Bombard the Headquarters!

by Steven Digena

In 1971, strange things were afoot at the center of the People’s Republic of China. With the Cultural Revolution still under way and Mao Zedong at the height of his power, China and the world were shocked to find late in the year that assassination and coup had been in the air, and had subsequently come crashing down in eastern Mongolia. Lin Biao, Marshall of the People’s Liberation Army, and Mao’s constitutionally designated successor was dead in a plane crash, having failed to launch a military coup against the regime he had so long served. The seizure of power, known as Project 571 ended in disaster for its plotters, and anyone who could be accused of having been involved.

But what if their effort to bomb the Chairman’s train had succeeded?

In “Bombard the Headquarters!” Steven Digena explores the possibilities of what could have happened, had “The Great Helmsmen” been assassinated in the fall of that year. What follows is clash of his lieutenants and plotters as military and political factions challenge each other for power, leadership and their own survival.

Reviews

"Brilliantly horrifying."
"Excellent... could easily be expanded into a major work."
"Amazing... inspired storytelling."

95 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 24, 2015

Reviews

[Derek Alberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thought-provoking tale based on the assassination of Mao Zedong and what chaos might have followed in the People's Republic of China. It's a good introduction to a number of the prominent figures at the time, and has a number of twists. I think it could have highlighted the differences from our timeline more explicitly, but nonetheless an interesting window into a time and place little covered in western alternate history.

[Andy Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andy's Review

Downloaded this as I was intrigued because it was a subject I knew very little about, & I was not disappointed. Although short, there were plenty of political machinations & skull duggery to go round. One thing did surprise me - there was no mention of Jiang Qing (Madam Mao) & her cronies. Altogether a very good read.

[Tom Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mao is dead, assassinated, and China will fall into the the hands of those most quick and decisive to act. A compelling insight into a place and time in history little known outside of East Asia.

[Chris Oakley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a perfect story, but a great one.

Could have used a bit more proofreading. That said, the story is absolutely brilliant. Be interesting to see how the events of this book affect US-China relations going forward.