Ladakh: Crossroads of High Asia

Rating:
Summary: A recommended introduction to Ladakh
Review: I can think of no other book which serves as a better general introduction to Ladakh. It is mostly a historical review revising Franke's turn-of-the-century work, The Kingdom of Western Tibet. However, it is of limited use as an overall historical or cultural reference for those more advanced in studying this region. It does not go into much detail and fails to be adequately comprehensive. But these drawbacks are easily forgiven if it is understood as an introductory book. Compared with Helena Norberg-Hodge's book, Ancient Futures: Learning from Ladakh - a much more popular work - Rizvi's book is a much more well-balanced, objective account, grounding Ladakh in its historical and regional context. This should be the first book to read for a serious beginner in Ladakh studies, and is accessible enough for a casual reader.

Rating:
Summary: A recommended introduction to Ladakh
Review: I can think of no other book which serves as a better general introduction to Ladakh. It is mostly a historical review revising Franke's turn-of-the-century work, The Kingdom of Western Tibet. However, it is of limited use as an overall historical or cultural reference for those more advanced in studying this region. It does not go into much detail and fails to be adequately comprehensive. But these drawbacks are easily forgiven if it is understood as an introductory book. Compared with Helena Norberg-Hodge's book, Ancient Futures: Learning from Ladakh - a much more popular work - Rizvi's book is a much more well-balanced, objective account, grounding Ladakh in its historical and regional context. This should be the first book to read for a serious beginner in Ladakh studies, and is accessible enough for a casual reader.