Heinrich Harrer's incredible tale of his escape from internment in war time India, flight into Tibet and years spent as tutor to the Dalai Lama.
Heinrich Harrer, already a famous mountaineer and Olympic ski champion, was caught by the outbreak of the Second World War while climbing in the Himalayas. An Austrian national, he was imprisoned by the British in India. By an almost super-human effort, on his third attempt he succeeded in escaping from the internment camp and fled into Tibet. After a series of remarkable experiences in a country never crossed before by a Westerner, Harrer reached the forbidden city of Lhasa. He stayed there for seven years, learned the language and acquired a greater understanding of Tibet and the Tibetans than any Westerner had ever before achieved. He became the friend and tutor of the young Dalai Lama and finally accompanied him into India when he was put to flight by the Red Chinese invasion. Made into a successful motion picture starring Brad Pitt, this is a stunning story of incredible courage and self-reliance set against the backdrop of a mysterious and magnificent culture.
No photographs.
By Heinrich Harrer.
Card cover, 20cm x 13cm, 293 pages + 20 extra pages of biographical detail.
First published 1952. This edition 2005.
ISBN: 978-0-586-08707-7.