Escape from the Land of Snows

“Riveting . . . Talty’s portrait of the young Dalai Lama is nuanced and compelling; his account of the CIA’s involvement is thriller ready; and his unique coverage of the news frenzy and shenanigans that ensued as the fleeing Dalai Lama became a cold-war hero is fascinating. . . . Talty is also acutely attuned to the tragedy and grace of the Dalai Lama’s long exile.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Skillful . . . Talty has woven a vivid picture of a dangerous journey and a country in crisis.”—Publishers Weekly

“Riveting, informed . . . a great read for Tibetophiles old and new.”—Kirkus Reviews
 
“Biography at it best: suspenseful, revealing, and profoundly humane.”—Eric Swanson, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Joy of Living

“It was perhaps history’s most momentous escape: the Dalai Lama fleeing over the roof of the world from Mao’s advancing troops. I loved losing myself in Escape from the Land of Snows and you will too.”—James Bradley, New York Times bestselling author of Flags of Our Fathers, Flyboys, and The Imperial Cruise

“An amazing, behind-the-scenes account that reads like a bound-for-the-big-screen thriller. Talty vividly captures the Tibet I know and have immense respect for—including its harsh beauty, epic terrain and fiercely resilient people. Reading this, I was completely absorbed as a series of divine prophecies cause a small peasant boy—the future 14th Dalai Lama—to be chosen to lead his people, and as threats from marauding Chinese occupiers send that same boy, now a young man, on a dangerous gauntlet through the Himalayas. Talty shows in the most compulsively readable way how a champion for peace came by his warrior instincts.”—Ed Viesturs, seven-time climber of Mt. Everest and author of No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World’s Highest Peaks
 
“Loaded with hard, vivid detail and marked by a wonderful cast of characters . . . Few people know the facts of the Dalai Lama’s escape from Chinese-occupied Tibet. That will change with this marvelous book. Acclaimed author Stephan Talty takes us with the Dalai Lama on a dangerous journey over the Himalayas while being pursued by Mao’s soldiers. Meanwhile, U.S. President Eisenhower and millions around the world eagerly follow his daring escape. You will, too, as you turn these pages.”—Jean Sasson, New York Times bestselling author of Princess and Growing Up bin Laden