This Tibetan travelogue tells a fascinating story of a mission to save the cultural heritage of a Tibetan monastery.
The culture and artifacts of Tibet, like those of other remote indigenous societies, are under siege by the relentless modern world. The fate of monasteries in Tibet has been a subject of concern to many in the West; but untilTibetan Rescue little specific information had been published. As president of a non-governmental organization that brings foreign aid into Tibet, Pamela Logan brings a first-hand account of her journey through Tibet.
Pamela evolves from solo traveler to expedition leader on her mission: to save the precious ancient murals of Pewar Monastery. To reach her goal she travels a long and circuitous path raising funds, getting permission from the Chinese bureaucracy, assembling an international team, and leading four expeditions by bus, truck, and horse caravan to Pewar Monastery. Along the way she meets a memorable parade of characters, overcomes bureaucrats and blizzards, and survives a brutal attack by a pack of Tibetan dogs. Her book is an insider's look at a remote and little known part of Tibet, her story an inspiration to those who cherish challenge and adventure.
This detailed, informal diary chronicles the work of a woman devoted to a cause. Logan, who jettisoned an academic career (as a professor of physics, no less) after a vacation to Nepal in the mid-1980s, recounts her attempts to preserve the sacred Buddhist artwork of Tibet. She has to overcome numerous obstacles along the way: on one trip, dogs attack her in a monastery (she's saved by a group of monks); later, back at home, the anti-Tibet remarks of an American congressman virtually derail a fund-raising trip for the nonprofit Kham Aid Foundation she created. The temples themselves lodged in unstable buildings with leaky roofs and poor ventilation pose another difficulty. As she writes of one temple, "One more earthquake would surely bring it down, burying murals, treasures and people in the process." Despite these problems, her recovery teams boast significant progress toward preserving some of the world's art treasures. Logan's writing is clear and easily conveys the excitement of her work, but while she is obviously enamored with her subject, she's not above a criticism or two: "I'm a fan of Tibetan culture, but Tibetan medicine fills me with misgiving." The lack of art and historical background or details of conservation techniques (all are oddly placed in the book's appendix) will limit the book's appeal to the general reader. But those interested in art history, Asia and Buddhism are likely to be engaged and perhaps even inspired by Logan's efforts.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
After earning a Ph.D. in aerospace technology and a black belt in karate, Logan traveled to Tibet in search of fellow martial artists, the subject of
Among Warriors (1998). Her next quest, a far more complicated and demanding undertaking, involved the restoration of two severely damaged Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, the castlelike Palpung and the small jewel Pewar, with an emphasis on saving their remarkable and imperiled murals, complex and irreplaceable works of spiritual art. Adventurous, hardy, and sweetly matter-of-fact in the face of numerous disasters (an attack by wild dogs, illness, landslides, obdurate officials, linguistic and cultural confusion, lack of supplies), Logan, a highly motivated American Buddhist, transforms herself into an expedition leader, accountant, fund-raiser, photographer, conservator, and diplomat as she assembles international restoration crews and overcomes myriad obstacles. Not only does she record all the frustrations and triumphs of their travels and conservation efforts with brio but she also portrays an intriguing cast of characters, captures the rugged beauty of Tibet's Derge region, and presents enlightening explications of Tibetan history, religion, and politics.
Donna SeamanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reservedLogan (Among Warriors: A Woman Martial Artist in Tibet), an American with a Ph.D. in aerospace, here chronicles her four-year endeavor, beginning in 1994, to restore a monastery in a remote part of Tibet. Divided into five sections, each devoted to a specific "mission," the book centers mainly on the author's maneuvering with the not always cooperative Chinese bureaucracy. Logan also chronicles her journey across some of the most isolated parts of eastern Tibet and gives detailed explanations of Tibetan beliefs according to the murals of the building. Appendixes supply a wealth of additional information on conservation techniques, toponyms, Buddhism, and more. What sets this book apart from most Western writing on the plight of Tibet is that it demonstrates what can be accomplished to preserve and, more important, nurture what remains of the traditional culture. Recommended for larger public and academic libraries supporting interests in Tibet and specializing in conservation of the arts. Harold M. Otness, formerly with Southern Oregon Univ. Lib., Ashland
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
