Seven Years In Tibet

Seven Years In Tibet is a 1952 travel narrative telling the story of Heinrich Harrer's escape from a British internment camp in India and his and his fellow inmate's attempts to enter Tibet. They were finally successful and spent several years in Lhasa where Harrer got to know the 14th (and current) Dalai Llama. The book ends with the Chinese invasion of Tibet.

This is a fascinating read, an interesting picture of a place now lost forever. There are some photographs, which add a lot to the reading. I think if there were a coffee table book with more and larger pictures, it would be well worth having. I haven't looked to see if such a thing exists.

There have been 2 films based on the book: the first is a 1956 documentary, and the second a 1997 film starring Brad Pitt.

from the back of the book:

The astonishing adventure classic about

life in hidden Tibet just before the Chinese

Communist takeover.

In this vivid memoir, Heinrich Harrer recounts his adventures as one of the first Europeans ever to enter Tibet. After escaping from a British internment camp in India during World War 11, Harrer trekked across Asia, ending up in the Forbidden City of Lhasa, penniless, and without proper permission to be in the area. But Tibetan hospitality and his own curious appearance worked in Harrer’s favour, allowing him unprecedented acceptance among the Tibetan upper classes –including a young Dalai Lama.