Pioneer in Tibet: The Life and Perils of Dr. Albert Shelton [Hardcover]

Douglas Wissing (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 18, 2004

Dr. Albert Shelton was a medical missionary and explorer who spent nearly twenty years in the Tibetan borderlands at the start of the last century. During the Great Game era, the Sheltons' sprawling station in Kham was the most remote and dangerous mission on earth. Raising his family in a land of banditry and civil war, caught between a weak Chinese government and the British Raj, Shelton proved to be a resourceful frontiersman. One of the West's first interpreters of Tibetan culture, during the course of his work in Tibet, he was praised by the Western press as a family man, revered doctor, respected diplomat, and fearless adventurer. To the American public, Dr. Albert Shelton was Daniel Boone, Wyatt Earp, and the apostle Paul on a new frontier. Driven by his goal of setting up a medical mission within Lhasa, the seat of the Dalai Lama and a city off-limits to Westerners for hundreds of years, Shelton acted as a valued go-between for the Tibetans and Chinese. Recognizing his work, the Dalai Lama issued Shelton an invitation to Lhasa. Tragically, while finalizing his entry, Shelton was shot to death on a remote mountain trail in the Himalayas. Set against the exciting history of early twentieth century Tibet and China, Pioneer in Tibet offers a window into the life of a dying breed of adventurer.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This excellent volume is well researched...Its descriptions of life both in Kansas and in China-Tibet are superb."--Stone-Campbell Journal "Pioneer in Tibet is a fascinating and well-written account of pioneer days in that remote land's emergence into Western history. including the violent and chaotic period when European powers first challenged Chinese control in the imperial machinations and blunders of the 'Great Game.'"-- Peter Matthiessen, author of National Book Award winner, The Snow Leopard

"A thrilling true adventure story of courage and mystery against the tumultuous backdrop of Tibetan history. One is fascinated and enriched by this beautifully written book that reveals much about the American hero and the mysteries of Tibet. This fascinating tale lingers long after the last chapter is concluded."-- Mabel Cabot, author of Vanished Kingdoms: A Woman Explorer in Tibet, China, and Mongolia 1921-1925

"Beautifully written, Pioneer in Tibet, is a compelling exploration of the gutsy rhythms, the pioneering spirit that is at once particularly American and universal in its ability to awaken the spirit, that longing for exploration and discovery."-- George Crane, author of Bones of the Master: A Journey to Secret Mongolia

"A remarkable story about a remarkable man. Not only did Albert Shelton bring medical care to a bandit-infested area of Tibet and introduce treasures form Tibetan life to Americans, but he also ranks high among that forgotten and misundertood breed of pioneering missionaries, erudite and open to the culture around them, who made inhospitable places home and gave their lives to the people they served." -- Barbara Crosette, author of So Close to Heaven:The Vanishing Buddhists Kingdoms of the Himalayas

"Pioneer in Tibet is not really about a man, but about a fascinating place and era: Kham at the turn of the 20th century. Doug Wissing has combed hundreds of rare sources to assemble this impressively detailed and stringently objective account. Compared to Wissing's book, I know of no Tibetan histories that bring to the reader so much fresh information. It is a must-read for historians, activists, and travelers who want to better understand this embattled and captivating part of the Tibetan plateau."-- Pamela Logan, author of Among Warriors: A Woman Martial Artist in Tibet and president of the Kham Aid Foundation

20"Dr. Albert Shelton was the twentieth-century's David Livingston. Douglas Wissing's portrayal of this Disciples of Christ missionary is no hagiography. Shelton is presented in his human complexity as a healer, diplomat, collector and dealer in Tibetan artifacts, interpreter of Tibetan culture to Americans, as well as a courageous servant of God. In Wissing's words, Shelton possessed an "adventurer heart and missionary soul" as his life's journey took him from the frontier border of Kansas to the frontier border of Tibet. Shelton's biographical portrait is well positioned in Wissing's detailed descriptions of the machinations of the China-Tibet conflicts of the early twentieth century." -- Peter M. Morgan President, Disciples of Christ Historical Society, Nashville, Tennessee

"...[Wissing's] insights on American missionary life and Shelton's daring make for a lively narrative."

Book Description

Dr. Albert Shelton was a medical missionary who spent nearly twenty years in the Tibetan borderlands at the start of the last century. Raising his family in a land of banditry and civil war, caught between a weak Chinese government and the British Raj, Shelton proved to be a resourceful frontiersman. During the course of his work in Tibet, he was praised by the Western press as a family man, revered doctor, respected diplomat, and fearless adventurer. Driven by his goal of setting up a medical mission within Lhasa, the seat of the Dalai Lama and a city off-limits to Westerners for hundreds of years, Shelton acted as a valued go-between for the Tibetans and Chinese. Tragically, while finalizing his entry into Lhasa, Shelton was shot to death on a remote mountain trail in the Himalayas. Set against the exciting history of early twentieth century Tibet and China, Pioneer in Tibet offers a window into the life of a dying breed of adventurer.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (March 18, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1403963282
• ISBN-13: 978-1403963284
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,266,703 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Bio of an Adventurer in Tibet, July 12, 2007

By 

Smallchief - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Pioneer in Tibet: The Life and Perils of Dr. Albert Shelton (Hardcover)

The author says it best. "Shelton was a complex creature, a man who craved both adventure and social esteem, a doctor who practice medicine intermittently, a missionary who seldom preached, a devout family man who endangered himself and his family in a perilous post" (page 214)

Wissing has written a fine biography of Albert Shelton, a frontiersman from Kansas and the founder of the first missionary station in Batang, Tibet in 1908. The borderlands between Tibet and China in those days were a battleground and Shelton entered into the fray as a missionary, hunter, collector and seller of Tibetan antiquities, interpreter, and advisor to Tibetan rebels. He became famous in America, especially after being held captive by Chinese bandits for more than a month.

The author covers the complex politics of both the Tibetan marches and the missionary establishment. Shelton is not altogether an admirable character; he seems more interested in constant exploration and collecting art treasures than he does in spreading the Gospel, and he obviously basks in his fame. His dream was to be the first Protestant missionary in Lhasa and he was on the road to achieving that when he met his dramatic end in 1922, an end that befitted the character of the man.

If you're interested in Tibet, missionaries, and China this is an excellent book to read. Shelton could be a prototype for a somewhat more pious version of Indiana Jones.

Smallchief

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Potential for a good book, just potential though, April 26, 2006

By 

Achilles (Olympia, Wa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pioneer in Tibet: The Life and Perils of Dr. Albert Shelton (Hardcover)

Wissing accomplished the task of flattening the Himalayas with his two dimensional portrayal of the Sheltons, the Chinese, the Tibetans, and the continent of Asia. He glossed over the Unequal Treaties, Opium War, or any other conflicts with the West that would cast doubt on the altruistic motives of the missionaries and ruin his "feel good" story. The book lacked any perspective to place the Sheltons in, and thereby deprived a lot of their work of meaning. I was left with no clue that they rode out a two revolutions, that Dr. Shelton was a great diplomat, or even how high up Tibet is, other than an occasional sideways reference. There was a lot of potential for a very good and interesting book about Dr. Shelton, but either by accident or intent it was left with the substance of a "Chicken Soup" book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story of a pioneer missionary, January 18, 2012

By 

Clinton J. Holloway "Clinton J. Holloway" (Nashville, Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pioneer in Tibet: The Life and Perils of Dr. Albert Shelton (Hardcover)

The story of Albert Shelton, a Disciples of Christ Missionary in China/Tibet, is an inspiring tale of one who truly gave himself for the people God called him to serve. Shelton was a pioneering doctor who went to a remote area and in so doing changed the world that came after him. Good read. Doug Wissing is a versatile and engaging writing.