Tibet in Exile

A moving visual record of the Dalai Lama and his people in exile. An introductory text traces the history of Tibet and is complemented with historic photographs. Magnum photographer Raghu Rai has compiled a color photographic essay on the Tibetan refugees and their leader in India. the introduction is by the Dalai Lama. 10<3/4>x15". Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

This collection of large, vibrant photographs of Tibetan refugees in Dharamsala, India, effectively promotes awareness of their plight. In the introduction, the Dalai Lama asserts Tibet's rightful independence, suggesting that the country be transformed to a "peace sanctuary" for people of all nations. British journalist Perkins offers a dry, condensed history of Tibet that becomes absorbing in its discussion of the hardships suffered by the 100,000 Tibetans who followed the Dalai Lama and fled in 1959 after the Chinese took over their country, and of their adaptation to a new life in India. Indian photojournalist Rai's vivid pictures include panoramic views of pilgrimage sites in the Himalayan foothills and dynamic scenes of daily life in Dharamsala; Buddhist ceremonies and brightly hued robes attest to the importance of spirituality and tradition while emotionally-charged political demonstrations against China reflect unabated frustration and the Tibetans' fervor for their homeland's liberation.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This is a large work in many senses, the oversized format befitting the subject. The opening text, "The Land of Snows," chronicles events between the historic escapes from the Chinese of the 13th Dalai Lama in 1910 and the 14th in 1959. "Refuge in India" describes the danger and devastation for those who followed, the conditions of their emerging community, and the situation of their homeland under Chinese rule. Both texts use black-and-white photographs, in striking contrast to "The Legend Lives: The Photographs of Raghu Rai," occupying the majority of the book. In full, vibrant color, Rai, an Indian photojournalist and member of Magnum, portrays the lives of meditation and ceremony practiced by the Dalai Lama and the Buddhist monks who follow him, as well as the lives of ordinary Tibetans in exile--their political actions, their markets, celebrations, and schools. The richness and potency of these photographs give witness to the vitality and continuity of the endangered refugee community.
- Ann Copeland, Champaign, Ill.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.