Himalaya: A Human History Paperback – August 27, 2020

This amazing book had received enough public reviews to need any further. I am grateful to find this book and, through its pages, to travel, both in time and space, to one of the beautiful corners of our world. Instead I would turn my attention to the author, and to his stunningly detailed description of the history, people and meanings of a place that is only accessible to a few from our civilized world. The combination of adventure and knowledge, melding together in Ed Douglas’s experience is what strikes me the most. And his ability to synthesize everything to tell the story to the world is what we have to be thankful for.

For those with a serious interest in the Himalayas this is a very enjoyable and informative book. The author has traveled through the whole area; has climbed the mountains of Nepal and driven across the endless Tibetan plateau and his love of the landscape and its history comes through. I found it a true joy to read. But for those without serious interest in the area, the details of Tibetan religious politics or conflicts among hill tribes must seem mind numbing.Much of what you would expect about a general, non-academic book on the Himalayas is covered. Geology of its formation, the geography, the climate, and the fauna and flora, the peoples and their genetics (there is an interesting few pages on Denisovian genes present in Tibetans) and of course the history of the politics and the religions is covered well. Western interest and involvement in the region--from the commercial interest of the East India Company, the concerns of the British Empire, and the fascination of the scholars, the botanists, the linguists and the unfortunates who feel the need to climb every mountain they see is also covered well.Tibetan history is covered in detail, including Buddhist history. (the close links between Mongol rulers of China, and the lineage of the Dalai Lamas may surprise some.) Nepali history is also covered well. Things not known about by the average student such as the Guge kingdom of Western Tibet, and its links to Ladakh are written about well. What is not covered is Kashmir with its history dominated by Central Asians and Moslems. No doubt Kashmir, the Hindu Kush and the Karakoram could have a whole book written about them, with their common history.The book is based entirely on secondary sources and the author's travels and personal knowledge. The author is a journalist who brings a practiced journalistic, sometimes poetic eye to the proceedings> It breaks no new ground, but nevertheless should be in every library with a section on the Himalayas.

For those who expect a climbing book, they may well be disappointed. The Himalayas represent far more than a synonym for climbing adventures stories. Of those, there are plenty. However, for those who read and thoroughly enjoyed his seminal work on Tensing Norgay, Douglas presents the Himalayas and the cultures who people them, with an equally intellectual scale, tackling the history of one of the last frontiers on the planet. Time, distance and language are all barriers for modern people, hoping to find some lost significance modern life lacks, by organizing the past, searching for new lessons within the contexts of the old. Douglas provides a lot of good context, for even newbies to Tibet and its environs.By intertwining his personal journeys with geological and geographical information allows a reader to observe, (seemingly in real time), the Himalayas rise from its origins on the sea floor. Reminiscent of Peter Matthiessen in his intimate epic, The Snow Leopard, the whorl and mysteries of Tibet unfold under Douglas' creative cartography. Explorers come in all shapes an sizes and Douglas earned his stripes as a historian (he did that in Tensing). His vista is much, much wider here.

Although I have not started this book yet, as I am currently reading 'Moscow 1812' by Adam Zamoyski, I am totally satisfied by this vendor's pricing and shipment. I will recommend this seller to whomever desires a good read at a great price!

I am still n the middle of this comprehensive history of these mountains, which my son and I trekked into twice about 20 years ago. Great narrative and lots of maps and photos. I look forward to the description of western hikers’ quest to summit Everest. Right now I am half way through abc into the 1850’s. Steve

The book is extremely well researched, well written, and readable. In terms of my expectations, there was far more detail, less modern history, and less mountaineering-related material.The book doesn't contain footnotes or endnotes, although the author explains why he didn't include them. To his credit, he takes the time to recommend important sources. The book also contains a bibliography.

This was a tedious read. The author has tried to cover too many subjects in one book: mountain climbing, Nepali history, Buddhist history, China/India relations and many more. It is too long and complicated to be a fun read. It is, however, an education in itself.

Douglas provides a deep understanding of Bhuddist traditions and their antecedants, as well as more recent socio-political history (last several hundred years) of northern India, what is now Pakistan, as well as Nepal and Tibet. There is a lot to digest, at a level of detail that may easily put off the casual reader, but for anyone who has developed an interest in this part of Asia, or who has lived there (I was a Peace Corps Nepal volunteer for several years in the 1960's), the book is absolute catnip, and the scholarship is first rate. Read on and you will be amply rewarded. What I also appreciated were the footnotes and comprehensive bibliography, that led me back to my library, as it stimulated additional reading, along with many memories of life in pre-tourist Nepal and the Tibetian frontier.