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READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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Essential Reading

Item EXHML31. Buy these 5 items as a set for $82 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
With free shipping on anything else you order.

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So Close to Heaven, The Vanishing Buddhist Kingdoms of the Himalayas

So Close to Heaven, The Vanishing Buddhist Kingdoms of the Himalayas

by Barbara Crossette

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 297 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

Asia correspondent for the New York Times, Crossette portrays Bhutan and neighboring Ladakh and Sikkim as strongholds of Tantric Buddhism in an increasingly homogenized world. (NPL04, $16.00)

The Blessings of Bhutan

The Blessings of Bhutan

by Russ and Blyth Carpenter

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 192 PAGES
  • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE

Head-over-heels in love with Bhutan, the Carpenters introduce their adopted home, its people, customs, religion and history. (BHU16, $26.99)

The Snow Leopard

The Snow Leopard

by Peter Matthiessen

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 368 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

The most perceptive, acutely observed and personal of all his books, Matthiessen's account of a five-week journey through Nepal with naturalist George Schaller combines their quest for the elusive cat with a moving introduction to Buddhism and the people and culture of the Himalayas. (NPL03, $16.00)

Essential Tibetan Buddhism

Essential Tibetan Buddhism

by Robert Thurman

  • RELIGION
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 317 PAGES

The foremost Western scholar of Tibetan Buddhism, Thurman has chosen well from that tradition's sacred literature and helpfully includes suggested further reading, explanatory notes and a directory of sacred sites. (TBT15, $14.99)

Himalaya Map

Himalaya Map

by Nelles

  • MAP

A colorful regional map of the Himalayas at a scale of 1:1,500,000, including Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and Sikkim. (HML09, $13.95)

 
Khumbu Trekking Map

Khumbu Trekking Map


by Trails Illustrated

  • 2002
  • MAP

This National Geographic map of Sargmatha National Park and Everest (1:125,000) includes 100-meter contour lines, index, a city map of Kathmandu and overview map of Nepal. (NPL47, $11.99)

Altitude Illness: Prevention and Treatment, How to Stay Healthy at Altitude

Altitude Illness: Prevention and Treatment, How to Stay Healthy at Altitude


by Stephen Bezruchka

  • REFERENCE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 128 PAGES

Bezruchka, a mountaineer and M.D., includes case studies, frequently asked questions and simple methods of diagnosis and treatment in this indispensable pocket guide. (REF02, $8.95)

Bradt Guide Tibet

Bradt Guide Tibet


by Michael Buckley

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 304 PAGES

A practical, detailed overview of Tibetan history, culture, attractions and natural life. Includes color photographs, local maps and excellent travel information. (TBT74, $22.95)

Odyssey Guide Bhutan

Odyssey Guide Bhutan


by Francoise Pommaret

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 326 PAGES

A compact overview of the kingdom, its culture, history, flora and fauna by a resident scholar, enhanced by color photographs and maps. (BHU03, $23.95)

Shangri-la: A Practical Guide to the Himalayan Dream

Shangri-la: A Practical Guide to the Himalayan Dream


by Michael Buckley

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 191 PAGES
  • NEW

With marvelous chapters on James Hilton's book and the many meanings and myths surrounding Shangri-La, Buckley's practical guide covers the contenders for this mythical Himalayan paradise in Southwest China, Tibet, Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan. With many maps and color photographs. (HML84, $25.99)

Spectrum Guide to Nepal

Spectrum Guide to Nepal


by Camerapix

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 364 PAGES

A comprehensive guide to the country, its people, history, culture and geography, featuring excellent maps and 200 color photographs. (NPL27, $22.95)

Trekking Tibet

Trekking Tibet


by Gary McCue | George Schaller

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 416 PAGES

An indispensable guide, featuring pre-trip planning, discussions of the most scenic routes and an overview of Tibetan culture and history. (TBT10, $29.95)

Himalaya, Personal Stories of Grandeur, Challenge, and Hope on the Roof of the World

Himalaya, Personal Stories of Grandeur, Challenge, and Hope on the Roof of the World


by Broughton Coburn | Richard C. Blum | Erica Stone

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2006
  • HARD COVER
  • 256 PAGES

A beautifully photographed overview of the geology, history and people of the Himalayas. (HML78, $35.00)

The Dragon in the Land of Snows

The Dragon in the Land of Snows


by Tsering Shakya

  • HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 606 PAGES

A comprehensive account of the history and political development of Tibet since 1947, which includes eye-opening details of the American, British and Indian players involved in Tibet's struggle for sovereignty. (TBT32, $18.00)

The Open Road, The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama

The Open Road, The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama


by Pico Iyer

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

Travel writer Pico Iyer, who has known the Dalai Lama since his days as a graduate student in Britain, draws on his long association with the man and his ideas for this remarkable portrait of the Tibetan people and the aspirations of their leader. He includes chapters on daily life in Dharamsala, travels with the Dalai Lama and incisive commentary on the history and future of Tibet. (TBT118, $14.95)

The Raven Crown

The Raven Crown


by Michael Aris

  • HISTORY
  • 2005
  • HARD COVER
  • 160 PAGES

Aris chronicles the rise of the Wangchuk dynasty in this beautifully illustrated history of the kingdom and its 20th-century monarchy, featuring 106 rare photographs. (BHU02, $60.00)

Trespassers on the Roof of the World

Trespassers on the Roof of the World


by Peter Hopkirk

  • HISTORY
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

Hopkirk's spellbinding history of the uninvited exploration of Tibet from the 19th century to the present, including a fantastic array of Victorian adventurers. His wild tale has as its centerpiece the 1949-1951 invasion by China. (TBT08, $16.00)

Heavenly Himalayas, The Murals of Mangyu and Other Discoveries in Ladakh


by Amy Heller | Gerald Kozicz | Rob Linrothe | Peter Van Ham

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 176 PAGES

Van Ham's exquisite portrait of Ladakh during the Buddhist era includes 189 full-color photographs, 14 line drawings and a map. (HML102, $75.00)

Annapurna, The Epic Account of a Himalayan Conquest and its Harrowing Aftermath

Annapurna, The Epic Account of a Himalayan Conquest and its Harrowing Aftermath


by Maurice Herzog

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

Conrad Anker provides a new foreword for this new 60th-anniversary edition of Maurice Herzog's classic, dictated from his hospital bed in Paris. French minister of youth and sport in the 1960s and former mayor of Chamonix, Herzog recovered nicely (he's 102 in 2011). (HML07, $16.95)

Beyond the Sky and the Earth

Beyond the Sky and the Earth


by Jamie Zeppa

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 303 PAGES

Zeppa's memoir of her time as teacher in a remote village shows her growing love and commitment to the people and culture. (BHU08, $16.00)

Fallen Giants

Fallen Giants


by Stewart Weaver | Maurice Isserman

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2008
  • HARD COVER
  • 592 PAGES

Subtitled A history of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes, this book chronicles the many climbs and the teams of climbers who made them, evoking powerfully the bonds of fellowship between climbers. With maps and many illustrations. (HML85, $39.95)

Freedom in Exile, The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama

Freedom in Exile, The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama


by Dalai Lama

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1991
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

A vivid self-portrait, told with optimism, great determination, humor and insight. (TBT25, $15.99)

From Heaven Lake, Travels Through Sinkiang and Tibet


by Vikram Seth

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1987
  • PAPER
  • 178 PAGES

An unconventional, award-winning travelogue of a 1981 trip to India from China via the Himalayas by the marvelous Indian novelist Vikram Seth. (HML19, $15.00)

Himalayan Passage, Seven Months in the High Country of Tibet, Nepal, China, India, & Pakistan

Himalayan Passage, Seven Months in the High Country of Tibet, Nepal, China, India, & Pakistan


by Jeremy Schmidt

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 336 PAGES

National Geographic Expert Jeremy Schmidt and photographer Patrick Morrow recount their circumnavigation of the Himalayas, accompanied by their wives. Their journey by bike, truck and foot across Tibet, Nepal, China, India and Pakistan is illustrated with 32 pages of color photographs. (HML05, $18.95)

My Journey to Lhasa

My Journey to Lhasa


by Alexandra David-Neel

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 317 PAGES

Dressed as a humble pilgrim and traveling under the cover of night, the indomitable 55-year-old David-Neel and her young companion climbed mountains and tricked soldiers to ultimately reach Tibet's forbidden capital. Originally published in 1923, her account stands as a riveting portrait of early 20th-century Tibet. (TBT26, $14.99)

The Way of the White Clouds

The Way of the White Clouds


by Lama Anagarika Govinda | Robert Thurman

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 400 PAGES

The 40th anniversary edition of the remarkable German-born monk and interpreter of Tibetan Buddhism's account of travels and discoveries in Tibet before the 1950 Chinese invasion. (TBT87, $19.95)

The Will to Climb

The Will to Climb


by Ed Viesturs

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 304 PAGES

In collaboration with writer and fellow mountaineer David Roberts, the great climber tackles the history and adventure of Annapurna. (HML103, $26.00)

Turtle Feet, The Making and Unmaking of a Buddhist Monk

Turtle Feet, The Making and Unmaking of a Buddhist Monk


by Nikolai Grozni

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2008
  • HARD COVER
  • 320 PAGES

Grozni writes with insight and humor about his pilgrimage to the Himalayas, the quirky characters he meets and his experience with Buddhism, ultimately finding wisdom and spirituality off the beaten path. (HML83, $24.95)

Escape from Kathmandu

Escape from Kathmandu


by Kim Stanley Robinson

  • LITERATURE
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

The four interconnected stories in this laugh-out-loud novel include the (mis)adventures of two young Americans with a Yeti, international espionage, mountain climbing of the highest sort and a quest for Shangri-La. (NPL41, $18.99)

Lost Horizon, A Novel

Lost Horizon, A Novel


by James Hilton

  • LITERATURE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 241 PAGES

First published in 1933, this novel (and subsequent movie) introduced the world to the Himalayan paradise of Shangri-La, which a group of Americans and Englishmen discover after a plane crash. (HML73, $12.99)

The Ascent of Rum Doodle

The Ascent of Rum Doodle


by W. E. Bowman

  • LITERATURE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 192 PAGES

This hilarious send-up of the great British mountaineers, originally published in 1956, is hardly handicapped by the fact that Bowman never set foot in the Himalayas. (HML55, $15.95)

The Circle of Karma, A Novel

The Circle of Karma, A Novel


by Kunzang Choden

  • LITERATURE
  • 2005
  • PAPER
  • 328 PAGES

The first novel by a Bhutanese woman, this lyrical coming-of-age story explores the rituals of daily life in Bhutan. When Tsomo's mother suddenly dies, the young girl must travel alone across Bhutan and into India. (BHU26, $14.00)

Tales of the Rose Tree, Ravishing Rhododendrons and Their Travels Around the World

Tales of the Rose Tree, Ravishing Rhododendrons and Their Travels Around the World


by Jane Brown

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2006
  • HARD COVER
  • 320 PAGES

An English garden writer, Brown offers an entertaining, learned whirlwind tour through the social, commercial and botanical history of the much-loved ornamental, including a roundup of early collecting forays into Asia and the Himalayas. (GEN372, $35.00)

Photographic Guide to Birds of the Himalayas

Photographic Guide to Birds of the Himalayas


by Bikram Grewal

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 144 PAGES

A pocket guide to 250 birds found from the foothills up to high elevations ranging from the Hindu Kush and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh in the Eastern Himalayas. With brief descriptive information, maps and 260 full-color illustrations. (HML31, $15.95)

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Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.