Following the death of Mao Zedong, China experienced rapid political and economic reformthroughout the late 1970s and 1980s. As these changes took effect, many Chinese people were inspired to push toward democracy. However, the countrys Communist government was not willing to accept such a change. On June 4, 1989, hundreds of pro-democracy protestors were killed as the Chinese military fired on its own citizens. Readers will discover how the pro-democracy movement formed, why the military attacked the demonstrators, and how the Chinese government handled the aftermath of the massacre.

Setting the scene: a long time coming -- The winds of change -- Battle lines are drawn -- Martial law -- Blood in the streets -- Map of the events: what happened where? -- The story continues: what's next? -- Influential individuals -- Timeline -- Living history.