Bombard the Headquarters!: China’s Cultural Revolution
2025
A riveting account of a turbulent period in Chinese history.
Linda Jaivin is one of Australia’s best and most versatile writers.
Bombard the Headquarters!
The Cultural Revolution in China
A riveting account of a turbulent period in Chinese history.
Australian edition
UK edition
Linda Jaivin is an internationally published Australian author, cultural commentator,essayist and translator. She is the author of thirteen books – seven novels and sixworks of non-fiction including her latest, Bombard the Headquarters! China’s CulturalRevolution and The Shortest History of China, which has been translated into nearlytwo dozen languages. She lives in Sydney on the unceded land of the Gadigalpeople of the Eora nation.
Photo by Anna Ha 
THE SHORTEST HISTORY OF CHINA (2021)
Number 1 on Five Books Best China Books of 2021.
It’s no mean feat to cover the entire history of China in fifteen chapters, but Linda Jaivin manages it with panache.
PODCAST
China: The First Emperor
With contributions from Frances Wood, author of The First Emperor; Steve Tsang, The Political Thought of Xi Jinping; Amanda Hsiao, senior China analyst for the Crisis Group; Nathan Law, exiled activist, Hong Kong Umbrella Movement; Chris Buckley, Chief China correspondent of the New York Times now based in Taiwan; plus Paul French, Linda Jaivin, Tania Branigan and Ian Johnson, author of Sparks.
Presenter Misha Glenny is the author of McMafia and a former Central Europe correspondent for the BBC. The producer in Bristol is Miles Warde.
Upcoming Events
21 May
Linda Jaivin: Bombard the Headquarters!
Wednesday 21 May 2025 at 6:30 pm AEST
Concord Library Sydney
Free
An expert in Chinese politics looks back at China under Mao Zedong and birth of the Cultural Revolution.
22 May
Linda Jaivin on the Cultural Revolution in China
Thursday 22 May 2025 at 3:00 pm AEST
Carriageworks Bay 24 Sydney
Free
The call to violence that reverberated through history
23 May
China Past, Present, Future
Friday 23 May 2025 at 2:00 pm AEST
Carriageworks Bay 20 Sydney
Tickets from $35
Understanding China's future means understanding its past
5 June
Writers in Conversation: Linda Jaivin on Bombard the Headquarters!
Thursday 5 June 2025 at 5:00 pm AEST
Rochfort Gallery Sydney
Free
conversation with author Linda Jaivin, artist Guo Jian and Professor Jing Han on Linda Jaivin’s new book Bombard the Headquarters! The Cultural Revolution in China at Rochford Gallery in North Sydney.
10 June
Linda Jaivin and Sheila Fitzpatrick in conversation
Tuesday 10 June 2025 at 6:15 pm AEST
Readings Melbourne
Tickets from Free, but bookings are essential.
Join us to hear Natasha Mitchell in conversation with Linda Jaivin and Sheila Fitzpatrick
11 June
Linda Jaivin – Bombard the Headquarters! The Cultural Revolution in China
Wednesday 11 June 2025 at 6:00 pm AEST
Gleebooks Sydney
Tickets from $0.00 – $15.00
In conversation with Lech Blainey, Linda Jaivin discusses her new book Bombard the Headquarters! The Cultural Revolution in China at Gleebooks in Glebe, Sydney.
12 June
Linda Jaivin in conversation with NFSA CEO Patrick McIntyre
Thursday 12 June 2025 at 6:00 pm AEST
Harry Hartog ANU Campus Canberra
Free
Linda Jaivin will be in conversation with NFSA CEO Patrick McIntyre, on her latest book Bombard the Headquarters! The Cultural Revolution in China – Black Inc Books
25 June
Writers @ Stanton: Linda Jaivin
Wednesday 25 June 2025 at 1:00 pm AEST
Stanton Library Level 1 Sydney
Free
Expert Linda Jaivin joins us with her new book that provides a riveting account of the Chinese Cultural Revolution.
28 June
Linda Jaivin: Shades of the Cultural Revolution - From Mao to Musk
Saturday 28 June 2025 at 4:00 pm AEST
Blackheath Public School
Tickets from $5 to $10
Join Linda Jaivin as she explores the Cultural Revolution, its impact on China, and its relevance today.
17 July
Brisbane: Linda Jaivin - Bombard the Headquarters!
Thursday 17 July 2025 at 6:00 pm AEST
Avid Reader Bookshop Brisbane
Tickets from $15.00 / Book and ticket deal $30.00
Linda Jaivin discusses her new book Bombard the Headquarters! The Cultural Revolution in China at Avid Reader Bookshop in West End, Brisbane.
Some Of My Books
Beijing
2014
Beijing introduces you to the lively history of the capital of China, one full of grandeur and spectacle as well as sieges, massacres, and rebellions.
The Empress Lover
2014
A witty and playful mystery set in contemporary Beijing, The Empress Lover is Linda Jaivin’s seventh novel and her most accomplished.
Found in Translation: In Praise of a Plural World
2013
Found in Translation: In praise of a plural world is a free-ranging essay, personal and informed, about translation in its narrowest and broadest senses, and the prism – occasionally prison – of culture.
The Infernal Optimist
2006
The Infernal Optimist is a portrait of a part of Australia rarely seen in fiction, and a daring dark comedy about an issue – refugees – that is no laughing matter. It was short-listed for the Australian Literary Society Gold Medal 2007.
The Monkey and the Dragon
2001
The Monkey and the Dragon is a memoir, biography and travel book
Eat Me
1995
An erotic novel that follows the adventures of four young women in Sydney who meet regularly to share stories about their sexual encounters. The novel became an international bestseller and was translated into multiple languages.