Tibet: The Roof of the World - Hardcover

9788854400108: Tibet: The Roof of the World

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 8854400106 ISBN 13: 9788854400108

Publisher: White Star, 2005

In the Western imagination Tibet often seems an isolated fortress, outside of time, withdrawn behind the chain of the Himalayas. The author leads the reader through the maze of geographical, geological, mythical, historical, social, and religious details to portray everyday life in Tibet. In the drama of the country's current situation, Tibetan life is split by infinite contradictions where new social realities must be reconciled with ancient traditions, oracles still relay the voices of the mountain gods, and Buddhist monks strenuously defend their religion. Lavish photographs portray an incredible blend of tradition and modernity stretching from remote nomadic tents to the cyber cafes of Lhasa.

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Product Description:

Hard to Find book

Review:

In Tibet, a coffee-table book that takes up half the table, Maria Sironi Diemberger gathers some of the most fabulous photographs of Tibet into an encyclopaedic collection. Unlike many books of this kind, the text accompanying the illustrations is more than just explanatory filler. Geologist and humanitarian Sironi Diemberger is intimate with her subject. The opening chapter contains not only the best succinct history of Tibet you may find but also petroglyphs, paintings, maps and frescoes from Tibet, China and Europe, as well as early photographs from the likes of Heinrich Harrer. Satellite photos orient you to the lay of the land, and the book continues with gorgeous vistas of indigo lakes, looming peaks, emerald grasses and crystal snows. Candid shots of monks, bird's eye views of prostrating pilgrims, comparison photos of monasteries before and after the Cultural Revolution make for more than just idle viewing. And Sironi Diemberger's text is both packed with information and personal journal entries. A caption that in another book might read, "Ornaments at Tashilhunpo Monastery" here reads:

The monastery of Tashilhunpo at Shigatse was founded in 1447 by a disciple of Tsongkhapa. Thanks to the influence of the Panchen Lama, it was spared by the Cultural Revolution and its temples and chapels still boast their ancient ornaments.

Before planning that trip to Shangri-La, pry open this book and take an armchair tour. --Brian Bruya, Amazon.com

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