Someone must have taken a keen interest in Tibet, around 1956. I found this in the Green Shed along with
Seven Years in Tibet:
When the Chinese Communists broke into Tibet, George N. Patterson was engaged in missionary work there--a labor of love. He had to leave in a hurry, and, for vitally important reasons, made a dash for India. Yet, despite the urgency of his Tibetan Journey - which maintains a throb of excitement all through the book - the author succeeds in presenting a magnificent picture of a superb, secretive and little-known land, with its hair-raising perils, strange customs, and tough, quaint, "earthy" people.
It's strange to think that Tibet is now a tourist destination! This book was written when travelling to Tibet was the Real Deal--something that only the most hardy and the most adventurous would undertake. It's not a romantic account of the country (indeed, the author expresses scorn for the "Shangri-La" fantasies some people have about Tibet). It makes no bones about describing the hardship and poverty the author encountered. However--and this is
Tibetan Journey's best feature--the author never treats any of the people he meets as anything less than individuals. The book's blurb may describe the Tibetans as "quaint", the author most certainly does not!
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