In Exile from the Land of Snows: The Dalai Lama and Tibet Since the Chinese Conquest [Paperback]

John F. Avedon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1994

Now considered a classic, this is an eloquent and compellingly told account of the Dalai Lama's exile from Tibet after its conquest by China.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The most significant nonfiction book of the season. What Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn did for the Soviet Union, John F. Avedon does for Tibet." -- -- Los Angeles Times

"No cultural and political saga of our time is more terrible, compelling and inspiring. Avedon has thoroughly searched it out and presented it colorfully and with moral force." -- -- Boston Globe

About the Author

John F. Avedon was born in New York and educated at Sarah Lawrence College. He has written for the overseas edition of Newsweek, and his articles have appeared in GEO, Rolling Stone, the New York Times Magazine, and Macleans. He lives in New York City.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Perennial (September 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060975741
• ISBN-13: 978-0060975746
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,774,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Time for Dreaming is Ended, July 9, 2001

By 

EternalSeeker (Albuquerque, NM USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: In Exile from the Land of Snows: The Definitive Account of the Dalai Lama and Tibet Since the Chinese Conquest (Paperback)

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.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for Anyone Interested in Tibet, May 25, 2000

By 

Amber58 - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Exile from the Land of Snows: The Dalai Lama and Tibet Since the Chinese Conquest (Paperback)

This is an excellent source for anyone interested in Tibet politically. It provides a picture of Tibet before, during, and after the Chinese invasion. I find it very surprising, (and disturbing)that this book is out of print, given the renewed interest in Tibet and efforts to liberate the country from Chinese occupation. What was done (and is continuing to be done) to the people of Tibet should be part of our daily conversations right now, as we are about to grant China permananet normal trade relations.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwrenchingly good, July 27, 1998

By 

Kenneth J. Delage (Biddeford, Maine United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: In Exile from the Land of Snows: The Definitive Account of the Dalai Lama and Tibet Since the Chinese Conquest (Paperback)

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.