Having lived in China in the 1960s and 1970s, Emeritus Professor Delia Davin was very much aware of the enormous historical influence of Mao Zedong both on China and on world history. Since his death, his influence has waned considerably. China today is a country very different to the China of Mao's vision yet it has become stronger and more prosperous as he would have wished. Mao's life, works and legacy are still studied and contested inside and outside China.

Professor Davin published the first sharply critical review of Chang Jung and Jon Halliday's monumental biography of Mao (Mao the Unknown Story, Cape, 2005) under the title 'Dark tales of Mao the Merciless', in the Times Higher Educational Supplement, 12th August 2005. This was subsequently reprinted in Gregor Benton and Lin Chun (eds) Was Mao Really a Monster? Routledge, 2010. Professor Davin has published a book on the life of Mao (Mao Zedong, The History Press, second edition 2009) and has contributed a chapter entitled 'Gendered Mao: Mao, Maoism and Women'  in a forthcoming edited book by Timothy Cheek, The Cambridge Critical Introduction to Mao, Cambridge University Press.

Delia Davin is also preparing a study of Mao Zedong's life and legacy for the 'Very Short Introduction' series published by the Oxford University Press.