Seven Years in Tibet
SynopsisPlot
Harrer was traveling in India when the Second World War erupted. He was subsequently seized and imprisoned by British authorities. After several attempts, he escaped and crossed the rugged, frozen Himalayas, surviving by duping government officials and depending on the generosity of villagers for food and shelter. Harrer finally reached his ultimate destination-the Forbidden City of Lhasa-without money, or permission to be in Tibet. But Tibetan hospitality and his own curious appearance worked in Harrer?s favor, allowing him unprecedented acceptance among the upper classes. His intelligence and European ways also intrigued the young Dalai Lama, and Harrer soon became His Holiness?s tutor and trusted confidant. When the Chinese invaded Tibet in 1950, Harrer and the Dalai Lama fled the country together. This timeless story illuminates Eastern culture, as well as the childhood of His Holiness and the current plight of Tibetans. It is a must-read for lovers of travel, adventure, history, and culture.
Story
About this book
Heinrich Harrer was an Austrian mountain climber held in a British internment camp in India after the Second World War broke out. After several failed attempts, he escaped and began a grueling trek across the Himalayas, a journey lasting twenty-one months through some of the highest and most inhospitable terrain on Earth. He survived by relying on the kindness of villagers and by talking his way past government officials, eventually arriving in Lhasa without money or permission to enter Tibet.
In Lhasa, Harrer found unexpected acceptance among Tibetan society. His European background and curiosity drew the attention of the young Dalai Lama, and over time Harrer became a tutor and close companion to the boy. The memoir covers daily life in a city that was then largely closed to outsiders, offering concrete observations about Tibetan customs, governance, and religious practice during the 1940s.
The book's timeframe ends as Chinese forces entered Tibet in 1950, a period of upheaval that forced both Harrer and the Dalai Lama to leave the country. First published in the 1950s, the memoir has since sold millions of copies worldwide and has been translated into numerous languages.
