1996. 241 pp, maps, ills. A modern scholar examines the history of Tibet, especially in relationship to China, and describes the reasons behind, and results of, China's actions in Tibet. Paperback.<P>
Historian and China expert Feigon succeeds in doing just what his title suggests: he cuts through the mist of romanticism that surrounds Tibet and reveals the truth about its long and fascinating history. Tibet is not the Shangri-la of Western fantasy, nor was it ever part of China as the Chinese claim to justify their invasion of Tibet some 45 years ago. As Feigon spins Tibet's colorful tale, the vast cultural divide between the Tibetans and the Chinese becomes increasingly evident.
<P>Ethnically distinct, they are also radically different in terms of personal habits, social interactions, and spirituality. Lively and descriptive, Feigon adeptly chronicles the rise of the monastic tradition and the achievements of such Tibetan leaders as the revered kings Songsten Gampo and Trisong Detsen and influential Dalai Lamas, including the Great Fifth, who ruled during the seventeenth century, and today's Nobel Peace Prize^-winning Fourteenth. Feigon's book is invaluable on many fronts, but most important is its documentation of the damage the Chinese are doing not only to Tibetan culture, but also to the region's ecosystem, which is crucial to the health of the planet
