Among Warriors-A Woman Martial Artist in Tibet

by Pamela Logan

1998

Description

In the fortress that is Tibet no place is more remote than the province of Kham and no people more elusive than the Khampa, the fierce horsemen who for twenty-five years waged a relentless guerrilla war against the Chinese occupation. InAmong Warriors, a different kind of warrior sets out to find the Khampa: Pamela Logan, an American with a Ph.D. in aerospace science, and a third-degree black belt in karate. Logan cycles, hitchhikes, and treks across the windswept plateaus and icy mountain passes of eastern Tibet. She drinks tea with monks and herdsmen, dodges Chinese police, and watches in awe as religious pilgrims inch their way toward Lhasa by prostrating themselves at every body length. Writing with vast sensory power and sympathy, Logan produces a gem that will captivate those interested in Buddhism, the martial arts, and one of the world's last inaccessible regions. "[Logan] writes of getting to Lhasa with all the wistfulness of Chekhov's three sisters dreaming of Moscow."--New York Times Book Review… (more)

Library's review

'(Logan) writes of getting to Lhasa with all the wistfulness of Chekhov's three sisters dreaming of Moscow.'-The New York Times Book Review

In the fortress that is Tibet no place is more remote than the province of Kham and no people more elusive than the Khampa, the fierce horsemen who for
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twenty-five years waged a relentless guerrilla war against the Chinese occupation. In this breathtakingly vivid book, another kind of warrior sets out to find them. Pamela Logan holds a third-degree black belt in karate-and she brings to her search for the Khampa the same discipine, concentrated attention, and disregard for limits that helped her master her martial art.

In Among Warriors, Logan cycles, hitchhikes, and treks across the windswept plateaus and icy mountain passes of eastern Tibet. She drinks tea with monks and herdsmen, dodges Chineses police, and watches in awe as religious pilgrims inch their way toward Lhasa by prostrating themselves at every body length. Writing with vast sensory power and sympathy for an embattled culture, Logan produces a gem of travel writing that will captivate anyone interested in Buddhism, the martial arts, or one of the world's last inaccessible regions.

'In the tradition of Peter Mattiessen's Snow Leopard, this extraordinary book will fascinate and enrich those interested in Buddhism, Tibetan culture, or anyone who chooses to push themselves to their physical limits.'-Bodhi Tree Bookstore Magazine

Contents

Maps
1 Asia
2 The Tibetan plateau
3 Amdo, Golok, and Kham
4 The Karakoram Highway
5 Nepal trekking routes
Prevace
1 In the beginning
2 In Tibet
3 Kumbum
4 Teachers
5 A hard ride
6 Labrang
7 Compassion
8 'Know the enemy, and know yourself'
9 Kham
10 A Tibetan friend
11 Pilgrims
12 The men in green
13 Attachment
14 Release
15 Return to Kham
16 On a pilgrimage with Tibetans
17 Palpung
18 Baiya
19 Unexpected meeting
20 The koan of unfulfilled longing
21 Changing scenery
22 Full circle
23 Eh Hol!
24 The ninety-ninth mile
25 The last practice
References and bibliography
Guide to pronouncing foreign terms
Glossary
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ISBN

375700765

Publication

Vintage Departures Vintage books A division of Random House New York
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