Tibet: The Secret Continent - Hardcover

Peissel, Michel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312309538 ISBN 13: 9780312309534

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books, 2003

Synopsis

With 250 accompanying photographs, Michael Peissel tells the history of the early Tibetans and the subsequent golden age of Tibetan Buddhism under the monk Richen Zampo. He examines the spiritual aspects that are so important in Tibetan life and the modern international success of Lamanism. Chronicling the paths of early explorers, Peissel relates Tibet's plunder and destruction, from its dismembering in colonial times to the Chinese takeover. He looks at the uniqueness of the Himalayas, where flora and fauna have evolved to suit the high altitude and resulted in such extraordinary species of animals as the yak and the Takin, a huge goat.

Through his writing and photography, Michael Peissel brings to life the geographical, spiritual, and intellectual heart of Tibet.

About this title

About the Author

Explorer, anthropologist, and writer, Michel Peissel is a Frenchman who writes in English, speaks Tibetan, and has dedicated his life to investigating the remotest regions of Greater Tibet, with many of his discoveries making news headlines. He has led 26 expeditions of Tibet and made 20 documentary films over the last 40 years. In 1964, he "discovered" the minute kingdom of Mustang, and more recently, in 1994 he led an expedition to find the source of the Mekong River. His previous books include Mustang: A Lost Tibetan Kingdom, Lords and Lamas, Zonskar, The Voyage of the Itza, The Amber Trail, and The Last Barbarians (Holt).

Reviews

Who better to take readers on a journey through Tibet than someone who has led 26 expeditions into its vast expanses and even dreams in Tibetan? Peissel is an experienced explorer with a passion for Tibet and the Himalayas, and this book is the culmination of four decades of enthrallment. A land divvied up by India, China, Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan, Tibet holds the interest of many but the understanding of few; it’s truly a "world within a world," Peissel writes. In its text, the book shifts easily from mythology, to flora and fauna, to Peissel’s own adventure tales, to regional geopolitics, without breaking stride. But it’s the photos (also courtesy of the author) that truly bring the land alive, capturing its cliffside cave cities, its vibrant ceremonies and its countless unforgettable faces. The only portion of the book that isn’t exhaustive is its cursory discussion of Tibet’s brutal treatment under Chinese rule. For Peissel, whose love for Tibet is palpable, it’s probably too depressing a subject to broach. 250 color photos.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0312309538
• ISBN 13: 9780312309534
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224