Out of This World: Across the Himalayas to Tibet

Some spoilers below - fair warning.

In 1949, Lowell Thomas Jr and his father were given rare permission to enter Tibet and travel to Lhasa. The circumstances around their permission were due to good timing, and Tibetan fear of communism. Lowell Thomas Sr was a well known American broadcaster/ journalist, and the Tibetans considered he could assist them with some positive stories about Tibet, and the threat of China and Russia to their independence.

Thomas Jr writes an interesting book, finding time to describe the preparations and the journey he and his father make, as well as providing brief but detailed explanations of the few previous visitors to Tibet / Lhasa. Well researched and thorough his details of the culture and customs of the Tibetans and Buddhists is general are also clear and concise.

An interesting aspect of their trip is that at the time Austrians Peter Aufschnaiter and Heinrich Harrer were also in Lhasa. Their story is told in a chapter, and Thomas Jr says they met a few times to discuss events. The Thomas's never enjoyed the close contact that Harrer has with the Dalai Lama - but I expect there was no need to learn much more from the Thomas's. Theirs was a more political / diplomatic visit, and they spent more time with the regent and certain other high ranking officials who were most interested in what support America would give in the defence against the communists. Obviously the Thomas's were not in a position to negotiate or promise anything, and clearly at the time when Tibet needed the support of all countries they were left to fend for themselves against the Chinese, which is a sad situation still.

The last chapter of Thomas Jr's book is their trip back out - far more eventful than they had hoped, as Thomas Sr was thrown from his horse to break his leg just below the hip, in eight places. In an incredibly remote location he was carried by bearers to the closest village and attended to by a ‘doctor' who was yet to complete his training. It took a further month to repatriate them, at which time the bone which was beginning to restitch had to be re-broken and re-set!

A quick read, 4 stars.