Product Description

'The soldier, mystic and explorer Francis Younghusband, who fulfilled the romantic dreams of the late British Empire, was once as legendary a figure as Lawrence of Arabia. He lives again most vividly and entertainingly in this remarkable book.' Michael Holroyd In this travelling biography, Patrick French tells the story of the man who held the world record for the three hundred yard dash, discovered a new overland route from China to India, and organised the early assaults on Mount Everest. In 1904 it was Francis Younghusband who single-handedly turned a small diplomatic mission into a full-scale military invasion of the last unexplored country on earth: Tibet. Younghusband spent much of his early life as a leading player in the Great Game -- the battle of wits over the uncharted territory of High Asia -- and his presumed death as a spy in the Pamirs almost sparked off a war between British India and Tsarist Russia. But despite being a classic Edwardian, full of pomposity and repression, in the post-World War I era, he led the way in outlandish, mystical philosophical and sexual free-thinking.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #43378 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

Review
'Breathtakingly accomplished.' Jonathan Keats, Observer 'I cannot begin to do justice to the skill and the fun of this happy work. Younghusband is a glorious biography, fair, frank, and always interesting. They don't come much more enjoyable than this.' Jan Morris, Independent 'I found myself reading through the night. This is a rare gem of a book.' Fiammetta Rocco, Independent on Sunday 'A charming biography which mingles travel with impressive research.' Ian Thomson, Sunday Times 'This is a wonderful book: beautifully written, wise, balanced, fair, funny and above all extremely original!an altogether brilliant debut.' William Dalrymple, Spectator Praise for 'Liberty or Death': 'Brilliant!There can surely now be no serious doubt French is the most impressive Western historian of modern India currently at work.' Frank McLynn, Glasgow Herald 'Well researched, beautifully written and immensely scholarly.' Andrew Roberts, Sunday 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

The best book I have ever read
This is the most brilliant piece of writing sustained by the lovely voice of Patrick French. It is an enthralling extraordinary story and I fell in love with Patrick and had to ration myself so I didn't finish it too quickly. Buy it.

a fantastic life
for someone to have covered so much in their life - from soldier of Empire to interwar mystic. French gets the detail right