I certainly know where my next holiday is... (altered) (Seven Years In Tibet - Heinrich Harrer)

Member Name: dewhirstj

Product:	Seven Years In Tibet - Heinrich Harrer
Date:	07/06/01 (120 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Enthralling, extremely interesting, and then there's everything else

Disadvantages: You can't put it down

This book could leave you in of three states of mind. For myself I wanted to make an immediate visit to Tibet and unleash my anger upon the next Chinese official I may come across.

Alternatively, you may just want to sit down and have a good cry.

As I am not religious, a while ago I would not have been interested in any kind of religion at all (And wouldn't want to be).

After reading 'Seven Years In Tibet' (the book is much better than the film) I was intriged about Buddism, the Tibetan way of life, how it is now and of course the Dalai Lama, who before seeing the film I had never heard of.

Being a survival enthusiast, I was also interested in that side of the book and found myself fairly disappointed when Harrer and his climbing friend Peter Aufschnaiter finally reached the forbidden city of Lhasa.

It may not sound much, but the book had me (and I'm sure it would do the same for you) enthralled from beginning to end. It really is excellent and I would reccommend it to everyone (and I mean it!).

Also, If you never liked the germans in the second world war, this book provides a superb insight into how they thought and felt and apart from the language, the normal german was just like us!

The book follows Heinrich Harrer, an international ski champion on a rollercoaster experience full of ups and downs, through the troubled country of Tibet.

Harrer is detained in a POW camp in India by the British and makes two bids for freedom, one which succeeds, with his friend Peter Aufschnaiter. I won't try and spoil the book but Harrer when finally reaches the forbidden capital city of Lhasa the book becomes even more fascinating. He becomes tutor to the Dalai Lama, there are civil wars between monks and finally the Chinese invade.

I can't really afford to go to Tibet, but... you never know! This book really made an impact on me and is now a firm favoutite. Well worth a good r
ead.

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