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The Noodle Maker of Kalimpong: The Untold Story of My Struggle for Tibet
Shortly before midnight on March 17, 1959, the Dalai Lama, without his glasses and dressed as an ordinary Tibetan solider, slipped out of his summer residence with only four aides at his side. At that moment, he became the symbolic head of the Tibetan government in exile, and Gyalo Thondup, the only one of the Dalai Lama's brothers not to don the robes of a Buddhist monk, became the fulcrum for the independence movement.
The Noodle Maker of Kalimpong tells the extraordinary story of the Dalai Lama's family, the exile of the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism from Tibet, and the enduring political crisis that has seen remote and bleakly beautiful Tibet all but disappear as an independent nation-state.
For the last sixty years, Gyalo Thondup has been at the at the heart of the epic struggle to protect and advance Tibet in the face of unreliable allies, overwhelming odds, and devious rivals, playing an utterly determined and unique role in a Cold War high-altitude superpower rivalry. Here, for the first time, he reveals how he found himself whisked between Chiang Kai-shek, Zhou Enlai, Jawaharlal Nehru, and the CIA, as he tried to secure, on behalf of his brother, the future of Tibet.
The Noodle Maker of Kalimpong tells the extraordinary story of the Dalai Lama's family, the exile of the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism from Tibet, and the enduring political crisis that has seen remote and bleakly beautiful Tibet all but disappear as an independent nation-state.
For the last sixty years, Gyalo Thondup has been at the at the heart of the epic struggle to protect and advance Tibet in the face of unreliable allies, overwhelming odds, and devious rivals, playing an utterly determined and unique role in a Cold War high-altitude superpower rivalry. Here, for the first time, he reveals how he found himself whisked between Chiang Kai-shek, Zhou Enlai, Jawaharlal Nehru, and the CIA, as he tried to secure, on behalf of his brother, the future of Tibet.
353 pages, Hardcover
First published March 5, 2015
68 people are currently reading
682 people want to read
About the author
Gyalo Thondup
3 books2 followersGyalo Thondup was the second-eldest brother of the 14th Dalai Lama. He often acted as the Dalai Lama's unofficial envoy.
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November 7, 2015
Gyalo Thondup, The Dali Lama’s brother, tells his story which gives the reader an inside look at recent the history of Tibet.
Thondup takes the reader through the Lama selection process and the changed status of his family when his brother was selected. His brothers became monks and Gyalo, who had been destined to support his parents in traditional ways, was selected instead to be educated in China. As the Chinese increased their control of Tibet, Gyalo, educated, traveled and multi-lingual, was able to serve in many ways.
There are many sad chapters telling of the continuing suffering of the Tibetans through combat, imprisonment, starvation and the loss of their civil rights in their own country. There are many examples of the complicity of Tibet's aristocrats and the government that propped them up.
The story of CIA involvement is reminiscent of the many attempts to use locals to take on well armed and firmly positioned communists in the 50s told in Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA. The source material for this is not dry government files, but from personal involvement. This is the first time I’ve read or heard the remorse of a survivor, since there have been so few.
Through his recounts of meetings with Nehru, Chaing Kai-Shek, Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping and lesser known officials, you get an inside look at how positions are negotiated, disinformation is spread and how the Dali Lama planned and made his flight to India in 1959.
The book begins and ends with Thondup’s retirement from politics in a new career as the owner of a noodle factory. He writes of his sadness at not being able to help his generation of Tibetans. Technology has brought more awareness of the world for today’s better education and he is guardedly optimistic for a better future.
Anne Thurston, cited as a co-author, contradicts some material in an Afterward. I have never seen this in a memoir. I presume there is a story here since some of the contradictions appear to be matters of opinion.
Thondup takes the reader through the Lama selection process and the changed status of his family when his brother was selected. His brothers became monks and Gyalo, who had been destined to support his parents in traditional ways, was selected instead to be educated in China. As the Chinese increased their control of Tibet, Gyalo, educated, traveled and multi-lingual, was able to serve in many ways.
There are many sad chapters telling of the continuing suffering of the Tibetans through combat, imprisonment, starvation and the loss of their civil rights in their own country. There are many examples of the complicity of Tibet's aristocrats and the government that propped them up.
The story of CIA involvement is reminiscent of the many attempts to use locals to take on well armed and firmly positioned communists in the 50s told in Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA. The source material for this is not dry government files, but from personal involvement. This is the first time I’ve read or heard the remorse of a survivor, since there have been so few.
Through his recounts of meetings with Nehru, Chaing Kai-Shek, Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping and lesser known officials, you get an inside look at how positions are negotiated, disinformation is spread and how the Dali Lama planned and made his flight to India in 1959.
The book begins and ends with Thondup’s retirement from politics in a new career as the owner of a noodle factory. He writes of his sadness at not being able to help his generation of Tibetans. Technology has brought more awareness of the world for today’s better education and he is guardedly optimistic for a better future.
Anne Thurston, cited as a co-author, contradicts some material in an Afterward. I have never seen this in a memoir. I presume there is a story here since some of the contradictions appear to be matters of opinion.
July 18, 2016
"The Noodle Maker of Kalimpong" rides a raw edge between nostalgia and pain. Very informative and interesting to see it from Gyalo Thondup's perspective. Possibly the most heart-breaking book I've ever read. I was in tears, enraged and compassionate all at once.
June 12, 2017
Most Americans think of Tibet as a sort of magical place wonderfully different from the world we know. This memoir by the Dalai Lama's older brother takes the magic out. Tibet was a country with huge inequalities of wealth and much intrigue and corruption. These problems carried into the exile community.
Mr. Thondup's co-writer, Anne F. Thurston, in her preface and afterword, brings information that you rarely encounter in a memoir. She readily recognizes that some of Thondup's statements are contradicted by other participants who have written about the same topics. This insight was very useful for a person like me who is not already knowledgeable about Tibet and the Tibetan Exile Community.
This book will not be the final word on modern history of Tibet, but it is a useful piece written by someone who was on the inside in many of the negotiations and intrigues that involving Tibet, India, China, and the USA.
Mr. Thondup's co-writer, Anne F. Thurston, in her preface and afterword, brings information that you rarely encounter in a memoir. She readily recognizes that some of Thondup's statements are contradicted by other participants who have written about the same topics. This insight was very useful for a person like me who is not already knowledgeable about Tibet and the Tibetan Exile Community.
This book will not be the final word on modern history of Tibet, but it is a useful piece written by someone who was on the inside in many of the negotiations and intrigues that involving Tibet, India, China, and the USA.
August 12, 2015
I loved this book. I learned so much about the history of Tibet and Buddhism as well as a lot about China and India. Loved learning how the new Dalai Lama was chosen, etc. I highly recommend it.
September 30, 2022
Already in the introduction does the book starts with nonsense " The chinese revolution was violent, bloody, and long and lasting and the violence was often perpetrated not by the millitary, the police or the party cadres but by ordinary people at the instigation of the part. Mao's evil genious was his ability to rouse Chinese people to turn violently against each other. His was a politics of hate." The love tenderness, and compassion and tolerance that are the Dali lamas unchanging message were anathema to Mao."
This is Horseshit, Change kei Sheik was a politics of hate.
On page 155-156
"Only on the eve of the Dali lama's departure did the visit turn sour. after behaving so politely to my brother , evincing such respect for buddhism and promising regional autonomy for Tibet the chairmans attitude unexpectedly changed. in their final meeting Mao suddenly declared tibetan buddhism was poision."
Firstly Mao said it reduces the population because monks and nuns must stay celibate and secondly it neglects material progress the Dali lama was shocked when Mao spoke those words. He felt a burning sensation all over his face he concluded that Mao was the destroyer of dharma after all"
I agree with Mao Tibetan buddhism is poison and neglects material progress.
On page 73 he says
The most important lessons i learned from those his studying Chinese history was "never in five thousand years had Tibet been part of China, and no Chinese historian had ever made that claim. Nothing i have learned since has suggested otherwise." I was inspired by president Lincoln emancipation of the slaves during the american civil war , which led me to wonder about the condition of Tibet's estates . I never saw our estates as a form of serfdom or slavery but I did realize they needed major reform."
On Chapter 13 page 129 he says
I had believed for year that tibet was in need of reforms, and had some ideas of my own how to bring them about. I believed that the time had come for major reconstructing of Tibet's thousand year old system of land ownership. Monasteries and the wealthy aristocrats needed to begin dividing up their estates , giving land to the people who farmed it. Peasents needed to be relieved of the onerous debts that were passed from one generation to the next. With a redistrubtion of land and forgiveness of debt, the lives of ordinary people would improve. The unity of Tibetan people would be restored." I wanted to use my family as an example we had five estates, we did not need so much land. I wanted to give our land to the people who were farming it. We did not need such a big house, either . Our house in Lhasa could become a school.
This proves Mao was correct he says Tibet needed reform.
On page 246 he says " in reflecting mistakes of the past, Wulanfu was unwilling to blame any single individual or group He describes the situation in Tibet as a legacy fo history. Lishi zaocheng de. " created by history" Wulanfu's view was different from Mao's and others in the communist party leadership. Mao blamed the problems In Tibet on the non-existent western imperialists and the feudal aristocratic class, who were in fact the communists closest collaborators. Wulanfu traced the problems back to the expansionist policies of the Manchu Dynasty that had successfully incorporated both Mongolia and large parts of the Tibetan province of Amdo and Kham into it's empire. Wulanfu's perspective, couching the Tibetan problem in terms of legacy of the Manchu expansionist made sense to me. Mao and the communists had inherited the Manchuns colonial mindset."
On page 266 and 267
"The gang of four was behind the chaos and the destruction of the cultural reovlution. later I had read about the atrocities commited by the germans during the second world war, but I thought the Chinese communist party in the last twenty years was worse than Hitler. The Chinese never built gas chambers, but they deliberately set out to kill as many Tibetans as they could through execution, starvation , torture , hard work and by driving people to suicide. This was deliberate . I do not know the exact number of people who died and would not want to guess. These numbers have unfortunately, have often been exaggerated. But as a percentage of the Tibetan population , the number of deaths in Tibet during those years was very high.
This is absolute bullshit Chang Kei Sheik was more like Hitler than Mao I recommend reading James Bradley the China Mirage.
At the end he writes on page 296
"The tibetans rose up in resistance in 1959 because they were oppressed by Chinese and because they resented Chinese trying to destroy their traditional way of life. They fought out of anger and desperation, not because they really believed the could drive the Chinese out. They were not thinking of the consequences of their resistance and many never really believed that they could win. But we were desperate for help in our struggle , and for a while we thought the CIA could give it .
What good was the support from CIA? Not much. In reality all the CIA did was to train a few people and drop them a few arms into Tibet. The arms they sent were never really enough. If the United states really wanted to help , the least they could have done would have been to supply enough arms and equipment for the Tibetans to put up a good fight. But the resistance fighters did not even have enough weapons to do that. For this , I still resent the united states. Our cooperation with the CIA provoked the Chinese , providing them the excuse they needed for launching a massive reprisals against both the resistance fighters and the Tibetan people. Tens of thousands of Tibetans were killed as a result. My role with the CIA still weighs heavily on my conscience. I have remained silent about this for decades, too. But now I have to tell the truth. Our cooperation With the CIA was wrong. We should not have taken the paltry support the CIA offered. If we had not collaborated with the CIA , if we had not taken the little bit of assistance the CIA was willing to give, the Chinese would not have had an excuse to kill so many Tibetans. Our collaboration led to death of many, many innocent people. It was not only our people the Chinese killed. They tried to kill our culture too. What I did by working with the CIA contributed to the complete destruction of the Tibetan culture. This reality caused me Terrible pain. This is what has haunted me for so many years. This is what is on my conscience. I cannot get those events out of my mind. I feel guilty this is my great regret. And What have I accomplished? It is still to early to tell. Nothing yet. The situation in Tibet is still not settled. His holiness the Dali lama has not yet returned home. There is still no relief. To think of any accomplishments now would be foolish.
This is a strange and complicated world. In 1945, with the end of the second world war and the establishment of the United nations, a wave of de-colonisation and self determination swept through Asia and Africa at the same time that Mao Zedong invaded and started to colonize Tibet and xinjiang. And all those nations that had clamoured for de-colonisation and self-determination remined silent. None of them made any noise about the colonisation of Tibet.
But we Tibetans are completly different from the Chinese. we are a different people our culture and our language, our religion, , our customs, our system of political rule. Everything about us is different from Chinese. The same is true for xinjiang too. And Mongolia. We have all been colonized , and the Chinese contineu to rely on force to supress us.
More ahistorical nonsense about Tibet and lies about China. The only thing good about the book is that he acknowledged his collaboration with USA.
"Perhaps in the next decade of the cold war between Russia, China and the United States will finally be settle, too. We must hope that the United states comes out of top. I have hopes for the United states and I have hope for Tibet".
This proves he is a moron after regretting getting help by CIA.
This is Horseshit, Change kei Sheik was a politics of hate.
On page 155-156
"Only on the eve of the Dali lama's departure did the visit turn sour. after behaving so politely to my brother , evincing such respect for buddhism and promising regional autonomy for Tibet the chairmans attitude unexpectedly changed. in their final meeting Mao suddenly declared tibetan buddhism was poision."
Firstly Mao said it reduces the population because monks and nuns must stay celibate and secondly it neglects material progress the Dali lama was shocked when Mao spoke those words. He felt a burning sensation all over his face he concluded that Mao was the destroyer of dharma after all"
I agree with Mao Tibetan buddhism is poison and neglects material progress.
On page 73 he says
The most important lessons i learned from those his studying Chinese history was "never in five thousand years had Tibet been part of China, and no Chinese historian had ever made that claim. Nothing i have learned since has suggested otherwise." I was inspired by president Lincoln emancipation of the slaves during the american civil war , which led me to wonder about the condition of Tibet's estates . I never saw our estates as a form of serfdom or slavery but I did realize they needed major reform."
On Chapter 13 page 129 he says
I had believed for year that tibet was in need of reforms, and had some ideas of my own how to bring them about. I believed that the time had come for major reconstructing of Tibet's thousand year old system of land ownership. Monasteries and the wealthy aristocrats needed to begin dividing up their estates , giving land to the people who farmed it. Peasents needed to be relieved of the onerous debts that were passed from one generation to the next. With a redistrubtion of land and forgiveness of debt, the lives of ordinary people would improve. The unity of Tibetan people would be restored." I wanted to use my family as an example we had five estates, we did not need so much land. I wanted to give our land to the people who were farming it. We did not need such a big house, either . Our house in Lhasa could become a school.
This proves Mao was correct he says Tibet needed reform.
On page 246 he says " in reflecting mistakes of the past, Wulanfu was unwilling to blame any single individual or group He describes the situation in Tibet as a legacy fo history. Lishi zaocheng de. " created by history" Wulanfu's view was different from Mao's and others in the communist party leadership. Mao blamed the problems In Tibet on the non-existent western imperialists and the feudal aristocratic class, who were in fact the communists closest collaborators. Wulanfu traced the problems back to the expansionist policies of the Manchu Dynasty that had successfully incorporated both Mongolia and large parts of the Tibetan province of Amdo and Kham into it's empire. Wulanfu's perspective, couching the Tibetan problem in terms of legacy of the Manchu expansionist made sense to me. Mao and the communists had inherited the Manchuns colonial mindset."
On page 266 and 267
"The gang of four was behind the chaos and the destruction of the cultural reovlution. later I had read about the atrocities commited by the germans during the second world war, but I thought the Chinese communist party in the last twenty years was worse than Hitler. The Chinese never built gas chambers, but they deliberately set out to kill as many Tibetans as they could through execution, starvation , torture , hard work and by driving people to suicide. This was deliberate . I do not know the exact number of people who died and would not want to guess. These numbers have unfortunately, have often been exaggerated. But as a percentage of the Tibetan population , the number of deaths in Tibet during those years was very high.
This is absolute bullshit Chang Kei Sheik was more like Hitler than Mao I recommend reading James Bradley the China Mirage.
At the end he writes on page 296
"The tibetans rose up in resistance in 1959 because they were oppressed by Chinese and because they resented Chinese trying to destroy their traditional way of life. They fought out of anger and desperation, not because they really believed the could drive the Chinese out. They were not thinking of the consequences of their resistance and many never really believed that they could win. But we were desperate for help in our struggle , and for a while we thought the CIA could give it .
What good was the support from CIA? Not much. In reality all the CIA did was to train a few people and drop them a few arms into Tibet. The arms they sent were never really enough. If the United states really wanted to help , the least they could have done would have been to supply enough arms and equipment for the Tibetans to put up a good fight. But the resistance fighters did not even have enough weapons to do that. For this , I still resent the united states. Our cooperation with the CIA provoked the Chinese , providing them the excuse they needed for launching a massive reprisals against both the resistance fighters and the Tibetan people. Tens of thousands of Tibetans were killed as a result. My role with the CIA still weighs heavily on my conscience. I have remained silent about this for decades, too. But now I have to tell the truth. Our cooperation With the CIA was wrong. We should not have taken the paltry support the CIA offered. If we had not collaborated with the CIA , if we had not taken the little bit of assistance the CIA was willing to give, the Chinese would not have had an excuse to kill so many Tibetans. Our collaboration led to death of many, many innocent people. It was not only our people the Chinese killed. They tried to kill our culture too. What I did by working with the CIA contributed to the complete destruction of the Tibetan culture. This reality caused me Terrible pain. This is what has haunted me for so many years. This is what is on my conscience. I cannot get those events out of my mind. I feel guilty this is my great regret. And What have I accomplished? It is still to early to tell. Nothing yet. The situation in Tibet is still not settled. His holiness the Dali lama has not yet returned home. There is still no relief. To think of any accomplishments now would be foolish.
This is a strange and complicated world. In 1945, with the end of the second world war and the establishment of the United nations, a wave of de-colonisation and self determination swept through Asia and Africa at the same time that Mao Zedong invaded and started to colonize Tibet and xinjiang. And all those nations that had clamoured for de-colonisation and self-determination remined silent. None of them made any noise about the colonisation of Tibet.
But we Tibetans are completly different from the Chinese. we are a different people our culture and our language, our religion, , our customs, our system of political rule. Everything about us is different from Chinese. The same is true for xinjiang too. And Mongolia. We have all been colonized , and the Chinese contineu to rely on force to supress us.
More ahistorical nonsense about Tibet and lies about China. The only thing good about the book is that he acknowledged his collaboration with USA.
"Perhaps in the next decade of the cold war between Russia, China and the United States will finally be settle, too. We must hope that the United states comes out of top. I have hopes for the United states and I have hope for Tibet".
This proves he is a moron after regretting getting help by CIA.
June 5, 2016
A personal account of Gyalo Thondup's life and Tibet's story told with the help of Anne F. Thurston. There are many scares and painful memories in this narrative. But Gyalo Thondup has graciously described his early years in Kham, his brother's enthroning as Dalai Lama, the Chinese occupation, and years of resistance movement. CIA's support has been widely discussed in many other books, but Gyalo Thondup tries to shed light on how the americans had half-heartedly supported the movement- more so as a cold war tactic and not out of genuine concern. The book has shorter sentences, I am assuming that Thurston has reconstructed the book from various interviews- hence the feel to it. Apart from the struggle, the historical networks that had connected Himalayan region are illustrated through the narratives: Bhutan, Sikkim, Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Nepal, Tibet, and China. Thondup steps out from the shadows of his brother, Dalai Lama, as a personality of his own, and retells a story that most know from either side of the spectrum- as someone who was in the midst of it all.
August 27, 2015
I've read quite a bit of Tibetan history, but I found this book particularly interesting. It deals with some areas of Tibet's recent history that were new to me - for example the details of the nasty power struggles that went on during the time of the Regency, the role of India in trying (fruitlessly) to advise the Tibetan government before the Chinese invasion, and of course the involvement of the CIA in training and supplying the resistance movement.
As the Dalai Lama's older brother, educated in China, Gyalo Thondup is ideally placed to add to the story of Tibet and the Tibetans in recent history. It's wonderful that he has decided to tell his version of events. Some of his accounts of what happened - as well as why and who did what - are quite controversial, but it is his personal take on history that makes it all so fascinating.
The book is thoroughly researched and very well written. Thanks and Tashi Delek to Gyalo Thondup and his co-writer Anne F. Thurston.
As the Dalai Lama's older brother, educated in China, Gyalo Thondup is ideally placed to add to the story of Tibet and the Tibetans in recent history. It's wonderful that he has decided to tell his version of events. Some of his accounts of what happened - as well as why and who did what - are quite controversial, but it is his personal take on history that makes it all so fascinating.
The book is thoroughly researched and very well written. Thanks and Tashi Delek to Gyalo Thondup and his co-writer Anne F. Thurston.
June 16, 2015
Thondup, the current Dalai Lama’s elder brother, writes his story (through a chinese specialist) about his family and the history of Tibet since the Chinese occupation.
Thondup and the Dalai Lama were in the same household, but decidedly separate. The Dalai Lama was destined to “cultivate and practice love, tenderness, compassion and tolerance,” while Thondup was destined to the grittiness of international political intrigue: among Tibet, China, Great Britain, US, and India.
Wholly enlightening, in the historic sense. I admit that I did not focus on the names and place names. I skimmed the names to focus on the goal of understanding the sense of what happened. I got it! Read this book....we need to know.
(My disappointment: Buddhists can be just as human and treacherous as the rest of us. Sad.)
Thondup and the Dalai Lama were in the same household, but decidedly separate. The Dalai Lama was destined to “cultivate and practice love, tenderness, compassion and tolerance,” while Thondup was destined to the grittiness of international political intrigue: among Tibet, China, Great Britain, US, and India.
Wholly enlightening, in the historic sense. I admit that I did not focus on the names and place names. I skimmed the names to focus on the goal of understanding the sense of what happened. I got it! Read this book....we need to know.
(My disappointment: Buddhists can be just as human and treacherous as the rest of us. Sad.)
December 17, 2019
This book reveals the darker side of Tibetan Internal Power Struggles. It breaks the traditional image of a very peaceful Tibetan Buddhist Society. They are not much different than the outside world, with each group trying to promote themselves. Gyalo Thondup has been bold in his narrative and rightly criticised the Countries who were trying to promote their interests under the garb of support. A reasonably detailed description of the horrors committed by the Chinese Government for occupying Tibet .The destruction of Tibetan Monasteries, burning the manuscripts is quite disturbing. Gyalo has been frank in pointing out the missed opportunities for a compromise with the Chinese Government. Overall a good book to read for understanding the situation in Tibet
September 6, 2015
A story that I haven't heard before. A story that I could not have had hear in the future. A story that would have got diluted. Thank you for this book, we can think that this book is not an ultimate truth but this is something we can refer back from the future when we go on reading other's stories. A must read book for all the Tibetan youngsters who cannot rich the political thinking of our country. The deterioration of relationship between China and Tibet was disheartening. This book has brought me smile, laugh, frustrated and finally tears.
January 8, 2025
As someone with little understanding of Tibet’s tumultuous history, this book was both a harrowing and enlightening read.
Gyalo’s deep nostalgia and overwhelming helplessness in the face of the Tibetan struggle brought to light the painful political and cultural upheaval that shaped the region’s fate.
The chapters on Opportunity Lost Again and Again were profoundly heartbreaking, leaving me with a lingering sense of sorrow for the many missed chances and the enduring suffering.
Gyalo’s deep nostalgia and overwhelming helplessness in the face of the Tibetan struggle brought to light the painful political and cultural upheaval that shaped the region’s fate.
The chapters on Opportunity Lost Again and Again were profoundly heartbreaking, leaving me with a lingering sense of sorrow for the many missed chances and the enduring suffering.
June 29, 2015
Every chapter turns out to be more unbelievable than the previous one. Like co author of the book insights some of the arguments are hard to believe or inadequately proved. Many of the Exile Tibetan street rumors are exposed with details of their origins & background irrespective of their authenticity.
September 7, 2022
The blurb seemed very interesting. But the book is written as a transactional, unemotional documentary - a journal of everything that happened through the years - recounting the journey minus the emotions. Couldn't really pull me in.
December 25, 2017
A no holds barred biography by Gyalo Thondup - the brother of the current and 14th Dalai Lama is very informative and relatively factual about the early years in the Thondup household to the rise of the Dalai Lama. Whilst the political intrigue and navigation of international murky waters are brought up in snapshots with Russian, Indian, American and Chinese involvement in the Tibetan struggle , I am sure the author has withheld more than he has shared but provided an interesting glimpse into some of the big names like Chiang Kai Shek, B N Mullick , Nehru playing a cameo role in this story. The way he contrasts this mystical Tibet where Tibetans in exile hope of returning to the harsh realities of a society left behind in time is hard hitting. Also of interest is how the co-author has a section where she highlights her opinions of examples where she expects the reader to not take it at face value which I haven't usually seen in a biography and tries to balance out the controversies some of the allegations made could (may have) triggered. I have never seen / imagined a younger Dalai Lama and the family photographs Gyalo shares are of utmost interest capturing a slice of a regular family that became the epicentre of one of the longest running geo political events in modern day history.
August 10, 2023
Interesting life story of the Dallas Lama’s older brother and the modern history of Tibet. Adds so much texture and nuance to the bare bones impression of Tibet’s struggle to get out from under Chinese
Occupation. I also found his co-author (editor?) Anne Thurston’s forward and afterward interesting as she acknowledges the pieces of the story that do not coincide with the accounts of others. Having those acknowledged highlights the challenge of writing history. I also found it interesting to see how a young, naive adult got thrown into the circles of world leaders as he worked to save, reform, and protect his brother and Tibet. I found that part amazing. It got a bit dry in places and keeping everyone straight in some areas, as I found the audio of Tibetan names difficult for me to keep straight. A very worth-while read for anyone interested in that part of the world.
Occupation. I also found his co-author (editor?) Anne Thurston’s forward and afterward interesting as she acknowledges the pieces of the story that do not coincide with the accounts of others. Having those acknowledged highlights the challenge of writing history. I also found it interesting to see how a young, naive adult got thrown into the circles of world leaders as he worked to save, reform, and protect his brother and Tibet. I found that part amazing. It got a bit dry in places and keeping everyone straight in some areas, as I found the audio of Tibetan names difficult for me to keep straight. A very worth-while read for anyone interested in that part of the world.
June 21, 2017
I had no idea what this book was about when I started reading it, but I mostly liked it. I found it a little bit slow at times, but if I had more interest in/knowledge of Tibet and the regional history I probably would have been more engaged. I do feel more informed about Tibet's struggle as a result of the book, which is satisfying. My biggest complaint was actually the author's commentary at the beginning and end on how some of Gyalo Thondup's (the Dalai Lama's brother) memories and interpretations of history may not be accurate. While interesting, it seemed unnecessary and a bit odd for an autobiography.
February 28, 2019
This has been one of the most interesting reads. I have always been wanting to learn more about Tibet and its people's struggles and this book written by Mr. Thondup and Ms. Thurston gave a lot of insights. For example I wasn't aware of the power struggle among the people in His Holiness Dalai Lam's inner circles and how some of the actions taken by them added further problems to their already complicated existence under the shadow of a mighty power right next door.
While its sad to see how a generally peace loving nation has to survive in exile, I am thoroughly impressed by the optimism in the people including His Holiness. Loved how the book ends "Remember we have to get back home!"
While its sad to see how a generally peace loving nation has to survive in exile, I am thoroughly impressed by the optimism in the people including His Holiness. Loved how the book ends "Remember we have to get back home!"
March 13, 2022
This is a really well written and interesting account of Tibetan history. It’s a memoir of Gyalo Thondup as his brother is selected as the Dali’s Lama. Having not much of a knowledge base of Tibetan culture or their struggles with China, I was fully captivated in listening to his story. It accounts on how Lamas are chosen, culture of the provinces, history and current Tibetan struggles and relations. If anyone is looking to learn a bit more about the world, I would highly recommend this as a choice for your next read.
Rating four stars vice 5 just because it does have a couple misrepresentations of events. Overall though, I really enjoyed listening to this as an audiobook.
Rating four stars vice 5 just because it does have a couple misrepresentations of events. Overall though, I really enjoyed listening to this as an audiobook.
October 10, 2019
Wonderful detail and in-depth account of Tibet from the perspective of the Dalai Lama's brother. At times quite painfully describing missed opportunities and missteps contributing to the Chinese occupation of Tibet and its continuation. This account helps outsiders understand the context including the main characters who played significant roles. At the end, the biographer also includes her own perspectives on issues upon which she disagrees with Gyalo Thondrup, which was a nice way to ensure that his story is primarily his.
November 19, 2022
I do not pretend to know much about Tibet, but this memoir of the Dalai Lama’s brother comes across as a politically naive, self-serving, and not totally credible history of modern Tibet and it’s dysfunctional relationship with Communist China. The author’s education in China, his relationships there, and his understanding of Chinese culture (as flawed as it was) might have been of great benefit to Tibet, but it appears to me that together they compromised his loyalties to his country and culture. Note: the narration of this audiobook was stilted and detracted from the content.
March 16, 2025
Fascinating book which gives real insight into the Pre Chineses invasion world of Tibet. It will
Also dispel many of the myths about Old Tibet being some kind of Shangri La ! The sufferings of the Tibetan people under the Chinese Communist regime are unbearable and the long term inability of the ancient Tibetan regime to deal with it make it even more so. One doubts, at times about the historical veracity of some of the events , especially the unexplained disappearance of vast amounts of Tibetan gold but as an insight into the inner workings of the Tibetan government it is invaluable .
Also dispel many of the myths about Old Tibet being some kind of Shangri La ! The sufferings of the Tibetan people under the Chinese Communist regime are unbearable and the long term inability of the ancient Tibetan regime to deal with it make it even more so. One doubts, at times about the historical veracity of some of the events , especially the unexplained disappearance of vast amounts of Tibetan gold but as an insight into the inner workings of the Tibetan government it is invaluable .
May 5, 2022
Finally completed the book! While reading the book I felt I could never finish it. I knew now why I didn't wanna complete it I didn't wanna reach the year 1959 as we all know what happened that year. I finished it after my sister complained about how stuck I was on a book for so long. Thank God I finally finished it.
About the book it felt kind of a propaganda of the Author to brainwash the minds of Tibetan youngster. In this book Gyalo Thondup was shown as the most influential person of Tibet. Though we all know that
About the book it felt kind of a propaganda of the Author to brainwash the minds of Tibetan youngster. In this book Gyalo Thondup was shown as the most influential person of Tibet. Though we all know that
October 12, 2017
I’m not sure what to believe about any of the historical references made. The co-author doesn’t believe the author. I don’t know enough about Tibetan history so I can only say that I listened up to the end of the story. I did learn about the turmoil but just from one man’s point of view. Everyone has a story and this was his.
April 27, 2019
This was a super interesting book. I knew nothing about the history of Tibet and China before this. It was well written and easy to follow. The fact that a white lady got the last word on the memories of a person of color is problematic but even then it’s a reminder to read a memoir as a recount of a persons memories and is not how other people remember those same events.
Reader Harder #9
Reader Harder #9
July 12, 2025
I was expecting a spiritual autobiography when I picked up this book, but it turned out to be a fascinating history lesson about Tibet and its relationship with China, India, US and Taiwan. The author chronicled his interactions with the prominent political figures in these countries and the predicament of Tibet. It’s definitely sparked an interest to learn more about this part of history.
November 19, 2025
Wish l read it before. This is a remarkable story of a man who lived all. He was at the epicenter of the 20th century. Of course, he aims to justify his choices, clears himself sometimes etc but these are expected in an autobiography. Still it doesn't take anything away from the book, it's incredibly interesting to see events around Tibet from his perspective.
May 4, 2017
Picked this book up upon the recommedation of my driver/tourist guide while driving through the North of Sikkim in India. It is very well written and details the Tibetian politics and how the current situation with China came about. Easy to read historical summary!
March 21, 2020
A wonderfully written, interesting and informative book which allows history to not be boring and tells about the life of a remarkable man. It sheds light on an important issue and a deeply saddening history that we tend to ignore.
April 20, 2020
The first hand account of struggle and pain the tibetains went through facing the global politicial situations running in the background made this a insightful read. Hope tibetians find peace and will soon get back their homeland with the blessing of Dalai lama.
May 26, 2020
This is the life story of one of the elder brother of the Dalai Lama. It takes you through the journey he embarked on since the 1930s in dealing with Tibet's occupation and engagement with foreign nations regards to the Tibetan struggle
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