlord class -- The killers. Beyond the pale --Brainwashed -- The Outliers. The anomalous Xianzijiao District -- The Zhenggangtou phenomenon -- The miracle of life -- The story of an execution ground survivor -- The crackdown. The 6950 Unit arrives in Daoxian -- No regrets -- The petitioners -- Change of plans --Killings in the counties and cities surrounding Daoxian -- The end of the Killing Wind. Huang Yida and the fall of the Red Alliance -- Reversals -- Afterword : living for truth -- Appendix I : Basic statistics on the victims of the Daoxian Cultural Revolution killings -- Appendix II : official culpability in Daoxian's Killing Wind.

Translated from the Chinese.