Hidden behind the Himalayas and ruled over by a God-king, Tibet has always cast a powerful spell over travellers form the West. In this remarkable, and ultimately tragic narrative, Peter Hopkirk recounts the forcible opening up of this medieval land during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and the extraordinary race between agents, soldiers, missionaries, mountaineers, explorers, and mystics from nine different countries to reach Lhasa, Tibet's sacred capital. His story concludes with the ultimate act of trespass - the Chinese invasion of 1950. This book is intended for those with a general interest in the Far East, history, and adventure. Some academic interest.

Contents/contributors
Prologue
1 Tibet - The Forbidden Land
2 The Unholy spies of Captain Montgomerie
3 With Prayer-Wheel and Sextant to Lhasa
4 Panning for Gold on the Roof of the World
5 The Race for the Holy City Begins
6 Four Dreams of Lhasa
7 Death of an Explorer
8 The Bizarre Adventure of Henry Savage Landor
9 The Nightmare of Susie Rijnhart
10 Lhasa - at Last
11 'Golden Domes like Tongues of Fire'
12 The Riddle of the Snows
13 Lhasa Lowers its Guard
14 Jumping into the Land of God
15 Red Guards in Lhasa
Bibliography of Principal Sources
Index