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(More customer reviews)Unfortunately, the West suffers from a bumper sticker jingoist view of Tibet and the Dalai Lama. The author Stephen Talty has focused on one point in time, the 1959 flight of the Dalai Lama (and a large number of other Tibetans) to India, but to the author's credit in this highly readable tome, he has set the context in Tibetan history. This allows the author to produce a concise story that is further supplemented by maps (it would have been good, for a few more place names to be located on them), notes, a short glossary, and bibliography. Although we often hear the story of Tibet in a black and white, forces of good vs. evil, Talty has done an admirable job to show the complexity of the story and issues involved. He also describes how the West developed (and continues to foster) a highly romanticized view of Tibet based on a few early 20th century journalists and, of course, James Hilton iconic novel. Lost Horizon, The truth about Tibet is much more complicated, and Talty does not shy away from describing the bad (feudal society, deeply superstitious) with good. Another aspect of the story that few people know, is the CIA's role in assisting the Dalai Lama in his escape and their continued support for 10 years after that of the Tibetan rebels. In this book, we see the forces and situations that change the 14th Dalai Lama, from an isolated monk to the beginnings of a world leader. We also get a glimpse through numerous personal stories, the views of the individual Tibetans - aristocrats and commoners - about the world and the changes that were being thrust on them. Reading this book, will give you a nuanced view that may not answer all your questions, but will certainly help you appreciate the back stories behind the news.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Escape from the Land of Snows: The Young Dalai Lama's Harrowing Flight to Freedom and the Making of a Spiritual Hero
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