Imprisoned in India by the British when World war Two was declared, Austrian climber and Olympic ski champion Heinrich Harrer escaped, with his friend Peter Aufschnaiter, crossing the Himalayas to Tibet. After a series of remarkable experiences in a country never crossed before by a Westerner, Harrer reached the forbidden city of Lhasa. He stayed there for seven years, learned the language and acquired a greater understanding of Tibet and the Tibetans than any Westerner had ever before achieved. He became the friend and tutor of the young Dalai Lama and finally accompanied him into India when he was put to flight by the Red Chinese invasion. Made into a successful motion picture starring Brad Pitt, this is a stunning story of incredible courage and self-reliance set against the backdrop of a mysterious and magnificent culture.



Peter Aufschnaiter

I enjoyed this book immensely and learned from it an important lesson, one which I was already beginning to get from A Time of Gifts: every journey is not also to a specific place, but also to a specific time. It's an extraordinary record, covering the last independent years of this large, but culturally isloated, state up to the Chinese invasion. Quite different from the film it inspired, Harrer's account is factual and detailed, perhaps not as erudite as The Kon-Tiki Expedition, to which it has been compared, but very much in the same vein. Like Patrick Leigh-Fermor, he was able to capture for all of us a snapshot of a culture that was fast disappearing, and one from which we have a lot to learn:

"I listened to the news the first thing every day and often found myself shaking my head and wondering at the things which men seemed to think important. Here it is the yak's pace which dictates the tempo of life, and so it has been for thousands of years. Would Tibet be happier for being transformed? A fine motor road to India would doubtless raise the people's standard of life very greatly, but by accelerating the tempo of existence it might rob the people of their peace..."

It is telling that the Chinese, soon after annexing this country, did indeed build such roads: not to improve standards of living but to ensure their continued control of the region. Despite his factual tone, it is a very moving and engaging book, and Harrer concludes on this powerful and evocative note:

"I follow all that happens in Tibet with the deepest interest, for part of my being is indissolubly linked with that dear country. Wherever I live, I shall feel homesick for Tibet...my heartfelt wish is that this book may create some understanding for a people whose will to live in peace and freedom has won so little sympathy from an indifferent world"

Small, semi-circular shelf in the dining room, amongst the book swap books. It is a hardback with a yellow cover so should be reasonably easy to spot.

This book is an amazing story and an amazing journey, and terribly sad at the same time. This is a must read book.

CAUGHT IN FORT AUGUSTUS SCOTLAND