Customer Reviews
Ultimately Disappointing. For me anyway. - By: I. Losada, 19 Jul 2007 
If there is still anyone out there that still thinks of Tibet as a mythical land then the publishers claim that Mr French will overturn the myth. But I'm not sure there is still anyone that thinks of Tibet in that way. Surely anyone that has even the slightest interest in Tibet knows what has happened there for the last 50 years & that Lhasa now looks like any other Chinese Town. French certainly has some good stories in here & it is worth reading for anyone that is in danger of being simplistic over Tibet. But again, anyone interested in Tibet must surely understand how complex it is. What saddened me most is that Mr French has written a whole book examining the nature of the problem & does not see it as his place to use his expertise to help anyone in the West who wants to support Tibet. He has 'been there, done that & got his Free Tibet T shirt' & now he knows better. He even says that anything we do here makes things worse. So should we alll give up? That is what the Chinese Government wants. He tells us what he thinks does not work but offers no alternatives - well, he gives us one line he suggests 'supporting education projects inside the country, backing the development of indigenous businesses & promoting the free flow of information.' That's it. And this is no exaggeration - I've read it carefully. With alll Patrick French's talent & experience I would have been glad of more than that & despite alll the good stories in his book I still think that it's a shameful wasted opportunity. There is enough despair in this issue already without talented writers adding to it. This is just my personal view of course.
My Choice for the 2004 Thomas Cook Award - By: Michael Moran, 03 Mar 2005 
The fine writing, manifest integrity & compassion of this informed, properly researched & committed book should have given it this year's Thomas Cook Travel Book Award. Patrick French stood head & shoulders above the rest. A superb achievement. This encomium from a writer also on the short list.
Wonderfully written; very informative. Recommended - By: Andrew Howell, 12 Oct 2004 
Patrick French has a long fascination with Tibet & Tibetan Buddhism, indeed he worked for the Free Tibet campaign.
The focus for this book was an extended trip to Tibet but this is more than just a travel book. French takes us through the history of this much contested country & examines the dilemmas posed by the real politick of living in a Chinese autonomous country.
French's journey changed had a profound effect on French & his political views changed as he spent more & more time with those whose live in Tibet as opposed to those based in exile. Will there be a political solution and, if so, what will be the role of Tibet's spiritual leaders?
This is a fascinating book. You will learn a lot about the history of Tibet, what actuallly happened rather than myth & legend, Above alll the stars of this book are the amazing people of Tibet.
This is an excellent book, informed, intelligent, compassionate & thought-provoking. Well recommended,
