My Journey to Lhasa (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In any time, Alexandra David-Neel would have been considered an extraordinary woman, but in the Victorian era, she was truly exceptional. Born in 1868, David-Neel eschewed the dances, dinners, and formal marriages common to women of her era and social standing in order to indulge her fierce independence and insatiable intellectual curiosity. Her interest in comparative religions dated back to early childhood; even as a student in a Catholic convent school, she kept statues of both Christ and the Buddha in her room. She made her first trip to Asia in 1891, then supported herself as a light-opera singer and journalist before marrying a seemingly conventional man, Philip Neel. Fortunately for both Alexandra David-Neel and for posterity, Philip was less stodgy than his position as a well-off engineer might imply; though he did not accompany her, he supported his wife's explorations and even acted as her literary agent when she began to write about the places she visited. Alexandra and Philip remained the closest of friends until his death in 1941.

David-Neel spent years traveling in India and China, but perhaps her most daring adventure was the trip to Tibet's forbidden city of Lhasa. She was 55 years old at the time, fluent in Tibetan and well versed in both Sanskrit and Buddhism. Disguised as a man, she spent four treacherous months on the road before finally becoming the first European woman ever to enter Lhasa. My Journey to Lhasa is David-Neel's own account of her astounding journey, one fraught with hardship and danger. It is both a chronicle of a bygone time and a testimonial to a remarkable human.

Review

"David-Neel was indisputably a fearless traveler, a rogue’s rogue. Her account has the power to awe even today." -- Outside magazine

"David-Neel was indisputably a fearless traveler, a rogue’s rogue. Her account has the power to awe even today." -- Outside magazine --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 310 pages
• Publisher: Beacon Press (October 5, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080705903X
• ISBN-13: 978-0807059036
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,084,673 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An unusual journey to say the least, January 25, 2004

By	karlotta "karlotta7" (Pacific NW, United States) - See all my reviews

When I was reading the reviews of this book, I was struck by the one of the reviews. It was very negative, and the reviewer missed the beauty of this book entirely. I was glad that I had already read it. I read the reviews because I was curious to see if others had enjoyed the book as much as I did. I was buying it again as a present for a friend. The author was a very unusual person, and this book is very much worth the read. She wrote about customs and values honestly as she saw them. She was not a dispassionate viewer, but I also felt that she was not judgemental or superior. When customs of two peoples are as different as some of Tibet and France are, they will shock a person and that person will remark. However, I felt that she loved and respected the people she wrote about, and she did a remarkable job in recounting what she saw. She gave her readers the pleasure of a most unusual journey with her and her young companion through a country that was worth writing about.

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A woman traveler makes to lhasa, November 25, 1999

By	Barbara Foster "Prof. Barbara Foster" (New York, New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My Journey to Lhasa is a marvellous, cliff hanging tale of adventure comparable to Lawrence of Arabia's epic account. David-Neel made her trek to forbidden lhasa in the dead of winter succeeding where much younger, better equipped male explorers failed. Her thrilling yarn is the main highlight of a 101 year adventure packed life.This noted Buddhist scholar wrote 25 books on eastern themes after she made her death defying trip in her mid fifties. Although naysayers have claimed that David-Neel never went to Lhasa, our extensive research for our biography the Secret Lives of Alexandra David-Neel authenticates her travels as well as fleshes out the human aspect of this amazing character who Lawrence Durrell called "the mot astohishing Frenchwoman of our Times."

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the Effort, March 9, 2001

By	Paul Cozzo (Dallas,Tx USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Journey to Lhasa (Paperback)

This is a book which I think of often. Ms. David-Neel had or should I say has quite a strong spirit. I would recommend all of her books to anyone interested in spiritual growth, women's triumphs or walking accross high Himalayan passes in the dead of winter with the Lama Yongden. I cross high Rocky Mountain passes regularly, but always in the comfort of an 18-wheeler.