London, 1903, 1st edition. 2 volumes. 1272 pages. B&W plates & small photographs; foldout colour maps. The famous Swedish explorer, Sven Hedin, set out on one of his most hazardous journeys: to visit the little known interiors of Central Asia and Tibet. A three year voyage ensued amidst remote peoples and through inhospitable terrain. Hedin's goal was to penetrate the then forbidden city of Lhasa ... but the Tibetans had other ideas!
'These two volumes contain a detailed account of Sven Hedin's journey of exploration in the first years of the century which took him through Chinese Turkestan and the Takla-Makan and Gobi deserts before he turned south into Tibet. He travelled through parts of northern Tibet and then attempted to reach Lhasa, only to be intercepted by Tibetan troops and turned back. He then turned south and travelled through to India via Ladakh.