'A book that is as informative as it is entertaining ... China has been transformed. The system that takes the credit is brilliantly described by McGregor' Chris Patten, Financial Times

Newly updated version including analysis of the once-in-a-decade leadership changes taking place in November 2012

China's Communist Party is the largest, most powerful political machine in the world. Here, Richard McGregor delves deeply into its inner sanctum, revealing how this secretive cabal keeps control of every aspect of the country - its military and media, legal system and businesses, even its religious organizations. How has the Party merged Marx, Mao and the market to create a global superpower? And what does this mean for the world?