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Enrich your travels with reading! Here's a hand-picked list prepared for your journey in conjunction with the book experts at Longitude.

Essential Reading

Item EXTBT20. Buy these 4 items as a set for $70 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
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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)

Tibet, An Enduring Civilization

Tibet, An Enduring Civilization

by Francoise Pommaret

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 160 PAGES

This pocket-size encyclopedia, packed with hundreds of full-color illustrations and photos, highlights the culture and history of Tibet. Pommaret, who has written widely on the Himalayas, devotes a section to Tibet today, titled Invasion and Colonization. (TBT69, $12.95)

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)

Tibet Map

Tibet Map

by Gizi Map

  • 2011
  • MAP

A colorful map of Tibet at a scale of 1:2,000,000. (TBT17, $16.95)

 
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)

Footprint Tibet Handbook

Footprint Tibet Handbook


by Gyurme Dorje

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • HARD COVER
  • 984 PAGES

An outstanding guide by a leading Buddhist scholar, including the central plateau, eastern provinces of Kham and Amdo, as well as Bhutan and the Kathmandu Valley. Almost 1,000 pages but surprisingly compact, with maps, color photographs, and a brief overview of culture and history. (TBT37, $29.95)

Learning Practical Tibetan

Learning Practical Tibetan


by Andrew Bloomfield | Yanki Tshering

  • LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 202 PAGES

A guide to learning useful Tibetan phrases, designed with the traveler in mind. (TBT38, $19.95)

Buddhist Himalayas

Buddhist Himalayas


by Olivier and Danielle Follmi | Mattieu Ricard

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 424 PAGES

A big, beautiful celebration of the Himalayas, featuring 185 richly colored, often double-page photographs and essays by Mattieu Ricard. (HML53, $32.95)

Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism

Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism


by John Powers

  • RELIGION
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 591 PAGES

A comprehensive study of the history and philosophy behind Tibetan Buddhism, suitable for the general reader. (TBT40, $22.95)

Life and Death on Mt. Everest, Sherpas and Himalayan Mountaineering

Life and Death on Mt. Everest, Sherpas and Himalayan Mountaineering


by Sherry B. Ortner

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 376 PAGES

A vividly written, scholarly study of the relationship between the Sherpas and the mountaineers who come to "conquer" the Himalayas. (TBT33, $29.95)

My Tibet

My Tibet


by Galen Rowell

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 162 PAGES

Rowell captures the spirit and powerful allure of Tibet in these striking color photographs of the people and landscapes. (TBT58, $49.95)

Prisoners of Shangri-La, Tibetan Buddhism and the West


by Donald S. Lopez Jr.

  • HISTORY
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 284 PAGES

A scholarly history of western myth-making and romance over the question of Tibet. Lopez, a leading scholar of Tibetan Buddhism reveals a complex country and its spiritual history in this scholarly analysis. (TBT42, $18.00)

Religions of Tibet in Practice

Religions of Tibet in Practice


by Donald S. Lopez, Jr.

  • RELIGION
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 421 PAGES

A collection of 36 essays and translated texts by scholars of Tibetan Buddhism, including selections on prayers, pilgrimages, death and ritual. (TBT16, $28.95)

Seeing Lhasa, British Depictions of the Tibetan Capital, 1936-1947

Seeing Lhasa, British Depictions of the Tibetan Capital, 1936-1947


by Clare Harris | Tsering Shakya

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 176 PAGES

An extraordinary document of the country. Published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, this book presents a trove of photographs, albums and film by Harry Staunton, Evan Nepean, Hugh Richardson and other British visitors to Tibet. (TBT71, $39.95)

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 Search for the Panchen Lama

The Search for the Panchen Lama


by Isabel Hilton

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

A skillful and subtle story of the selection -- and kidnapping -- of the 11th incarnation of the Pachen Lama, revealing much of the current state of affairs between Tibet and China. (TBT43, $14.95)

The Snow Lion and the Dragon, China, Tibet and the Dalai Lama

The Snow Lion and the Dragon, China, Tibet and the Dalai Lama


by Melvyn C. Goldstein

  • HISTORY
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 130 PAGES

A brief history of the relationship of China and Tibet in the 20th century. Goldstein, a professor of history and expert on the region, includes a call for the United States to take an active role in mediating a diplomatic solution to the conflict. (TBT23, $21.95)

The Tibetan Book of the Dead, Liberation from Understanding the In Between

The Tibetan Book of the Dead, Liberation from Understanding the In Between


by Robert Thurman

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 275 PAGES

A key text as presented by Robert Thurman for a western audience. This is the Tibetan guidebook to dying or "the between," written in the 8th or 9th century by Padma Sambhava. (TBT06, $18.00)

The Wisdom of the Buddha

The Wisdom of the Buddha


by Jean Boisselier

  • RELIGION
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 191 PAGES

A pocket-size primer of Buddhism, this book is an illustrated history of the sixth-century Indian prince and his quest for enlightenment. With 207 illustrations, 160 in full color. (IDA55, $12.95)

Art of Tibet

Art of Tibet


by Robert Fisher

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

A concise survey of the culture and religion of Tibet as expressed through its art. With 200 illustrations of monasteries, painting and sculpture throughout the country. (TBT13, $21.95)

Sacred Tibet

Sacred Tibet


by Philip Rawson

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1991
  • PAPER
  • 96 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

A concise, illustrated survey of Buddhist art in its religious, social and cultural context. (TBT18, $15.95)

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)

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)

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)

My Land and My People, The Original Autobiography of His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet

My Land and My People, The Original Autobiography of His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet


by Dalai Lama

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 238 PAGES

The Dalai Lama recounts his life and struggle for an independent Tibet. It's one of the most remarkable stories of our time, simply and compassionately told. (TBT22, $13.95)

Seven Years in Tibet

Seven Years in Tibet


by Heinrich Harrer

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

First published in 1953, this is the riveting account of a young Austrian adventurer and mountaineer who became tutor to the Dalai Lama. (TBT02, $14.95)

The Last River, The Tragic Race for Shangri-La

The Last River, The Tragic Race for Shangri-La


by Todd Balf

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 293 PAGES

A thrilling account of a first-ever descent into the heart of Tibet. (TBT44, $14.00)

The Struggle for Modern Tibet, The Autobiography of Tashi Tsering

The Struggle for Modern Tibet, The Autobiography of Tashi Tsering


by Melvyn C. Goldstein | William Siebenschuh | Tashi Tsering

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 220 PAGES

The life story of an idealistic young man who juggled traditional hierarchy in traditional Tibet with the promise and poison of Mao's Cultural revolution. (TBT53, $26.95)

Tales of Tibet: Sky Burials, Wind Horses and Prayer Wheels

Tales of Tibet: Sky Burials, Wind Horses and Prayer Wheels


by Herbert J. Batt | Tsering Shakya

  • LITERATURE
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 240 PAGES

A collection of short fiction by contemporary Tibetan authors. The stories, many imbued with a Buddhist perspective, depict traditional ritual and rites. (TBT57, $33.95)

Travelers' Tales Tibet

Travelers' Tales Tibet


by James O'Reilly | Larry Habegger

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

An engaging, insightful and entertaining selection of eyewitness reports. (TBT65, $18.95)

Wildlife of the Tibetan Steppe

Wildlife of the Tibetan Steppe


by George Schaller

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 373 PAGES

A detailed account of the Change Tang reserve, Schaller's natural history is also a good overview of the adjoining Himalayan regions. His focus is on the Tibetan gazelle, chiru, blue sheep and other little-known ungulates, (TBT31, $27.50)

Concise Flowers of the Himalaya

Concise Flowers of the Himalaya


by Oleg Polunin | Adam Stainton

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 424 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

A condensed version of the classic Flowers of the Himalayas featuring the same 700 color photographs and 315 line drawings but with shorter descriptive information. (HML17, $25.00)

More Recommendations

Here are some other groups of books that might be of interest

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.