Rating: 
Summary: Riveting and realistic
Review: A must read to truly understand the complex story of Tibet, although it may disuade you from ever going there. This is the story of the destruction of Tibet, told through a narrative of political history and a few well-chosen personal stories. Internal squabbling contributed to the Tibetan's own downfall, but in the end this small underdeveloped nation could not have withstood the Chinese without significant support from the rest of the world, and that support was shamefully lacking in the 50's. The destruction that followed was unbelievable. I've always thought it would be fascinating to go there, but I now realize that the treasures of Tibet are probably now in China or in the hands of private collectors after the Chinese sold them off, and what's left is part of a carefully constructed show for tourists. I agree with the reviewer who says that Tibetan independence seems a long shot at this point, but the world should keep the pressure on until the Tibetans gain some measure of cultural and religious freedom. My only criticism of this book is that it ends in the mid-80's, and the newer edition that came out in the late 90's contains a rather feeble attempt to update the story through a chronology. Interesting though is the interview with the Dalai Lama.
Rating:
Summary: Riveting and realistic
Review: A must read to truly understand the complex story of Tibet, although it may disuade you from ever going there. This is the story of the destruction of Tibet, told through a narrative of political history and a few well-chosen personal stories. Internal squabbling contributed to the Tibetan's own downfall, but in the end this small underdeveloped nation could not have withstood the Chinese without significant support from the rest of the world, and that support was shamefully lacking in the 50's. The destruction that followed was unbelievable. I've always thought it would be fascinating to go there, but I now realize that the treasures of Tibet are probably now in China or in the hands of private collectors after the Chinese sold them off, and what's left is part of a carefully constructed show for tourists. I agree with the reviewer who says that Tibetan independence seems a long shot at this point, but the world should keep the pressure on until the Tibetans gain some measure of cultural and religious freedom. My only criticism of this book is that it ends in the mid-80's, and the newer edition that came out in the late 90's contains a rather feeble attempt to update the story through a chronology. Interesting though is the interview with the Dalai Lama.
Rating: 
Summary: Truth
Review: Books Like "In Exile from the Lands of Snows and Movies like "Seven Years in Tibet" and "Kundun" destroy the myth of Shangri-La while portraying Tibet as real through participation in the production and giving advice on the historical accuracy of both movies and book giving Tibet complexity. The myth of Shangri-La as laid out by James Hilton in "Lost Horizon", as far as the West is concerned, is as real as any Homeric myth can be. Westerners, mired in the irony of losing a fantasy, do not have to deal with real flesh and blood issues. Deconstructing by examining the power relations lifts the veil of fantasy and offers a more authentic discourse. Read this book with an open mind and be ready to discard old notions of myth, fantasy and construction. A resounding 5 stars!
Miguel Llora
Rating:
Summary: The Time for Dreaming is Ended
Review: If you have had any Shangri-La type illusions about Tibet, this book will soon blow them away. Not that that is a bad thing, but just be warned. This book will open your eyes, make you laugh, weep, clench your fists and probably curse before you're done, but it will not leave you unchanged, either in your opinion of Tibet, the Dalai Lama, and especially of China.This is a very balanced account from the Tibetan perspective of the period roughly from the end of WWII until 1990. In addition to an unvarnished account of Tibetan bravery, desire to retain their homeland at all costs and credulity, and unlimited Chinese brutality and treachery, there is a great deal of social insight woven in. This is not a "feel-good" story to garner sympathy for the Tibetans, this is a tell-it-like-is book whose message is so daunting that I'm not sure most of the world, much less the Tibetans themselves are ready to face much of it. This is not a book so much about religion, although you cannot write about Tibet without writing about Buddhism, as about world politics thundering down on a small, isolated nation. It is about the bravery and resourcefulness of the Tibetan people and the greatness of their leader. And it is about the utter shameless cupidity and determination of the Chinese to lay hold of this strategic bit of real estate and anihilate its native population. This book should serve as a powerful reminder of what the PRC is capable of and just how much their talk is worth. After reading this, I believe (and HHDL must realize) that the chances for any kind of an autonomous, much less independent, Tibetan region are slim to none, but that the facade needs to be kept up for political and morale reasons. None the less it is a bitter truth that the Chinese have done the rest of the world a favor: by driving the Tibetans out of Tibet, they have released a great force for peace and good to the rest of us in the form of Tibetan Buddhism and the presence of HHDL. I do highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Not easy to take
Review: If your serious about learning about Tibet and the Chinese take- over read this book.Some of the more explicit chapters made me really angry and kept me questioning "How can humans treat each other this way"?
Rating:
Summary: Not easy to take
Review: If your serious about learning about Tibet and the Chinese take- over read this book.Some of the more explicit chapters made me really angry and kept me questioning "How can humans treat each other this way"?
Rating:
Summary: A tragedy easily confirmed
Review: This book tells the sad history of Tibet under chinese rule through personal histories. This is not a difficult story to confirm. "Tears of Blood" by Mary Craig, "Whispered Prayers" by Steven Harrison and regular international media tell the same story of an opressive Chinese government. Read this and visit the official website of the Tibetan government in exile www.tibet.com or chick out www.tibetanphotoproject.com for a beginners introduction to Tibet. This story is relevant as we make decisions that will make China richer, or rather make a select few leaders richer and more powerful. If you truly want to understand the nature of what it means to deal with the Government of China read any of the above books and this one or go ask a Tibetan what it means to do business with the government of China? Genocide, torture, forced abortion and sterilization...This is an important book towards understanding the nature of the Government of China and what it means to do business with it.
Rating:
Summary: A tragedy easily confirmed
Review: This book tells the sad history of Tibet under chinese rule through personal histories. This is not a difficult story to confirm. "Tears of Blood" by Mary Craig, "Whispered Prayers" by Steven Harrison and regular international media tell the same story of an opressive Chinese government. Read this and visit the official website of the Tibetan government in exile www.tibet.com or chick out www.tibetanphotoproject.com for a beginners introduction to Tibet. This story is relevant as we make decisions that will make China richer, or rather make a select few leaders richer and more powerful. If you truly want to understand the nature of what it means to deal with the Government of China read any of the above books and this one or go ask a Tibetan what it means to do business with the government of China? Genocide, torture, forced abortion and sterilization...This is an important book towards understanding the nature of the Government of China and what it means to do business with it.
Rating:
Summary: A moving account of a tragic story
Review: This book, is among the very best accounts of the terrible tragedy that has been Tibet for nearly 50 years. Fascinating reading for anyone interested in Tibet. I have read this book twice and look forward to reading it again. Cynics may try to put a pleasant face China's occupation of Tibet, but this book tells it straight. Read it, you won't be sorry.
Rating:
Summary: A moving account of a tragic story
Review: This is a very well written and moving account of one of the most tragic stories in modern history, the brutal suppression of the religion and culture of Tibet. While it's true that the Cultural Revolution brought suffering throughout all of China, Tibet bore the brunt of the destruction due to the devotion of the Tibetan people to their Buddhist religion and traditions. Of the more than 5,000 Buddhist monasteries in Tibet prior to the Chinese invasion and occupation in 1950, fewer than 20 remain intact today. Most were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, and while the Chinese government has recently allowed a few to be reconstructed for the sake of tourist revenues, the heavy-handed suppression of the Buddhist religion continues to this day --- punctuated by periodic "re-education" campaigns in the few remaining monasteries. The Communist party line insists that the Tibetans needed Chinese "help" to emerge into the modern world, but the only real beneficiaries of whatever economic "progress" they've brought to Tibet have been the millions of ethnic Han Chinese who've been induced to migrate to Tibet during the occupation. For anyone interested in the plight of Tibet, "Exile From the Land of the Snows" is essential reading.
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