Customer Reviews

The Snow Lion and the Dragon: China, Tibet, and the Dalai Lama

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Bear in mind that my background in Chinese and Tibetan history and politics is negligible. And that the fate of the Tibetan people is being considered. That said, this seemed at least a very readable account. I assume the historical facts in this book can be cross-checked for accuracy. As to Goldstein's analysis (done before 1998) of the future, he explored possibilities for compromise that, to date, seem not to have occurred. He also expresses concern about the possibility of further violence if an adequate compromise is not reached.

When looking into the Tibetan problem, I found primarily decidedly pro-Chinese or pro-Tibetan positions. Compromise may seem unreasonable. Since Goldstein appears to be trying to find a middle position, this book may be useful for anyone trying to get a less biased view of this issue. The presentation seemed clear enough that it could serve as an introduction to this issue, although it may well also be of use to readers with a more advanced background in this area. Goldstein seems to be primarily offering input and not conclusions, so whatever your position on the Tibet issue, this book may be informative.

There is no easy solution to an issue as complicated and intricate as the "Tibetan Problem". As much as I abhor the human right abuses in Tibet (which the author does too, apparently), I agree with Prof. Goldstein that the Chinese are really those who hold the trump card. I believe that if the exile government were to accept some sort of comprimise that will actually allow them to work INSIDE Tibet, their chance of achieving a genuine autonomy and preserving the Tibetan culture will be much enhanced, at least from a long term perspective. Important as the much publicized demographical change in Tibet is, one cannot neglect the elements of materialism that is continuously being brought into Tibet. As a friend of mine from China pointed out half mockingly, all that the communists have to do is to build more entertainment establishments to promote indulgence of sense pleasure among the younger generation. That in itself will be a huge blow to the preservation of a genuine Tibetan culture. Thirty years from now, if the exiled are still in exile, the situation will be grim. Time will be running out on a peaceful solution -- China will be substantially stronger, the nationalistic pride of an average Chinese will be stronger, the frustation of the Tibetans who support arm struggle will no more be contendable, and the Dalai Lama will probably no longer be there to represent a voice of peaceful struggle which will anyway have its credential debunked by then. As Prof. Goldstein pointed out, many opportunities for continuous negotiation had been squandered by misjudgement and misperception on both sides, I pray that when the door of negotiation is reopened, more subtantial results will be made.

I have to take issue with a previous review. The reviewer questions first whether it is a genuine historical study, and second suggests the work has racist notions. To the first question, Goldstein cites historians (including, yes, E.Sperling) who are trained in both Tibetan and Chinese source material. Second, the reviewers claim that treating the Qing and Yuan Dynasties as different (than, say, the Ming) is racist, commenting, "Are America [sic] with black/native American/and [sic] Hispanic president [sic] and congress [a] legitimate American government?" This ignores of course the fact that the United States is a democracy while Qing and Yuan China were Chinas ruled by alien conquerors. Perhaps a small difference? Both the PRC and the Republic of China (Taiwan) claim the political boundries of the Qing State (except the PRC recognizes the Republic of Mongolia while the Republic of China does not); so we ask, is this a legitimate claim? Goldstein is interested in the claims of both the Tibetan Government in Exile and the PRC for Tibet, and he has written an excellent introduction.

The last review has completely misunderstood the book, and I think I need to point this out so future readers won't continue to misread it. The reviewer from Santa Fe has three arguemnts: 1) He says that Goldstein argues that because Tibet has been part of China it's a good reason to remain so, and that this is nonsense, 2) the reviewer states that 'Chinese sovereignty in the age of horses is one thing, in the age of the airplane and the TV another, and, 3) The reviewer argues that Goldstein glosses the 'cultural genocide'.

First, Goldstein never advocates the PRC's view that China should control Tibet. How the reader arrived at this conclusion doesn't surprise me. Anytime I have tried to explain the Chinese position people have confused it with mine (which is quite different, as is Goldstein's). Goldstein has tried to write a history of how the two sides have agreed, compromised, misunderstood each other and fought each other. The historical question has been taken seriously by the Tibetan Government in Exile (see Shakabpa's history, which takes the historical relations very seriously and relevant to the question of independence), the PRC and Western Nations. Because the players involved take it seriously, Goldstein must address this.

Second, the age of the horse and the age of the TV isn't an argument. The Republic of Taiwan still claims Tibet, and the Dalai Lama has agreed to this claim (as Goldstein points out); not because the TV has been invented but because he has little choice. These questions will continue to be argued when Buicks and Volkswagons drive to the Moon.

Third, Goldstein does address the Tibetans' wish to preserve their culture (I find it distasteful that 'genocide' is tossed around so much these days; the whole world is being 'Americanized' and nobody [save the French, perhaps] has called it 'genocide'. Then again, it has a rhetorical ring that sets the liberal hounds straining at the leash...): Goldstein carefully explores China's despotic policy towards Tibetan culture in explaining why the Dalai Lama has moved towards compromise while others (say, his brother Thubtan Norbu) urge fighting. The Dalai Lama wishes to preserve his culture, so he must deal directly with the PRC. To think otherwise is to wish away a reality (something Buddhists are good at).

In the end, Goldstein is merely outlining what each side wants, and what he thinks the Dalai Lama should do to achieve his goals. The Tibet movement, though optimistic, is losing in the long run. Even if communism ended in China (and the Dalai Lama's laughable argument that communism has a half-life is being disproved in the former Soviet republics), the 900 million Han would still believe that Tibet is theirs. Only the utter collapse of China and a Tibetan revolution could grant independence. The question is, what can the friends of Tibet do to preserve Tibet's culture in the face of unlikely independence? I haven't heard a good idea yet, and time is running out. Maybe the reviewer in Santa Fe could start running guns from Kazakstan.

I am not an expert in this area, and just want a quick but balanced overview of the history between Tibet and China to form the basis of my own view of the situation. This book provides exactly that. Any one who read this book will appreciate the complexity of the relationship between the two. Interestingly, it also helps one to understand why UK and US are so interested or dis-interested in Tibet issue during different time in the history. The book made another strong impression on me, that is: how much history is really about the power struggle of the rulers/elite classes in the name of religion/culture/nationalism and so rarely (almost never) is about the people's interest.

If you're looking to start diving into the mire of the Tibet Question, then this is the place to start. Don't rely on obviously biased materials from people with vested interests like the PRC or even the FREE TIBET campaign. They have agendas. Goldstein, however, is one of the best western scholars on Tibet. He knows Tibetan language and culture well, and this book is a very concise (read: incomplete) intro to the historical realities of the political dimension of Tibet today.

The book is short enough to not be daunting, and written well enough to hold one's attention and be understood thoroughly. No blathering about useless tangents and side points. I read it long ago, and it was a great jumping-off point to further research.

Further reading on the subject would include some of Goldstein's other books like "A History of Modern Tibet", as well as Tsering Shakya's "Dragon in the Land of Snows" and Barry Suatman's collected volume "Contemporary Tibet" which contains some good chapters by folks like Robert Barnett and other Tibetan and Chinese scholars.

This is where the real information is. Don't start with biased material. By all means read that stuff, but start with something that will give you a relatively neutral picture first, then judge for yourself.

Amid the feverish torrent of propaganda being served up by Hollywood and the mainstream American press, Melvyn Goldstein's "The Snow Lion and the Dragon" offers a rare moment of sober analysis and objective reasoning. Dr Goldstein is the preeminent American scholar on Tibet, and "The Snow Lion" is his authoritative account of the forces and events that led up to the current conflict between leaders in Beijing and the Dalai Lama's supporters in Dharamsala. Tibetan independence activists will necessarily despise this book because of the empirical reality that it brings to a debate fueled by uninformed zealotry and passionate dogma. But those who are interested in gaining a real understanding of Tibet and the historical basis of its current dilemma are well-advised to read this succinct, thoroughly-research work.

I found this book highly interesting to read, it does not contain any of the dewey-eyed nostalgia of many books on Tibet. Instead the author takes a neutral and realistic stand on past and present day relations with China. As a supporter of full independence for Tibet, I did not find the book offensive to that viewpoint. Good reading ,give it a try!

This is a must for everyone who has interest in the Tibet issue and wants to talk about it. One who hasn't read it should just shut up his/her mouth, go to get this book, read it, and compare the HISTORICAL FACTS in this book to the stereotyped prejudice one has learnt from propaganda, hollywood blockbuster movies, or whatever.

Just read this wonderful book and found it very useful not only for the general reader but also for specialists in Asian Studies. Prof. Steven A. Leibo Ph.D. The Sage Colleges & H-ASIA