Product Description

He finds a land with a long, warlike past and a complex interlocking relationship with China. He meets victims and perpetrators of Mao's Cultural Revolution, and young nuns who continue the fight against Communist rule. He stays in the tents of nomads, and hears first-hand accounts of the hopeless battle against overwhelmingly superior Chinese forces which ended, in a single day, a way of life which had endured for thousands of years. On his journey, Patrick French is continually sidetracked by a cascade of information, thoughts and reflections on such subjects: as how to blind a cabinet minister using a yak's knucklebones, the correct method of travelling across a desert by night, and the reasons for the Dalai Lama's transformation into 'an unknown dark-brown bird, bigger than a normal raven'. Patrick French has found a new way of writing about a place and its history. He fascinatingly illuminates one of the most persistently troubling of international issues, and confirms his reputation as one of the finest writers at work today.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #83671 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

Review
'A gripping mix of history, travel writing and personal memoir... vividly told.' Observer'An accomplished writer and a keen observer (French) reports his findings vividly... French's reporting is excellent and this is an enjoyable and informative tour of Tibet.' The Guardian'First hand accounts of everyday experiences gleaned from close contact with Tibetan priests, politicians and peasants illuminate this moving book of modern day Tibet.' The Times

About the Author
Patrick French's first book, Younghusband: The Last Great Imperial Adventurer, won the Somerset Maugham Award and the Royal Society of Literature Heinemann Prize. For his second, Liberty or Death: India's Journey to Independence and Division, he was named the 1998 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year. Patrick French is a director of Free Tibet campaign, and a former editor of Tibet News.

Customer Reviews

Wonderfully written; very informative. Recommended
Patrick French has a long fascination with Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism, indeed he worked for the Free Tibet campaign.

The focus for this book was an extended trip to Tibet but this is more than just a travel book. French takes us through the history of this much contested country and examines the dilemmas posed by the real politick of living in a Chinese autonomous country.

French's journey changed had a profound effect on French and his political views changed as he spent more and more time with those whose live in Tibet as opposed to those based in exile. Will there be a political solution and, if so, what will be the role of Tibet's spiritual leaders?

This is a fascinating book. You will learn a lot about the history of Tibet, what actually happened rather than myth and legend, Above all the stars of this book are the amazing people of Tibet.

This is an excellent book, informed, intelligent, compassionate and thought-provoking. Well recommended,

Ultimately Disappointing. For me anyway.
If there is still anyone out there that still thinks of Tibet as a mythical land then the publishers claim that Mr French will overturn the myth. But I'm not sure there is still anyone that thinks of Tibet in that way. Surely anyone that has even the slightest interest in Tibet knows what has happened there for the last 50 years and that Lhasa now looks like any other Chinese Town. French certainly has some good stories in here and it is worth reading for anyone that is in danger of being simplistic over Tibet. But again, anyone interested in Tibet must surely understand how complex it is. What saddened me most is that Mr French has written a whole book examining the nature of the problem and does not see it as his place to use his expertise to help anyone in the West who wants to support Tibet. He has 'been there, done that and got his Free Tibet T shirt' and now he knows better. He even says that anything we do here makes things worse. So should we all give up? That is what the Chinese Government wants. He tells us what he thinks does not work but offers no alternatives - well, he gives us one line he suggests 'supporting education projects inside the country, backing the development of indigenous businesses and promoting the free flow of information.' That's it. And this is no exaggeration - I've read it carefully. With all Patrick French's talent and experience I would have been glad of more than that and despite all the good stories in his book I still think that it's a shameful wasted opportunity. There is enough despair in this issue already without talented writers adding to it. This is just my personal view of course.

My Choice for the 2004 Thomas Cook Award
The fine writing, manifest integrity and compassion of this informed, properly researched and committed book should have given it this year's Thomas Cook Travel Book Award. Patrick French stood head and shoulders above the rest. A superb achievement. This encomium from a writer also on the short list.