Sieben Jahre in Tibet: Mein Leben am Hofe des Dalai Lama

Heinrich Harrer, an Austrian mountaineer, was on an expedition to the Himalayas in 1939 when the war broke out and he was interned in British India. He escaped with a companion, Peter Aufschnaiter, and they crossed the mountains into Tibet, where they walked for months before reaching Lhasa in 1946. Harrer describes his time in the city, his work for the government, his friendship with the young Dalai Lama, whom he tutored, and the Tibetan customs and festivals he saw. The account ends with the arrival of the Chinese army in 1950, which forced him to leave.

It's a classic travel narrative for readers who like adventure and accounts of a lost world. Those curious about Tibet before the Chinese takeover will find it a vivid record.

Clear-cut; an easy read.

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