‘Mixes a compelling subject, magnificent prose and deep understanding’

THE TIMES

Tibet has long fascinated the West, but what really lies beyond our romantic image of a mystical mountain kingdom of peace and spirituality? Patrick French set out to discover the truth, and his extraordinary account has been acclaimed as the book that showed the real Tibet for the first time.

Travelling through the country, French meets warrior monks, nomads and a nun secretly fighting Chinese rule, but also young Tibetans with a more pragmatic attitude to their situation. Interweaving these encounters with little-known stories of war and turmoil from Tibet’s past, he reveals a more nuanced, fascinating and surprising picture of this complex place than any other book has done.

‘Inspired and heartfelt

… shows that Tibet was never the peace-loving paradise so many generations of well-wishers have longed for it to be’

PICO IYER, LOS ANGELES TIMES

‘Tibet, Tibet, so good they named it twice

… French is a writer of generous talents’

SUNDAY TIMES

‘French has produced something very different from what he calls 'Tibetophile’ literature, something greatly superior in its honesty and lack of false sentiment’

SPECTATOR

‘A gripping mix of history, travel writing and personal memoir … vividly told’

OBSERVER