Product Description
This volume is a compilation of articles written by the author since 1999. ... Read more

Product Description
Chronicles Tibet's history and society from the seventh century origins of the Tibetan state. Analyses Mongol and Manchu rule in China and the advent of Western imperialism and goes right through to that of Communist China and the achievements of Tibetan secular and religious leaders down to the Dalai Lama. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Demystifying Tibet by Lee Feigon
Demystifying Tibet: Unlocking the Secrets of the Land of the Snows
by Lee Feigon

There is no doubting Lee Feigon's mindset. He holds a chair in East Asian Studies and is Professor of History at Colby College. No surprise then the academic zeal with which he approaches the latest work to add to his erudite canon on Chinese history and politics. But, strange then the unstructured and rambling discourse he then chooses to follow, with it's over-eager use of references (for example, a section describing religious sites is oddly punctuated by a meander into the prevalence of undomesticated canines, and other animals, without even a linking mention of, say, the infamous savage packs of dogs that patrol Dreprung Monastery). Indeed, Feigon fails to deliver a well-formed argument. His style in this book is uncharacteristically piecemeal, clawing together his dissertation with confusing leaps between chronological elements. It is not impossible that this was the symptom of attempting to target a more casual reading audience, but actually producing something that does not adequately communicate to any mass audience.

The lack of structured argument within the book is unfortunate because, within the chaos, Feigon does have a very important academic message to impart. His main tenet is that Tibet should be considered a separate nation and that the inevitable comparisons with China, even across a moral divide between evil China and innocent (almost childlike) Tibet, do injustice to otherwise distinct nations. Notably, China also suffers through this association. Yet, Feigon does not fully develop these ideas, instead preferring to resort to the usual diatribe against Sino-expansionism, towards which he provides dense chronological evidence of Tibetan exploitation and Chinese atrocities. The overall effect is an essentially level-headed analytical argument, but with a bubbling emotive undercurrent yearning for emergence of an independent Tibetan state. I would rather Feigon would have persevered with his academic separatist arguments until their natural conclusion, even if necessarily hypothetical, and he could have abandoned the political activism to NGOs and escapee monks and nuns.

Speaking of insurgency, Feigon makes an interesting claim of CIA involvement in the Dalai Lama's 1959 escape, and further involvement in support of anticommunist guerrillas. If true, then it seems all the more ironic, given the current developments in relations between the USA, and other leading western powers, with China. Another welcome snippet comes from the cameo mention of Lowell Thomas, journalist adventurer and populariser of T.E. Lawrence.

The second half of the book presents most of the anti-Chinese evidence. The opening half of the book concentrates on history, extensively decorated with cultural reference, but amazingly little explanation of religion beyond the historical context. So, Feigon does go some way to revealing the country and culture behind the myth, but in any case, isn't this an outdated premise for the book? Isn't it some time since the West was mystified by Tibet? The modern trend seems to be more one of seduction and vogue, maintaining the romantic notions of a "Land That Time Forgot" that still persist. Simply put, punctuated outsider access to the country and the accumulation of an exhaustive literature, in parallel with the extensive eradication of Tibetan culture by Chinese occupation has corrupted and impoverished most of the ancient secrets of Shangri-La. Apt when James Hilton wrote on the subject, but Feigon's work is a contemporary view where he assumes an antique and static Tibetan culture were it not for China's liberation. This is by definition retrospective and sentimental for a Tibet that ceased to exist decades ago.

"Demystifying Tibet" could be used as a parsimonious introductory guide to Tibetan history and culture, but it does not sufficiently develop any novel analysis. For this there are superior alternatives from that burgeoning modern literature about Tibet: from academia, there is the excellent and balanced "Tibet: The Road Ahead" by Dawa Norbu (1999), from personal Tibetan accounts there is "Tibet: My Story, An Autobiography" by Jetsun Pema (1997) and "Fire Under The Snow" by Palden Gyatso (1998), and from personal non-Tibetan sources there is "Touching Tibet" by Niema Ash (2003). But, perhaps the starting point for anyone wanting to demystify Tibet should be Harrer's "Return To Tibet" (2000), probably the only informed, first-hand comparison from before and after the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

J.F.Derry
07/09/2004
... Read more

Product Description
An overview of Tibet from its origin to the present day. With maps and charts. The chapters include:the formation of the natural environment of Tibet; the origin of the Tibetan ethnic group; the multi-ethnic development of Tibet; the close relationship between Tibet and the Central Plains in Chinese history; the powerful influence of the culture of the Central Plains on Tibet¡¯s politics, economy, culture and religion; the formation of the various schools of Tibetan Buddhism and the merging of Tibet into China during the Yuan dynasty; the administration of Tibet under the Ming and Qing dynasties and the Republic of China; the Tibetan people's "heroic struggle against imperialism and feudalism"; "peaceful liberation and democratic reform"; the realization of ethnic regional autonomy; and, the building of socialism in Tibet. ... Read more

Product Description
The land of Tibet--its people, culture, and religion--has long been both an object of contention and a source of fascination. Since 1959, Tibet has also been at the center of controversy when China's "peaceful liberation" of the land of snows led to the Lhasa uprising and the Dalai Lama's escape to India. Authenticating Tibet: Answers to China's "100 Questions" offers clear and unbiased responses to a booklet published by the Chinese government in 1989, which sought to counter the criticism generated by the Dalai Lama and his followers and offer the PRC's "truth" about Tibet and Tibetans. In Authenticating Tibet, international Tibet scholars provide historically accurate answers to 100 Questions and deal evenhandedly with both China's "truth" about Tibet and that of the Dalai Lama and his followers. Designed for use by a general audience, the book is an accessible reference, free of the polemics that commonly surround the Tibet question. Although these experts refute many of the points asserted by China, they do not offer blanket endorsements for the claims made by the pro-Tibet movement. Instead, they provide an accurate, historically based assessment of Tibet's past and its troubled present. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

A clear, well-researched history of Tibet
A very clear, well-documented presentation of Tibet and its history. It is especially helpful in explaining the events that led up to the Chinese invasion. This is a very helpful text for people seeking to understand the Hows and Whys of the way Tibetan society is organized today.

Well written but one-sided
While this book is well written (the writing style and information make for a good read), and the author seems to have performed a good deal of research, this is far from an impartial history of Tibet as the author claims. After the author makes this claim in the opening pages he commences with a look at the nature of Tibetan society prior to 1959. While uncomfortable for those sympathetic to the Tibetan nation, this opening expose is quite interesting. The author points out, with some decent source citations, that far from being the "Shangri-la" that many imagine, pre-1959 Tibet was a nation where the majority of people lived a very destitute, hard existence, where political and legal rights for many were almost unknown, where a type of feudal system existed that was on the one hand supportive of the Buddhist religion but on the other permitted very harsh punishment meted out by the ruling elite. This is believeable as far as it goes. However, when one reads the balance of the book one wonders whether one is really getting the whole story even in this opening chapter.

The chapter dealing with the early history of Tibet seems innocuous and fairly balanced, although even here one begins to see that the author is focused on proving one of his central tenets - that Tibet was never really an independent nation and for most of its history maintained some filial relationship with China. This becomes noticeable when one reaches the great majority of the book, which deals with the Twentieth Century. Here the author's bias comes forth. With each succeeding chapter, telling Tibet's story chronologically (the first edition stopped in 1985 when it was published, but this revised edition runs to 1995), the author's pro-China sympathies become ever clearer. This becomes very annoying after awhile. I am an avid footnote reader so I checked his footnotes throughout. There are many citations to secondary sources which in themselves are suspect (Chinese popular publications and official newspapers for instance). In some cases, particularly dealing with the 1959 revolt and subsequent events, some of the author's most anti-Tibetan statements do not contain citations to sources at all. He even reverts in his writing (accidentally?) to using terms for the Dalai Lama and the exile government that are used in official Chinese government communiques (i.e. "The Dali Clique" and "the oligarchs"). He becomes free with his opinions questioning Tibetan sources and trying to discredit them but he quotes from official Chinese sources without comment or criticism. I gather that he felt that he had written an "impartial" history by merely citing to sources from both sides, but this is not the case if he takes the Tibetans (and their allies in the US, India and elsewhere) to task but says nothing of the intentions of the Chinese official writings from which he freely quotes and cites. Amazingly, while he details in several chapters the alleged wrongs perpetrated on many Tibetans by their ruling elite, monks, aristocracy, western governments, etc. he glosses over the effects of the Cultural Revolution on Tibet. He only ackowledges that many monasteries were destroyed, but makes no effort to try to calculate the number of Tibetans killed, jailed and tortured during this time. On the other hand he makes a tremendous effort to discredit the data from the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan exiles concerning the number of refugees who have fled Tibet since 1959.

Oddly, in the very last chapter of "conclusions" the author makes his most critical statements concerning China's rule in Tibet and the issue of Tibet's autonomy. This comes across as too little and too late to make up for a very stilted narrative overall.

If you want a general overview of Tibet, particularly its post-1950 history, from a Chinese point of view this book is pretty good. But for the pleasant writing style and a biased but thorough job of research and citation I would have given this book a 2 or 1. Take this work as an academically researched polemic but there is much more information to obtain to get "the whole picture".

A. Tom Grunfeld, The Making of Modern Tibet
I am disappointed that whilst a dust jacket is shown on this product, it arrives without one! Can you advise me if it can be replaced?

Gripping and unbiased
This is a great book! It is very balanced and favors no particular view of Tibet, instead it constantly looks at every aspect of Tibetan culture, history, and international relations to describe the situation of Modern Tibet. Although it is full of facts, quotes, and various academic tools, the writing style is quite gripping, and it is not too cluttered with information - you won't need to put it down, and you won't want to either!

Propaganda Exercise


If such a book appeared today about Blacks or Jews there would, without doubt, be tremendous public outcry. Tom Grunfeld writes that Tibetan mothers licked their babies as they emerged from the womb - like animals. He goes on to specify that Tibetan were cruel, dirty, ignorant, syphilitic (90% of the population suffering from venereal diseases according to TG) sexual degenerates who were observed making love on rooftops in full public view. Clearly this is intended to portray Tibetans as barbaric, subhuman, even bestial, thereby justifying Communist Chinese rule in Tibet as necessary and civilizing. Grunfeld's description of Chinese rule in Tibet completely omits to mention the million odd people executed, starved, or beaten and tortured to death in the numerous Maoist campaigns, nor does he mention the"Famine", the greatest famine in human history, that in China and Tibet wiped out from 30 to 60 million people, and which was man-made.

Grunfeld lacks the minimal qualifications to write a history of Tibet. He is unable to speak or read basic Tibetan or even Chinese, and his book is full of rudimentary mistakes, schoolboy "howlers", that would be hilarious if the fundamental premise of the work was not so deeply troubling. Grunfeld provides no primary Tibetan or Chinese sources. He further does not even utilize the significant body of scientific and scholarly articles and monographs on Tibetan history that have appeared (in English and other European languages) over the last twenty-five years or so. In fact this "history" relies on Chinese propaganda material (in English) and on often outdated secondary literature, derived largely from negative colonial and missionary writings on Tibet.

This book is a propaganda piece to justify the Chinese occupation and genocide in Tibet. ... Read more

Product Description
The New York Times bestseller Seven Years in Tibet told the incredible story of an idyllic life on the roof of the world, before it was destroyed by the invading Chinese army.Now, in the extraordinary Return to Tibet, Austrian adventurer Henrich Harrer revisits the people and places he left behind. A compelling mix of history, religion, and travel writing, his book bears witness to the suffering and perseverance of this ancient civilization under Chinese rule.Against a backdrop of ruined monasteries and the beautiful, mysterious Himalayas, Harrer vividly evokes both a free Tibet in whichreligion and faith were central features of daily life, and the present-day occupied nation from which a profoundly spiritual culture threatens to disappear. He reflects on the country's problems and in a reunion with his former pupil, the Dalai Lama, discusses ways of preserving the Tibetans' national character and their homeland.Like Seven Years in Tibet, this is a timeless story of Eastern culture that beckons readers to a land of majestic mountains and a religion that has endured for a thousand years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Definitely more of an addendum to "Seven Years..."
This book is mainly comprised of short vignettes about the Author's return to Tibet. He revisits people & places that he knew. If you haven't read Seven Years in Tibet. You won't like this book. If you have. You'll want to read it. To see how 30+yrs of Chinese occupation have brutalized the country. I never buy anything Chinese if I can help it. This book helps clarify why.

An account of Tibet's destruction and exploitation
After three decades, Heinrich Harrer, the famed Austrian mountain-climber, was finally able to visit Tibet again. In this book, he documents how thoroughly a communist regime can ruin a nation and a people. This book is shorter and less-detailed than his outstanding "Seven Years in Tibet", but the main point of this account is the grievous destruction of Tibetan culture. Mr. Harrer travelled to Lhasa, where he located a number of his Tbetan friends and acquaintances from better times. Many had stories to tell of their survival under the occupation by China's communist government. Unfortunately, at least one of these acquaintances from the past, was a full-blown collaborator.
Mr. Harrer describes how Tibet's religion, culture, and language still survive, despite efforts by the Chinese to suppress and completely eliminate them. In fact, traditional Tibetan culture is alive and well, surviving on the periphery of their homeland. Many Tibetans live in exile in India, Nepal, and Bhutan, for example. Harrer describes how the Chinese government has revived monasteries in Lhasa for the purpose of drawing in tourists, a source of foriegn currency for the regime. The authenticity of the monks was questionable, according to Mr. Harrer.
Having been brutally invaded by the communists in 1950, Tibet is probably the first example of the dubious value of the so-called "United Nations". Despite attempts by the Tibetan government to plead for assistance, the U.N. did nothing...as usual. The end result was the ongoing barbaric oppression and gradual genocide of the Tibetan people at the hands of the world's last communist super-power. It is believed that the population of native Tibetans has declined by half since 1950, many having been worked to death in concentration camps, or outright slaughtered. Meanwhile, the Chinese have been colonizing Tibet in large numbers.

Thirty years after
Did you love SY in T? Reading "Return to Tibet" would seem a natural consequence. Half-way in between a book of memories and a collection of short essays this evidently much sponsored sequel has some merits even if it is definitely lacking the poetry and fascination of the first work.
In 1982, more than thirty years aver leaving Lhasa and a life devoted to many other initiatives (read "The White Spider"), Harrer returned to Tibet with one of the firstChinese regulated tourist tours. Having been well introduced in the Tibetan society he immediately and instinctively picks up the differences with the past and only these he describes in great detail. He tells us of the fate of his old friends and acquaintances, those who have succumbed to Chinese cultural revolution and those that have become collaborators, the destruction of religious sites and old habits but also their endurance under cover through delicate details and episodes. There is no timeline narration and the book is skippy going back and forth more than once. This book was written at the time of a fugacious "thaw" in Chinese oppression so it conveys some optimism that has successively been cancelled. I suggest if anyone is interested to watch "Windhorse" or "Tibet, the Cry of the Snow Lion" to have an update on the situation of Tibetan cultural genocide. The language as in SY in T is very simple with evident problems of translation, but the book flows along well. I think it is a good companion book to SY in T but it isn't worth an indipendent read.

Harrer Sees Tibet Again
Anyone who has read Harrer's sensational account published in
"Seven Years in Tibet" of his escape from a prison camp in 1943 and 21 month walk across the High Himalaya, must certainly read
"Return to Tibet".
This book was written 30 years after his first stay in Tibet and deals with the tremendous changes, much of them sheer vandalism and wanton destruction,resulting from the Chinese occupation of the country in 1951.
Harrer is an excellent guide because of his intimate knowledge of the country and its people.
The book is easy to read and gives a vivid impression of Tibetans
both of those who remained in their country and those now in exile in India.
The author died earlier this year at the age of 93 years.

Can't get there from here
The parallels between this book and China's takeover of Tibet are remarkable.Both China and Harrer seem to be exploiting Tibet for financial means.Harrer's first book on the subject, "Seven Years in Tibet", is a remarkable book that was made into a movie.Unlike the first book, this book seems to have little purpose.

It is truly a tragedy what happened to Tibet.The people of this peaceful country were taken over by a hostile aggressor without aid from the rest of the world. Admittedly, Harrer rehashes many of his tales from "Seven Years in Tibet" in this book.After thirty years, Harrer is finally allowed to return to Tibet, now under China's rule.Harrer finds much of the land he once knew in ruins.However, Harrer gives little description of the change.I realize he was not allowed to photograph or view certain areas.But with so little to write about, why write a book?

Most readers of this book are keenly aware of China's mistreatment of the people of Tibet.Harrer gives first hand accounts through interviews of the Tibetans that stayed in Tibet when China began its rule.Many of these Tibetans have been tortured into abiding by China's rule.What I found most shocking is the lack of awareness of the people of China that their country has possession of Tibet.

With such a beautiful cover, one expects many beautiful pictures on the inside.Unfortunately, most the pictures come from the 1950's.Did rules against pictures in certain areas really affect his production that much.

Another major omission I found in the book is motivation.Why did China engulf Tibet?Harrer briefly suggests that they felt the differing way of life lived by Tibetans was a threat to China.But why attack a peaceful people?Are the Chinese afraid of the Dalai Lama?Is the Tibetan brand of Buddhism that different from China's?

The downfall of this book comes in Harrer's living in the past.He can't seem to bring himself to describe what is left of the Tibet he once knew.Aside from speaking to a few Tibetans and describing some of the architecture, this book fails.It seems that Harrer is rehashing his last book mixed with images from his 1982 visit. ... Read more

Product Description
Tibet In Exile is a photographic record of life for the Dalai Lama and his people in exile. The introductory text traces the history of Tibet and is illustrated with valuable historic photographs. The internationally renowned Magnum photographer Raghu Rai has compiled a unique pictorial essay on the Tibetan refugees and their leader in India. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Papers from a History of Tibet conference
Papers presented at a History of Tibet Conference in St. Andrews, Scotland, in September 2001, constitute the chapters of this book.Authors include Helga Uebach, Guntram Hazod, Tsuguhito Takeuchi, Samten Karmay, Roberto Vitali, Anne Chayet, Francoise Pommaret, Vladimir Uspensky, Hanna Schneider, John A. Ardussi, Tirtha Prasad Mishra, Chulunbaatar, Ishihama Yumiko, Alexandre Andreyev, Parshotam Mehra, Isrun Englehardt, A. Tom Grunfeld, Warren Smith, Melvyn C. Goldstein, and Robert Barnett.Topics range from the Tibetan expansion of the seventh century CE to Chen Kuiyuan's policies in the 1990s.Many beautiful photographs from Charles Bell are reproduced here. ... Read more

Product Description
This deeply knowledgeable book offers the first sustained analysis of the 2008 uprising in Tibet, which revealed much about Tibetan nationalism and even more about Chinese nationalism. Retracing the complex history between China and Tibet, noted expert Warren Smith describes the uprising itself and explores its broader significance for Chinese-Tibetan relations. He sharply critiques China's use of heavy-handed propaganda to recast the uprising and obscure its origins and significance. The book convincingly shows that far from becoming more lenient in response to Tibetan discontent, China has determined to eradicate Tibetan opposition internally and coerce the international community to conform to China's version of Tibetan history and reality. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Author review
I began writing this book at the time of the March 2008 uprising. The protests and demonstrations had an air of desperation about them (Tibetans waving flags, knowing the penalty for that). As the story went on it became more about China's response. China managed to counter international threats to boycott the Olympic opening by pretending to dialogue with the Dalai Lama's representatives (in late April and July). And they exploited the Sichuan earthquake for international sympathy. Once the Olympics were over they scornfully rejected the Memorandum on Tibetan Autonomy that the Tibetan side presented. Since then they have declared Tibet a core issue of China's sovereignty about which China cannot legitimately be criticized by anyone who has recognized Chinese sovereignty over Tibet--and that's everyone! They say that Tibet is not an issue of human rights, ethnicity or religion and they will not talk about those issues with anyone, whether foreign critics or the Dalai Lama's reps. They have put unprecedented pressure on all countries to avoid meeting with the Dalai Lama. So, even though it seemed in March 2008 that the uprising would create leverage against China for Tibetans and their supporters, the Chinese managed to turn it into what they now think is their advantage. They have mounted a new diplomatic offensive in regard to Tibet. This new offensive, combined with the repression inside Tibet and the intolerance of any measure of autonomy, is what inspired the title, Tibet's Last Stand? Notice the question mark. I don't mean to say that China will finally be successful in repressing all Tibetan resistance, within Tibet or internationally, just that their response to the uprising was to become even more intolerant of Tibetan autonomy and international support for Tibet. They now seem to believe that they have to eradicate the Tibetan political issue and they think they have the means--repression, patriotic education, development, colonization and the diplomatic offensive--to do so.
Warren Smith ... Read more

Product Description
"In a Nutshell", the new 1-CD audiobook series from Naxos AudioBooks, continues with a fascinating history of Tibet. Part of China for many years, yet with a clearly distinctive culture (with the central devotion of its people being to Buddhism and the Dalai Lama), Tibet has a unique character in the panoply of world nations. Here we have an independent view of its history and the customs and beliefs of its people - and a commentary on the current situation. ... Read more

Product Description
Despite Chinese efforts to stop foreign countries from granting him visas, the Dalai Lama has become one of the most recognizable and best loved people on the planet, drawing enormous crowds wherever he goes. By contrast, China's charismatically-challenged leaders attract crowds of protestors waving Tibetan flags and shouting "Free Tibet!" whenever they visit foreign countries. By now most Westerners probably think they understand the political situation in Tibet. But, John Powers argues, most Western scholars of Tibet evince a bias in favor of one side or the other in this continuing struggle. Some of the most emotionally charged rhetoric, says Powers, is found in studies of Tibetan history. History is viewed by both sides as crucial to their claims, and both invest a great deal of energy in producing works that purport to tell the "truth" about Tibet's past. Powers shows that the two sides' views are mutually incompatible and that both sides sincerely believe what they say. Both are operating within a particular psychological context in which certain assumptions guide their inquiry and predetermine their conclusions. Both are so thoroughly convinced of the utter rightness of their paradigms that they cannot even imagine that someone might sincerely hold the opposing view, and so they accuse their opponents of deliberately lying and covering up the "facts" and the "truth."Both reflect the vastly different cultural myths of the societies that produced them. Chinese sources begin with the notion that China is at the center of the world and is the only civilized society, with a mandate to rule over all other countries. Tibetan records are thoroughly infused with Buddhist imagery and presuppositions, and the underlying narrative is the diffusion and glorification of religion.Powers examines works on Tibetan history by Tibetan and Chinese authors that have been produced in English for Western consumption. He finds some of their claims absurd, others highly implausible, some humorous in an unintended way. Both narratives are fraught with internal contradictions and inconsistencies. And even the most ridiculous notions, Powers notes, are often reflected in works by contemporary Western academics. Powers's impartial examination of the competing narratives will help us to better understand the issues involved in debates about Tibetan history-why apparently arcane vestiges of the past are so important to both Tibetan and Chinese nationalist narratives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

History as Propaganda
A readable, painfully balanced presentation of the issues surrounding the Tibetan exiles vs the Chinese government conflict. ... Read more

Product Description
An authoritative view of the history and culture of Tibet at a time when this ancient land risks losing its identity under Chinese rule."An impeccably researched, spirited history of the forces that shaped today's Tibet, right down to the way tea is prepared."--Kirkus Reviews."I recommend it."--Jeremy Bernstein, New York Review of Books. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Demystifying Tibet by Lee Feigon
Demystifying Tibet: Unlocking the Secrets of the Land of the Snows
by Lee Feigon

There is no doubting Lee Feigon's mindset. He holds a chair in East Asian Studies and is Professor of History at Colby College. No surprise then the academic zeal with which he approaches the latest work to add to his erudite canon on Chinese history and politics. But, strange then the unstructured and rambling discourse he then chooses to follow, with it's over-eager use of references (for example, a section describing religious sites is oddly punctuated by a meander into the prevalence of undomesticated canines, and other animals, without even a linking mention of, say, the infamous savage packs of dogs that patrol Dreprung Monastery). Indeed, Feigon fails to deliver a well-formed argument. His style in this book is uncharacteristically piecemeal, clawing together his dissertation with confusing leaps between chronological elements. It is not impossible that this was the symptom of attempting to target a more casual reading audience, but actually producing something that does not adequately communicate to any mass audience.

The lack of structured argument within the book is unfortunate because, within the chaos, Feigon does have a very important academic message to impart. His main tenet is that Tibet should be considered a separate nation and that the inevitable comparisons with China, even across a moral divide between evil China and innocent (almost childlike) Tibet, do injustice to otherwise distinct nations. Notably, China also suffers through this association. Yet, Feigon does not fully develop these ideas, instead preferring to resort to the usual diatribe against Sino-expansionism, towards which he provides dense chronological evidence of Tibetan exploitation and Chinese atrocities. The overall effect is an essentially level-headed analytical argument, but with a bubbling emotive undercurrent yearning for emergence of an independent Tibetan state. I would rather Feigon would have persevered with his academic separatist arguments until their natural conclusion, even if necessarily hypothetical, and he could have abandoned the political activism to NGOs and escapee monks and nuns.

Speaking of insurgency, Feigon makes an interesting claim of CIA involvement in the Dalai Lama's 1959 escape, and further involvement in support of anticommunist guerrillas. If true, then it seems all the more ironic, given the current developments in relations between the USA, and other leading western powers, with China. Another welcome snippet comes from the cameo mention of Lowell Thomas, journalist adventurer and populariser of T.E. Lawrence.

The second half of the book presents most of the anti-Chinese evidence. The opening half of the book concentrates on history, extensively decorated with cultural reference, but amazingly little explanation of religion beyond the historical context. So, Feigon does go some way to revealing the country and culture behind the myth, but in any case, isn't this an outdated premise for the book? Isn't it some time since the West was mystified by Tibet? The modern trend seems to be more one of seduction and vogue, maintaining the romantic notions of a "Land That Time Forgot" that still persist. Simply put, punctuated outsider access to the country and the accumulation of an exhaustive literature, in parallel with the extensive eradication of Tibetan culture by Chinese occupation has corrupted and impoverished most of the ancient secrets of Shangri-La. Apt when James Hilton wrote on the subject, but Feigon's work is a contemporary view where he assumes an antique and static Tibetan culture were it not for China's liberation. This is by definition retrospective and sentimental for a Tibet that ceased to exist decades ago.

"Demystifying Tibet" could be used as a parsimonious introductory guide to Tibetan history and culture, but it does not sufficiently develop any novel analysis. For this there are superior alternatives from that burgeoning modern literature about Tibet: from academia, there is the excellent and balanced "Tibet: The Road Ahead" by Dawa Norbu (1999), from personal Tibetan accounts there is "Tibet: My Story, An Autobiography" by Jetsun Pema (1997) and "Fire Under The Snow" by Palden Gyatso (1998), and from personal non-Tibetan sources there is "Touching Tibet" by Niema Ash (2003). But, perhaps the starting point for anyone wanting to demystify Tibet should be Harrer's "Return To Tibet" (2000), probably the only informed, first-hand comparison from before and after the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

J.F.Derry
07/09/2004

Begin here
The title of this book is apt, for it serves as a handy quick introduction to the vast sweep of Tibetan history, disclosing a land that is not simply the mystical shangri-la we often imagine it is. Like many western readers, I knew next to nothing of the history of Tibet and central asia before the Chinese takeover. The first few chapters here do a good job of outlining this subject, all the while leading up to the author's central thesis that Tibet has historically been separate from China, both politically and culturally. However, political history is seldom cut and dried, and as we move towards the twentieth century we see how British, Russian, and Chinese imperialist politics combined with divisions and corruptions inside Tibet to seal the fate of this isolated country. It was eye-opening to see Tibet as not merely a hapless victim of a cruel invasion, but also as an active, humanly flawed player in the region's mutable history. The author is a college professor but his writing is easily accessible to a general audience.

Couldn't put it down!
I thought this book would be really dry and hard to read. It was as gripping as a lot of novels. I liked it because it didn't talk down to the reader, but explained things clearly enough for those of us unfamiliar with Tibet. Since I have degrees in International relations and Political Science, I can say that it is a balanced account. Things weren't perfect before the Chinese arrived and they have made some improvements. The problem is what is being done to Tibetian culture by China. My Chinese friends tell me how they 'civilized' Tibet but that argument rang hollow to me. I liked how all aspects of Tibet are discussed, the climate, cuisine, culture, etc. along with the history and politics. It's inspired me to learn more about this facinating area of the world.

An excellent general introduction to Tibet!
Lee Feigon's 'Demystifying Tibet: Unlocking the Secrets of the Land of the Snows' is an excellent source book that provides interesting information about Tibetan history, geography, culture, and religion.This is a 'must-read' book for anyone interested in Tibet, or have plans to visit this fascinating country.The author adopts a very 'reader friendly' style, which does not over simplify or compromise his writing.This is probably one of the best general introduction books on Tibet that I have read.

Helpful, balanced account of Tibetan history, culture
I bought this book prior to making a trip to Tibet in 1999, and found it to be invaluable in helping me to understand the history and culture of the amazing place I was to visit.Feigon takes the reader through Tibet's longhistory, from the time of conquering Tibetan kings to the present.Butrather than delivering a dry historical narrative, the author weaves inmuch about Tibetan culture, such as the role of women in society and theimportance of religion to people's lives.As I toured Tibet and listenedto the "Chinese version" of Tibetan history, it was helpful tohave read this book in order to better understand the complex reality ofTibet's historical experiences.Feignon strives for balance, and showsthat while Tibet is clearly not "an inalienable part of China",neither is it the Shangri-la of Hollywood movie stars or teen rock idols. He criticizes the Western image of Tibetans as innocent victims, painting abigger picture of Tibet's complex--and not always pleasant--history.Butdespite this effort to achieve balance, the author's animosity toward Chinacomes through loud and clear.While many of his criticisms seem justified,his bias causes him to gloss over some aspects of Tibet's history.TheChinese, for example, make much of having "liberated" Tibetansfrom serfdom, and indeed, it would have been useful to know more about whatreally happened.Yet Feigon devotes only one paragraph to describing thefeudal system which dominated most people's lives in Tibet prior to 1950. Nevertheless, reading this book helps one to understand that the future ofTibet cannot simply be a return to the theocratic system of the early 20thcentury.Mr. Feigon's book does much to de-bunk the simplistic myths thathave grown up around Tibet, propagated (mainly) by China but also by thosewho claim Tibet's cause as their own. ... Read more

Product Description
The Complete Story of the Dalai Lamas

   His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama is known to the world for his efforts to preserve Tibetan culture and for his inspiring spiritual teachings. Often unnoticed, however, is the long, colorful history from which this most beloved of holy men has emerged. In Secret Lives of the Dalai Lama, Alexander Norman tells this story in full for the first time, from Tibetan Buddhism’s foundational narratives to the present-day crisis faced by Tibet. 
   And what a story it is. Along with dedicated monks selflessly serving the Tibetan people, among His Holiness’s spiritual forebears there are a Dalai Lama who waged wars, a womanizing and inebriated poet, and several who wound up dead following disputes over temporal power. Also, while Western practitioners focus on Tibetan Buddhism’s liberating vision of enlightenment, it simultaneously contains ritual practices of prophecy and magic, as well as a vivid pantheon of deities and demons.
   In the end, although Tibet falls short of the Western myths of a Himalayan utopia, by illuminating the historical struggle toward compassion and selflessness embodied in the Dalai Lama lineage, Secret Lives of the Dalai Lama ultimately reveals a reality that is vastly more compelling than any romance of “Shangri-La” and provides deeper reasons for admiring Tibetan tradition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A Very Interesting Political History of Tibet
If you are looking for a readable, engaging political history of Tibet, you should have no reservations about purchasing this book.If you want to read about the history of Buddhism in Tibet and its various sects and lineages, you might want to look elsewhere.This book does at times touch on Buddhism's history and development in Tibet, but it's not the focus.As a political history, however, this book is very enjoyable and informative.Though hardly comprehensive, it does a great job hitting the high points and focuses on how the fourteen Dalai Lamas have participated in, and steered, the history of Tibet.Another focus is the interaction between the Tibetans and both the Mongols and the Manchus, both politically and religiously.The book also contains several introductory chapters documenting the transmission of Buddhism from India and China into Tibet.

Norman does not subscribe to the "Shangri-La" perspective of Tibet.His presentation depicts a Tibet that was inhabited and presided over by human beings and that has had its share of political and religious strife, including coups, religious persecution, and assassinations.If you find this bothersome, you might wish to avoid this book.That said, Norman is not anti-Tibet, and he is certainly respectful and appreciative of its religious history and genuinely pious historical figures.He just doesn't sugarcoat the negative aspects, especially the Gelug treatment of other sects and in-house dissidents.With respect to the China/Tibet debate, Norman is decidedly on the side of Tibet in terms of the historical links between the two cultures.He strongly implies that China's version of past events (i.e. Tibet has always been a protectorate of the various Chinese empires) is tantamount to revisionist history.

I found this book to be very engaging and not your typical "dry" history text (in 1312, this happened - in 1323, that happened, etc.).Again, if you want a comprehensive history of Buddhism in Tibet, there are other books that can better meet your needs, but this book accomplishes its purpose quite well.Highly recommended.

Interesting content badly presented
This book focuses on Tibet's political history, and I give it two stars for its detailed contents and the extensive bibliography. However, the book needs an editor (to 'memorialize' a person doesn't mean 'to send them a letter'- at least I've never seen that meaning). The reader could also use help with the chronology and with those difficult Tibetan names - especially since many of the Tibetans have both secular and 'professional' religious names. Many of the footnotes and/or endnotes could have been included in the text. I'm also squeamish about the many detailed stories of Tibetan torture - I don't REALLY need to know the specific punishment meted out to so and so.

However, the topic certainly has my interest, and I'm currently making a list of further reading from the bibliography. And the cover graphic is great.
Booklover

Tibet and Its' Holy Men
This book is a history of the Holy Men, the Dalai Lama and the country of Tibet. It seems to be thoroughly researched and is very exacting in it's detail as Alexander Norman progresses through the ages.
The present Dalai Lama lent his support to the writing of this manuscript; although he saysin his forward that he does not agree with everything.
Sometimes the history is deeper than a casual reader can comfortably understand, for example in the frequent use of tantric and words such as antinomianism. There is a glossary to help, but a chronological listing of the Holy Men would have been very helpful; however there are many enlightening footnotes to help in understanding. The traditions of Tibet and its' many deities are covered from the early 600's to the present.
This reading is not for someone who wants an easy reading of Tibet and the Dalai Lamas. What the book shows is not the serene, peaceful vision that many have of Tibet, but a country that has had its' share of violence both within and from others. It would make a good textbook on the subject, but does little to go into the heart and soul of the country and its' religion.

History of Tibet
This book is a good read. The history of Tibet and the Dali Lamas. It takes almost a third of the book to get started with the Lamas but it is well worth the wait as the pre-history is well done and required for the story. It was helpful to learn that Tibet and China have been going at it for a very long time. Not strictly about Buddhism but the context Tibetan Buddhism grew up in. Can also recommend "The Open Road" by Pico Iyer.

Secret Lives of the Dalai Lama

An excellent introduction to the history of Tibetan Buddhism and the god-rulers, the Dalai Lamas. ... Read more

Product Description
Over the past ten years, photographers Danny Conant and Catherine Steinmann made several journeys to Tibet intending to experience firsthand the magical quality that draws pilgrims the world over to this land of deep spirituality and immeasurable beauty. Instead, to their infinite dismay, they discovered a Tibet whose soul is gradually disappearing. The loss is pervasive--cultural, environmental, economic, religious-- and seemingly inexorable.

Vanishing Tibet is about the recent changes that have befallen this captive land. A massive influx of Chinese immigrants, arriving via the newly constructed Beijing-Lhasa Railway, has quickly displaced many Tibetan city-dwellers from their very homes and jobs. The countryside has also suffered: rampant deforestation, unregulated mining, and poorly planned farming have exacted a terrible toll on Tibet's delicate ecosystem.

Through their photographs, Conant and Steinmann seek to record this disappearing culture. Their inventive techniques not only dramatically underscore the context of the images, they also produce gorgeously nuanced works of art that pay homage to a vanishing Tibet. ... Read more

Product Description

There are many Lhasas. One is a grid of uniform boulevards lined with plush hotels, all-night bars, and blue-glass-fronted offices. Another is a warren of alleyways that surround a seventh-century temple built to pin down a supine demoness. A web of Stalinist, rectangular blocks houses the newnomenklatura. Crumbling mansions, once home to noble ministers, famous lovers, nationalist spies, and covert revolutionaries, now serve as shopping malls andfaux-antique hotels. Each embodiment of the city partakes of the others' memories, whispered across time and along the city streets.

In this imaginative new work, Robert Barnett offers a powerful and lyrical exploration of a city long idealized, disregarded, or misunderstood by outsiders. Looking to its streets and stone, Robert Barnett presents a searching and unforgettable portrait of Lhasa, its history, and its illegibility. His book not only offers itself as a manual for thinking about contemporary Tibet but also questions our ways of thinking about foreign places.

Barnett juxtaposes contemporary accounts of Tibet, architectural observations, and descriptions by foreign observers to describe Lhasa and its current status as both an ancient city and a modern Chinese provincial capital. His narrative reveals how historical layering, popular memory, symbolism, and mythology constitute the story of a city. Besides the ancient Buddhist temples and former picnic gardens of the Tibetan capital,Lhasa describes the urban sprawl, the harsh rectangular structures, and the geometric blue-glass tower blocks that speak of the anxieties of successive regimes intent upon improving on the past. In Barnett's excavation of the city's past, the buildings and the city streets, interwoven with his own recollections of unrest and resistance, recount the story of Tibet's complex transition from tradition to modernity and its painful history of foreign encounters and political experiment.

Customer Reviews (5)

Living Lhasa
An unusual book that offers a layered and multi-faceted vision of Lhasa, with great historical depth and an uncommon awareness of the many factors at work.This is not a feel-good narrative, it does not take sides, nor does it presume to tell you what to think.Instead, it combines deep scholarship and detailed knowledge of the political, cultural, social and economic forces behind the tremendous changes in Lhasa since the Chinese arrived - the author is a world-renowned expert on Tibet - with an artist or a poet's sensitivity to what lies beneath appearances.In addition, the writer's perspective is infused with a rare and touching humility, a welcome relief from the rather authoritative or even didactive tone of much travel writing.There is a great deal to be learned from this subtle book and I enjoyed the juxtaposition of personal experience and learned content.

poetic city
Tibet and its capital, Lhasa, are among the many places I hardly know.This book is a brief introduction to their history, and the competing narratives non-Tibetans have adopted for interpreting Tibet.It is also a work for those enthralled by the question of what was- staring at a modern city block, you wonder: what was here before?The office building that used to be a park where families would picnic on weekends, the suburb that used to be a swamp.

The book is incomplete- it doesn't try to present modern Tibetans and their narratives.Perhaps because that identity has become confused by assimilation or maybe the author just didn't understand them and knew it.

That said, it's still worth reading as an ode to an ancient city.

Beautifully written and profoundly moving
I had no more than a passing interest in Tibet when I was given this book, and I found it absolutely riveting. It gave me a clearer, more immediate sense of the cultural crisis in Tibet than any straightforward, linear history could have done. Robert Barnett begins with the premise that one has to learn how to read any foreign city, and points out that Lhasa, where so much of the text is hidden below the surface, has suffered more than most from foreign misreadings. The book sets out to make Lhasa more legible to foreigners, but what it achieves is deeper and far more important.

Barnett approaches his subject from two perspectives, one intellectual, the other experiential. The main narrative traces the history, mythos and cultural development of the city, and is written from Barnett's current vantage point as a Tibet scholar. This on its own would be an interesting and informative read. But it is the secondary narrative that makes the book so compelling: In hushed italics, Barnett gives us glimpses of his own experiences in Lhasa, first as a hapless tourist who wanders into the middle of the 1987 uprising, and later as a part-time resident teaching at the university. He is careful not to impose his own interpretation on the events, but simply, and generously, shares his observations. The most harrowing of the episodes he recounts come early on, and have to do with his own inability to read Lhasa during a period when a foreigner's misreading could hold serious consequences for the Tibetans involved.

Barnett has an artist's eye for detail, and his writing is lush and vivid. The dual narratives struck me at first as an interesting literary device: the scholar describes the city's development from the ground up, while the foreigner sees the superficial and gradually learns to read what's below the surface. But toward the end of the book, when the two narratives catch up with each other, something extraordinary happens: the scholar succeeds in making Lhasa more legible just as the foreigner observes that the city he has learned to read has in effect already been erased by the Chinese. This realization had a visceral impact on me; the tragic urgency of the situation in Tibet hit me like a blow. "Lhasa: Streets With Memories" is an important book and deserves a wide audience.

Dead End Street
A very confused attempt to be meaningful by a British professor who should have written a magazine article(s) with this material and not a book. Both the writing style and substantive thoughts presented are choppy and obscure.

Not recommended except for those already deeply engrossed with all things touching upon this ancient city of Tibet and who are willing to put up with an opaque and disjointed presentation. (A universe of readers that, I wager, is lightly populated.)

I often disagree with the national editorial reviews that are posted by Amazon, but here the March review by Publishers Weekly has this book dead right.

A brilliantly naunced meditation on a changing culture
I am struck by the originality of Robert Barnett's approach, as well as the clarity and utter honesty of his voice. LHASA: STREETS WITH MEMORIES is a much needed tool in grappling with the way in which China has absorbed and digested old Tibet and, sadly, the way in which Beijing has re-interpreted Lhasan culture with often appalling results. It's an old tale but told from an utterly fresh viewpoint--a must-read for those who are troubled by China's ongoing stranglehold of Tibetan society. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's large-scale digitization efforts. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the original text that can be both accessed online and used to create new print copies. The Library also understands and values the usefulness of print and makes reprints available to the public whenever possible. This book and hundreds of thousands of others can be found in the HathiTrust, an archive of the digitized collections of many great research libraries. For access to the University of Michigan Library's digital collections, please see http://www.lib.umich.edu and for information about the HathiTrust, please visit http://www.hathitrust.org ... Read more

Product Description
Jesuit on the Roof of the World is the first full-length study in any language of Ippolito Desideri (1684-1733), a Jesuit explorer and missionary who traveled in Tibet from 1715 to 1721.

Based on close readings of a wide range of primary sources in Tibetan, Italian, and Latin, Jesuit on the Roof of the World follows Desideri's journey across the great Western deserts of Tibet, his entry into the court of the Mongol chieftain Lhazang Khan, and his flight across Eastern Tibet during the wars that shook Tibet during the early-eighteenth century. While telling of these harrowing events, Desideri relates the dramatic encounter between his Jesuit philosophy and the scholasticism of the Geluk monks; the personal conflict between his own Roman Catholic beliefs and his appreciation of Tibet religion and culture; and the travails of a variety of colorful characters whose political intrigues led to the invasion of Zünghar Mongols of 1717 and the establishment of the Chinese protectorate in 1720.

As the Tibetans fought among themselves, the missionary waged his own war against demons, sorcerers, and rival scholastic philosophers. Towering over all in the mind of the missionary was the "fabulous idol" Avalokitesvara and its embodiment in the Sixth Dalai Lama Tsangyang Gyatso. In describing his spiritual warfare against the Tibetan "pope," the missionary offers a unique glimpse into theological problem of the salvation of non-Christians in early modern theology; the curious-and highly controversial-appeal of Hermetic philosophy in the Asian missions; the political underbelly of the Chinese Rites Controversy; and the persistent European fascination with the land of snows. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

When Will We Learn the Details of The Dramatic Encounter?
The strength of this book is in the immense detail that goes into situating Desideri in his cultural, historical and theological context. It also gives a critical reading of his reports against other documents from the time, showing that the way he presents things is not always exact. All of this was very helpful and added greatly to my understanding of the Jesuit missionary.

However, having been interested in Desideri for nearly three decades, I already know the story. The odd thing about him is that while everyone goes on about how engaging was his dialogue with Tibetan Buddhism, no one gives you details to decide for yourself. This book, for example, while the reviews and description bring his story up as a "seminal moment in...interreligious dialogue" with"the first Christian intellectual to engage Tibetan Buddhism on its own terms" showing a "dramatic encounter between [Desideri's] Jesuit philosophy and the scholasticism of the Geluk monks" leaves us nearly completely in the dark about the details, yet again.I find this typical of discussions about Desideri; even English translations of his own writings leave out these sections.

What this book does cover, instead, are Christian theological issues and the details are about doctrinal and procedural debates between different Christian groups, predominantly the Jesuits and the Capuchins. We are repeatedly brought to the door of Desideri's opinions about why he disagreed with Buddhism, but are not really let inside. More than once we are drawn into the fact that he greatly disagreed with the idea of rebirth, enough so that he wrote a large document on the subject, but we are not told any details of why he disagreed with it or what arguments he put forward against it. The only hint, in another context, is that he felt the Dalai Lamas used it as a social control mechanism. Surely there has to be more to it than that. Again, more than once we are drawn in to Desideri's study with Buddhists in monastic settings, where it is clearly shown that he was reading the right books and had a special interest in Madhyamaka, even though he disagreed with aspects of it. Other than that part of the disagreement centered on the denial of a Creator God by Madhyamika authors, we are given no idea of the details of this incredibly interesting worldview encounter. Pomplun knows the details enough to mention, more than once, that Desideri had some strange ideas about Madhyamaka, but, again, no details. And all this in a book with a chapter titled "Tibetan Religion in Theological Perspective," which is one of the main reasons I bought it.

Readers can be excused for starting to wonder if the emperor has no clothes. At one point, Pomplun notes that, despite Desideri's claim that many Tibetan intellectuals came to read his refutation of Buddhist doctrines, there is no reference to this in any contemporary Tibetan accounts. Is it because they didn't find anything of real substance? ;) Someone needs to write a book on what Desideri actually wrote on the subject and the arguments he used. Perhaps Michael Sweet's upcoming book or the one Pomplun says he wants to write next on Desideri's Tibetan documents, will finally fill the gap for those of us who neither read Tibetan or Italian nor have easy access to the journals where some of this work is starting to appear.

Either way, if none of that is your concern, than this book will not disappoint your quest to understand Desideri in a more thorough manner. It reveals the man at his best and worst, as well as disbanding a number of romantic myths about both him and Tibetan culture. If you have any interest in Desideri, it is rich in historical detail and well worth your time. Each of the six chapters is a self-contained unit focusing on a major issue in his life, picked up in chronological order. We are given a detailed examination of his Jesuit background, the literary context of his writing style, a general overview of how he situated Tibetan Buddhism in relationship to Catholicism, his understanding of the Tibetan politics during his visit, his theological disputes with other Christian groups, and how all of this fits into the European cultural context of his time. By the time you are done the introduction, you will clearly see that Pomplun is not going to get into the issues that interested me. Too bad the Amazon preview cuts off before then.

... Read more