Captured in Tibet


Book Description

Although the Chinese invasion of Tibet and the subsequent Communist program of Cultural Revolution forty years ago destroyed most of the monasteries, ancient shrines, and much of Tibetan art, remnants of that ancient civilization--including the tenets of Buddhism and the Middle Way--continue to fascinate the world at large. The fortieth anniversary of the Chinese invasion of Tibet holds great personal significance for Robert Ford, who in 1950 while working as a radio officer for the government of Tibet, was the only Westerner to witness the invasion. The invading Chinese took him captive and held him prisoner until 1955, accusing him of espionage, anti-Communist propaganda, and murder. First published in 1957, Captured in Tibet recounts Ford's experiences in bringing radio communications to Tibet. Ford writes movingly of his years in captivity and of his captors' attempts to reform his thinking. This new edition contains a foreword by Nobel laureate the Dalai Lama and a postscript by Ford which brings the story fully up to date.




Wind Between The Worlds


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Tibet


Book Description

Travel.




Tibet


Book Description

Exploring ethnic Tibet independently is a challenge. With the 'land of snows' having some of the wildest and roughest road routes in high Asia, motoring, mountain-biking and trekking options are all given due attention in this new edition. High quality, numerous maps set this guide apart from other guides on Tibet and the trekking section has been expanded to include more on the main treks, including Everest Base Camp, Genden to Samye, Namtso trek and Kailiash region treks. Particular attention has been paid to the Amdo and Kham regions, not usually covered in guidebooks. Political and cultural issues make Tibet a sensitive destination for Westerners, so Michael Buckley's authoritative advice includes guidelines on cultural etiquette, local customs, and travelling with minimum impact on the culture and environment. The chapter on language includes a section covering Tibetan script.




Mission to Tibet


Book Description

Mission to Tibet recounts the fascinating eighteenth-century journey of the Jesuit priest ippolito Desideri (1684 - 1733) to the Tibetan plateau. The italian missionary was most notably the first european to learn about Buddhism directly with Tibetan schol ars and monks - and from a profound study of its primary texts. while there, Desideri was an eyewitness to some of the most tumultuous events in Tibet's history, of which he left us a vivid and dramatic account. Desideri explores key Buddhist concepts including emptiness and rebirth, together with their philosophical and ethical implications, with startling detail and sophistication. This book also includes an introduction situating the work in the context of Desideri's life and the intellectual and religious milieu of eighteenth-century Catholicism.




Seven Years in Tibet


Book Description

In this vivid memoir that has sold millions of copies worldwide, Heinrich Harrer recounts his adventures as one of the first Europeans ever to enter Tibet. Harrer was traveling in India when the Second World War erupted. He was subsequently seized and imprisoned by British authorities. After several attempts, he escaped and crossed the rugged, frozen Himalayas, surviving by duping government officials and depending on the generosity of villagers for food and shelter.Harrer finally reached his ultimate destination-the Forbidden City of Lhasa-without money, or permission to be in Tibet. But Tibetan hospitality and his own curious appearance worked in Harrer's favor, allowing him unprecedented acceptance among the upper classes. His intelligence and European ways also intrigued the young Dalai Lama, and Harrer soon became His Holiness's tutor and trusted confidant. When the Chinese invaded Tibet in 1950, Harrer and the Dalai Lama fled the country together.This timeless story illuminates Eastern culture, as well as the childhood of His Holiness and the current plight of Tibetans. It is a must-read for lovers of travel, adventure, history, and culture. A motion picture, under the direction of Jean-Jacques Annaud, will feature Brad Pitt in the lead role of Heinrich Harrer.




The Autobiography of a Tibetan Monk


Book Description

“With this memoir by a ‘simple monk’ who spent 33 years in prisons and labor camps for resisting the Chinese, a rare Tibetan voice is heard.” —The New York Times Book Review Palden Gyatso was born in a Tibetan village in 1933 and became an ordained Buddhist monk at eighteen—just as Tibet was in the midst of political upheaval. When Communist China invaded Tibet in 1950, it embarked on a program of “reform” that would eventually affect all of Tibet’s citizens and nearly decimate its ancient culture. In 1967, the Chinese destroyed monasteries across Tibet and forced thousands of monks into labor camps and prisons. Gyatso spent the next twenty-five years of his life enduring interrogation and torture simply for the strength of his beliefs. Palden Gyatso’s story bears witness to the resilience of the human spirit, and to the strength of Tibet’s proud civilization, faced with cultural genocide. “To readers of this memoir, however untraveled, Tibet will never again seem remote or unfamiliar. . . . Gyatso reminds us that the language of suffering is universal.” —Library Journal “Has the ring of undeniable truth. . . . Palden Gyatso’s clear-sighted eloquence (in Tsering Shakya’s fluent translation) makes his tale even more engrossing.” —San Francisco Chronicle




Secret Tibet


Book Description

Fosco Maraini looks back at the world he first unfolded nearly 50 years ago in his classic account of the visits he made to Tibet. He brings back to life a world which will never be seen again. In the tradition of Italian travellers from the days of Marco Polo, Maraini went to Tibet to learn, to understand, to give and to receive. His encounter with the people of Tibet, from princesses to peasants, aided as he was by a good knowledge of the language, is a true meeting of minds. The text, which attests to the disciplines of the scholar allied to the sensitivity of the poet, is enriched by the narrative value of the author's photographs, including many Buddhist temple artefacts now forever lost. "From the Hardcover edition.




Tibet Wild


Book Description

George Schaller has spent much of his life traversing wild and isolated places in his quest to understand and conserve threatened species—from mountain gorillas in the Virunga to snow leopards in the Himalaya. Throughout his career, Schaller has spent more time in Tibet than anywhere else, devoting over thirty years to the region's unique wildlife, culture, and landscapes. Tibet Wild is Schaller’s account of three decades of exploration in the remote stretches of Tibet. As human development accelerated, Schaller watched the clash between wildlife and people become more common—and more destructive. What began as a scientific endeavor became a mission: to work with local communities, regional leaders, and national governments to protect the ecological richness and culture of the Tibetan Plateau. Whether tracking brown bears, penning fables about the tiny pika, or promoting a groundbreaking conservation preserve, Schaller has pursued his goal with persistence and good humor. Tibet Wild is an intimate journey through the wilderness of Tibet, guided by the careful gaze and unwavering passion of a life-long naturalist.




Taste Tibet


Book Description

Health-giving, accessible, delicious recipes, put together with passion and purpose, and enlightening food stories from a civilisation that has not yet lost touch with how to eat. 'This warm and engaging cookbook shines a rare light on the fascinating food traditions of Tibet. Yeshi and Julie are brilliant at explaining how dishes such as momo dumplings and sweet ceremonial rice are traditionally eaten on the Tibetan Plateau, yet their recipes are so clear and reassuring they will appeal to readers anywhere. The accompanying photographs offer a glimpse of the captivating beauty of Tibet and an intimate portrait of Tibetan family life.' Fuchsia Dunlop, bestselling author of Every Grain of Rice Nourishing, simple, seasonal food that heals as well as fuels: this way of eating might be popular today, but it has been traditional in Tibet for over 8,000 years. Taste Tibet is a collection of over 80 recipes from the Tibetan plateau written for today's home cook. Create comforting soups and stews, learn the secrets of hand-pulled noodles, and everything you need to know about making and eating momo dumplings, Tibet's most legendary and addictive culinary export. Alongside the recipes, award-winning food writer Julie Kleeman and Tibetan cook Yeshi Jampa, who live in Oxford, UK, and run the Taste Tibet restaurant and food stall, interweave stories of Yeshi's childhood in Tibet, and the shared love of food that brought them together. They reveal nomadic Himalayan food culture and practices, including mindful eating and communal cooking - a way of life that celebrates family, togetherness and respect for food - while exploring the relationship between landscape and diet, evoking the simple, subtle and unique flavours of Tibet.