Synopses & Reviews
Fosco Maraini looks back at the world he first unfolded nearly fifty years ago in his classic account of the visits he made to Tibet.
It will be clear to the reader from the start that in the tradition of Italian travelers from the days of Marco Polo, Fosco Maraini went to Tibet to learn, to understand, to give, and to receive. His encounter with the people, from princesses to peasants, aided as he was by a good knowledge of the language, is a true meeting of minds. The text, which attests to the disciplines of the scholar allied to the sensitivity of the poet, is enriched by the indisputable narrative value of the author's photographs, including ones of many Buddhist temple artifacts now forever lost. Maraini brings back to life a world that will never be seen again.
Review
"An outstanding account . . . The photographs are astounding and the book is beautifully produced." (ANTHONY SATTIN, The Sunday Times)
Review
"A detailed, intelligent and lyrical portrait of pre-Chinese Tibet." (SARA WHEELER, The Daily Telegraph)
Synopsis
In this book, Fosco Maraini recounts his travels to Tibet in 1939 and 1948, before it fell to China. He brings back to life a world which will never be seen again. In the tradition of Italian travellers from the days of Marco Polo, Maraini went to Tibet to learn, to understand, to give, and to receive. His encounter with the people of Tibet, from princesses to peasants, aided as he was by a good knowledge of the language, is a true meeting of minds. The text, which attests to the disciplines of the scholar allied to the sensitivity of the poet, is enriched by the narrative value of the author's photographs, including many Buddhist temple artifacts now forever lost.
About the Author
Fosco Maraini was born in Florence in 1912. An anthropologist by training, after his first visit to Tibet he was trapped in Japan by the outbreak of war, and taught in the University of Kyoto until interned. In addition to his writing he has been a broadcaster, documentary film-maker, and professor at the University of Florence. From 1959 to 1964 he was Fellow at St Antonys College, Oxford.
From the Hardcover edition.