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Tibetan
Travel Classics
from Pilgrims Publishing, Varanasi,
India and Pilgrims Book House, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Among the Tibetans
by Isabella Bird Bishop
In the late 1800s when most women were expected to stay at
home and abide by strict Victorian standards, a small group of
amazing women struck out for an adventurous life of travel in
distant places.
Some of these women travelled to that ultimate in mysterious,
remote destinations: Tibet. There was Nina Mazuchelli, Annie
Taylor, Fanny Bullock Workman and Alexandra David-Neel (whose
book, Tibetan Journey, is available through Pilgrims Book
House).
And there was Isabella Bird Bishop, who was almost 60 years old
when she went to Tibet. A near-invalid when back home, she thrived
on her adventurous life. This book is the record of her great
Tibetan adventure.
Paperback. 159 pages. B&W drawings.
Weight: 150 g (5.3 oz).
Item No: 81-7624-059-1.
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A Conquest of Tibet
by Sven Hedin
Sven Hedin, adventurer, in the unknown land of Tibet: among Mongols
and robbers, in disguise towards Lhasa; prisoner of Kamba Bombo;
in the home of the nomads; in mysterious monasteries ... Non-stop
excitement in an exotic locale.
"Fascinating tale of adventure, discovery and hairbreadth
escapes" - New York Times.
"Exquisite imagery" - Christian Science Monitor.
"The most accessible of [Hedin's] works today" - John
Whelpton, Tibet (Clio Press)
Hardback. 400 pages. Line drawings.
Weight: 800 g (28 oz).
Item No: 81-7303-016-2.
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A Journey to Lhasa and Central Tibet
by Sarat Chandra Das
The author, a famous Bengali pandit (scholar) and explorer, tells
the tale of his undercover journey from Darjeeling to Shigatse
and Lhasa, returning through northeastern Nepal, in 188182.
"Faced with Tibetan opposition to European travel in Tibet,
the British authorities in India in the late 19th century hit
upon the idea of using Indian spies to survey and map the country.
Although some of the men chosen turned out to be unsatisfactory,
many of the Indian pandits' expeditions turned out to be very
successful and their observations and measurements (recorded
clandestinely and smuggled back into India) were later shown
to be surprisingly accurate considering the circumstances in
which they were taken. Sarat Chandra Das was the most famous
and the most successful of the pandits, and this book records
his journey into Tibet in 188182." - John Pinfold,
Tibet (Clio Press)
Paperback. 235 pages.
Weight: 295 g (10.3 oz).
Item No: 81-7303-084-7.
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Kailash Mansarovar: Diary of a Pilgrim
by Nilesh D Nathwani
This profusely illustrated travelogue is is the gripping story
of a Hindu pilgrims's trek to the sacred Mount Kailash and the
holy Lake Mansarovar in Tibet.
This book takes us on a journey to the wild, seldom travelled
northern route visiting the remote cities, towns and monasteries
of Tibet. It is an engrossing, touching and remarkable account
of picturesque travel in a landscape full of majestic mountains,
turquoise lakes and the virgin rivers of Tibet.
This book is also the tale of a group of pilgrims who aspire
to see gods living in the wilderness of the remote Tibetan holy
land. It captures the fancies and fears, adventures and aspirations,
expectations and disillusions, escape and retreats experienced
by the adventurous pilgrimage team.
Paperback. 99 pages. Maps. Bibliography.
Weight: 350 g (12.3 oz).
Item No: 81-7822-0444-X.
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The Land of the Lamas: Notes of a Journey through China,
Mongolia, and Tibet
by William Woodville Rockhill
This is the tale of a long and arduous journey through the wild
backlands of China, Mongolia and Tibet in the years 1888-89.
Rockhill was an American diplomat in China who was fluent
in Chinese and Tibetan. In 1888 he set out on an attempt to reach
the attempt to reach the forbidden capital of Lhasa. He chose
to enter Tibet via the remote northeast which in his opinion
offered the best chance of travelling undetected.
He travelled from Peking (Beijing) to Lanchow by cart and
thence by pony to the Koko Nor region of Tibet via Hsi Ning (Xining).
He visited the great monastery of Kumbum. After repeated warnings
against visiting Lhasa, he decided to head instead into the equally
unknown areas of southeasten Tibet, passing through Drechu and
Ta-Chien-Lu.
This book is Rockhill's day-to-day trip diary and a scholarly
account of this fascinating journey. It includes much detailed
historical, geographical and ethnographic information. The numerous
drawings of coins, jewellery, riding boots, writing implements,
prayer wheels, rosary beads and other everyday objects will interest
many readers.
'A wealth of valuable material on Tibet and its people' -- Peter
Hopkirk, Trespassers on the Roof of the World
'Rockhill's fame rests on his diplomatic career, but he was first
and always a dedicated, pioneering, and prolific Orientalist.
Whether he was uncovering and translating ancient Chinese and
Tibetan classics or exploring remote parts of China and Tibet
between 1888 and 1892, with amazing indifference to his personal
safety, Rockhill was driven by the late nineteenth-century search
for "objective," scientific truth and the love of knowledge
for its own sake. Rockhill was one of a handful of Westerners
to penetrate Tibet and Mongolia, and in 1908 he was honored by
having several long conversations with the Dalai Lama, who sought
the American's advice on his delicate relationship with the Manchu
Court and Tibet's future. Over a period of thirty years Rockhill
produced dozens of significant books, articles, and papers that
vividly depicted the physical landscape and sought to understand
Asian societies.' -- American National Biography (Vol.
18)
Paperback. 399 pages. 64 B&W drawings. 2 double-page maps.
Supplementary notes and tables.
Weight: 550 g (19.3 oz).
Item No: 81-7769-004-3
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Lhasa: An Account of the Country and People
of Central Tibet and of the Progress of the Mission sent there
by the English Government in 1903-4 (Vols. 1 & 2)
by Perceval Landon. Introductory Note by F E Younghusband.
This remarkable and profusely-illustrated work gives a
unique portrait of the people and culture of Tibet as they were
in 1903-04 at the end of a period where Tibet had been secluded
from foreigners and foreign influences for some centuries.
Tibet had just been opened to the outside world by a British
military expedition led by the last great proponent of the 'Great
Game' between Britain and Russia, Col. Francis Younghusband.
This work, written by the correspondent for the London Times
newspaper, is the official record of the military campaign. But
more than that, it also gives a view of Tibet as it was just
after the "first contact" -- the land, people, art,
religion, government, history and way of life of this isolated
land.
Click
here to see the front cover.
Hardback. 2 volumes. vii + 414; ix + 426 pages.
Profusely illustrated with B/W photographs. Fold-out map.
Weight: 1400 grams (49 oz.).
Item No: 8177690574 (set).
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Lhasa, the Holy City
by F Spencer Chapman. Introduction by Sir Charles Bell.
This is a beautiful firsthand account of Tibet and its people
and culture as they were before the Chinese takeover.
The author was with the official British Government mission to
Lhasa in 1936-37. He describes the preparations; the journey
to Phari, Gyantse and Lhasa; and exchanges of visits with Lhasa
officials. After giving an historical interlude, he describes
the city of Lhasa, the Potala, the Norbhu Lingka, monasteries,
festivals and processions, and recounts the mission's life in
Lhasa, recreation, the Christmas holiday interlude and the Tibetan
New Year. A detailed botanical index is included on the numerous
plants collected.
Sir Charles Bell, the foremost British expert on Tibet of the
early 20th century, has written the book's informative introduction.
The author was a British schoolmaster and an adventurous traveller
and mountaineer.
"Profusely illustrated" -- John Pinfold, Tibet
(Clio Press)
"Wonderful photographs" -- Sir Charles Bell
Hardback. 342 pages. Dustjacket. Numerous B&W photographs.
Appendix.
Weight: 690 g (24.2 oz).
Item No: N000004883.
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Mount Kailash and the Wonder Lake
by P C Bodh
In a far corner of western Tibet rises the awe-inspiring snowy
peak of Mount Kailash. To Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims this is
Tibet's sacred mountain. It is the "throne of the gods"
where this world and the eternal unite and where every aspect
of the landscape has a divine nature.
For thousands of years pilgrims have come here to pay homage.
They chant mantras, spin prayer wheels, worship at shrines and
perform the ancient ritual of circumambulation (walking around
the mountain).
This book is the record of the author's own pilgrimage to Mt
Kailash and of his feelings and fantasies as he traverses the
barren wastelands of the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau en
route for Kailash. He depicts his fellow pilgrims and others
met along the way. Using poetry and photographs, he interweaves
his own story with the age-legends associated with this holy
haven above the clouds.
"A job well done" -- Kapila Vatsyayan, Director, Indira
Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi
Hardback. 164 pages. Colour photographs.
Weight: 500 g (17.5 oz).
Item No: N000024251.
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Paperback. 164 pages. Colour photographs.
Weight: 280 g (9.8 oz).
Item No: 81-7303-260-2.
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Narratives of the Mission of George Bogle
to Tibet and of the Journey of Thomas Manning to Lhasa
Edited by Clements R Markem
Here are two books in one that both give interesting glimpses
of Tibet as seen by the British. The first concerns George Bogle
who was sent as an envoy to Tibet by Warren Hastings in 1774
with a view to establishing relations between British India and
Tibet. He formed a warm friendship with the third Panchen Lama
and was the first Englishman to visit Tibet. The second book
concerns the solitary and eccentric Thomas Manning who, out of
intellectual curiosity, visited Lhasa in 1811 the first
British visitor to that capital and saw the Dalai Lama.
"Valuable materials... fascinating..." - John Whelpton,
Nepal (Clio Press)
To learn more about Thomas Manning
and see his photo, click here
Hardback. 362 pages. B&W illustrations. B&W foldout maps,
letters.
Weight: 745 g (26.1 oz).
Item No: N000004289.
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The Opening of Tibet
by Perceval Landon
Having remained closed to foreigners for centuries, Tibet was
finally "opened" to the outside world by British military
incursion led by Colonel Younghusband in 1903-4. This is the
official record of the opening written by Landon, journalist
with The Times newspaper, with the assistance of other
members of the military mission.
The superb book is a remarkable and detailed record of central
Tibet -- and its people, art and customs -- as they were at that
period.
Hardcover. 484 pages. B&W illustrations.
Weight: 930 g (32.6 oz).
Item No: 8185326266.
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Peaks and Lamas
by Marco Pallis
A classic reprint of a spiritual journey through the Himalayas
of then British India and Tibet in the 1930s. Along the course
of this in-depth journey, the author discovers the Lama - the
guide whose hand sustains the climber as he strives to reach
the summit of enlightenment - and this finally leads to his realisation
of the Lama as the Universal Teacher.
Hardback. 276 pages. B&W photos & folded maps.
Weight: 980 g (34.3 oz).
Item No: 81-7303-013-8.
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Secret Tibet
by Fosco Maraini
Fosco Maraini travelled Tibet as a wanderer in the late 1940s.
He talked to people of all backgrounds and classes. His book
is very graphic, making us feel that we were there with him in
old Tibet. A critic wrote to Maraini: "I have been drenched
to the skin [with you], frozen stiff, disgusted with smells,
nauseated with food, have been dropping with fatigue, refreshed
with the ozone-laden morning air and gladdened by the warmth
of a summer day. ... I was there when you talked to Tibetans,
lay and ecclesiastical, mystics, scholars, theologians, minstrels,
shopkeepers, beggars, artisans and artists, proletarian priests
and monks, peasants and shepherds. Like you after getting used
to their gorgeous raiment, their dirt, their rags, their bad
smell, I encountered fellow men singularly like ourselves."
"Magnificent photographs" - New York Times
"This is a good book for getting the 'feel' of the old
Tibet. ... especially strong on customs and folk stories."
- John Whelpton, Tibet (Clio Press)
Hardback. 251 pages. B&W photographs.
Weight: 700 g (24.5 oz).
Item No: 81-7303-015-4.
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Secrets of Tibet, being the Chronicle of the Tucci Scientific
Expedition to Western Tibet (1933)
by Giuseppe Tucci & E. Ghersi
An account of Tsaparang, the ancient capital of the Kings
of Guge.
"Giuseppe Tucci is one of the leading scholars of Tibet
and this daily diary of one of his early expeditions to the western
part of Tibet is as meticulous and readable as one would expect."
-- John Pinfold, Tibet (World Bibliographical Series)
(ABC/Clio Press)
Hardcover. 210 pages. B&W illustrations. Index.
Weight: 640 g (22.4 oz).
Item No: N000004865.
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Three Years in Tibet
by Kawaguchi Ekai
A classic reprint of a Japanese Buddhist monk's spiritual odyssey,
recounting his journey to Tibet from Japan in 1897. In his quest
to study Tibetan Buddhism and language, Kawaguchi travelled in
disguise through large parts of Tibet. This expedition was made
much in advance of the famaous travels of Sven Hedin and other
Westerners, whose main aim was more to be explorer-travellers.
In contrast Kawaguchi was motivated by the scholarly aspirations
of a researcher looking to study holy texts, Sanskrit manuscripts
and life in monasteries.
The exciting records of his travels are much different from
the writings of Western travellers. Kawaguchi describes the Tibetan
land from the point of view of an Asian intimately acquainted
with the manners, customs and life of its inhabitants. Here is
a spellbinding account of 2,499 miles covered over a period of
three years, shedding light on little known aspects of the world
of snow, rivers and sandstorms as well as Tibetan mandalas, monasteries,
metropolises, bodhisattavas, medicine, trade, currency, amusements
and festivals.
"Kawaguchi was a Japanese Buddhist monk who reached Lhasa,
disguised as a Chinese doctor, in 1901. He remained in Tibet
until June 1902 and his book contains an important account of
Lhasa under the 13th Dalai Lama, with whom he had several audiences.
The picture he draws is largely unfavourable: he was shocked
by the decadence of many of the monks, the cruelty of Tibetan
punishments, the sexual infidelities of Tibetan women and the
general squalor of the city. Even if he was not, as has been
asserted, a professional spy, his account of Russian intrigues
may have alarmed the British authorities and helped pave the
way towards the Younghusband Expedition." - John Whelpton,
Tibet (Clio Press)
Hardback. 719 pages.
Weight: 1030 g (36.1 oz).
Item No: N000005039.
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Paperback. 719 pages.
Weight: 920 g (32.2 oz).
Item No: 81-7303-036-7.
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Tibetan Journey
by Alexandra David-Neel
In 1923 Alexandra David-Neel crossed mysterious Tibet, travelling
incognito under the guise of a lamaist nun of rank. This book
is the absorbing account of her long and hazardous journey and
reveals the penetrating insight and courage of a woman who surmounted
physical, intellectual and social barriers to pursue her quest.
Her accounts of Tibetan religious ceremonies and beliefs are
among the fullest and best ever written.
"Brilliant feat" - New York Times
"A lifelong student of Buddhism, Alexandra David-Neel outwitted
officials (both Tibetan and British) and bandits to become the
first European woman to enter Lhasa in 1923. She travelled on
foot disguised as a pilgrim and lived in Lhasa undetected for
two months. Her infectious enthusiasm for all things Tibetan
comes over strongly in [her accounts] of her travels and adventures,
whilst the hardships she describes appear to have done her no
harm since she lived on till 1969, dying at the age of 100."
- John Whelpton, Tibet (Clio Press)
Hardback. 276 pages. B&W plates & foldout map.
Weight: 560 g (19.6 oz).
Item No: 81-7303-004-9.
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To Lhasa in Disguise: A Secret Expedition through Mysterious
Tibet
by William Montgomery McGovern
"For many years Tibet has been the mysterious unknown country,
and Lhasa, its capital, has been the Forbidden City of the Buddhas,
into which entrance by many adventurous explorers has been sought
in vain." The author, a bold anthropologist, in the early
1920s at first failed and at last succeeded, by dint of disguising
himself as a Tibetan coolie, in reaching Lhasa, in observing
the Tibetan way of life at close hand and in securing numerous
priceless Tibetan manuscripts.
"Piques our curiosity and romantic longing" - Literary
Review
"Shrewd observations on Tibetan affairs" - The
Times
"Despite the opening up of Tibet effected by the Younghusband
Expedition, travel for the individual to Tibet remained fraught
with difficulties in the inter-war period as Montgomery McGovern's
experiences show. To reach Lhasa he disguised himself as a Tibetan
coolie and succeeded in reaching the Tibetan capital undetected.
Once there, however, he revealed his true identity, sparking
off a popular riot against him; the Tibetan government thereupon
declared him a prisoner of state and escorted him out of the
country. Although his contention that Tibet's policy of modernisation
could be compared to that of Japan reads rather oddly now, his
book provides a vivid picture of Tibet in the early 1920s under
the forceful, reformist rule of the 13th Dalai Lama." -
John Whelpton, Tibet (Clio Press)
Hardback. 462 pages. B&W plates and maps.
Weight: 735 g (25.7 oz).
Item No: 81-7303-001-4.
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Trans-Himalaya: Discoveries and Adventures in Tibet
Sven Hedin
In this 3 volume set, Hedin, the "last great explorer of
Tibet on a grand scale", describes his journey of 1906-08,
in which he traversed the region lying between Shigatse and Leh
and to the north of the Brahmaputra. Travelling with 37 porters,
he defied death and lived high adventure -- down rushing rivers,
though deep snows, across dry deserts, weathering week-long storms
and sub-zero temperatures.
Trans Himalaya is a massive and fantastic record of one
of Hedin's most amazing journeys thoroughly documenting an area
not previously mapped or explored by a Western explorer.
Hardcover. 3 volumes. 1,345 pages. Numerous B&W illustrations.
Index.
New Delhi, AES Publishers, 1999.
Weight: 4000 g (140 oz).
Item No: N000004779.
Price (for set of 3 volumes): $US82.50. .
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Travel and Adventure in Tibet, including the Diary of Miss
Annie R. Taylor's Journey from Tau-Chau to Ta-Chien-Lu through
the Heart of the Forbidden Land
by William Carey
Annie Taylor (born 1855) was the first European woman ever
to enter Tibet. She was a missionary who went to China in 1884
in the belief that she was destined to bring the Christian message
to the forbidden land of Tibet. She devoted her spare time during
her first seven years in China learning Tibetan language and
customs.
In 1892 she finally left for Tibet with a Chinese, Noga, and
his wife. The trip was terrible. An icy winter was approaching.
Bandits lurked on all sides. Her food began to run out, her horse
died and she lost her servants. Yet Annie almost made it to Lhasa,
being turned back just three days' march from the capital when
Noga betrayed her to Tibetan officials.
This book presents the diary which Annie Taylor left about
her remarkable journey.
Hardcover. 285 pages. B&W illustrations. Bibliography; index.
Item No: N000004692.
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Travels of a Consular Officer in Eastern Tibet, together
with a History of the Relations between China, Tibet and India
by Eric Teichman
Should the vast Tibetan plateau be part of China? Should Tibetans,
with their distinct religious and cultural identity, be Independent
of China? Are the Chinese correct in believing that historically
Tibet has always been part of China?
These questions sound modern but they were debated at length
much earlier -- such as in this important book on the Tibetan
life and politics around 1918-19 when the author, a British diplomat
and adventurer, travelled and worked in the region
Paperback. 248 pages. B&W photographs.
Weight: 515 g (18 oz).
Item No: 81-7769-054-X.
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