In 1974, out of the blue, Richard Kirkby got the opportunity to go to one of the most isolated places on the planet, Communist China. Then for more than three years, he watched from the inside as China dealt with the disastrous consequences of the Culture Revolution, the death of Chairman Mao, and the beginnings of the new world that followed. His story provides unique insight into the Cultural Revolution and the role of foreigners in Mao's China.