New York, 1967, 1st Am edition. 318 pp, 36 illustrations, map. In 1964 Peissel was one of the first visitors to this kingdom on the Nepal-Tibet border. Mustang lies on 'The roof of the world' north of Nepal and surrounded on three sides by Chinese-held Tibet; foreigners were forbidden to enter its territory and virtually nothing was known about its people and their civilization until Michel Peissel obtained permission to make a long stay there. To reach the walled capital, Lo Mantang, his small caravan of yaks and porters had to make their way fifteen days across the Himalayas. In Mustang he found a mediaeval world uniquely preserved from modern technology, in which the wheel is not used, the earth is believed to be flat and polyandry is practiced. DJ, Near Fine.
