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A Ride on a Tiger: The Curious Travels of Victor Jacquemont
The story of a French man who lived a short but vibrant life of travel and debauchery. Victor Jacquemont, notably charming, was friends with Stendahl, Lafayette, and Baron Humboldt. This is the story of his scientific and political missions in and around India and Tibet. He helped the British in their attempt to gain a foothold on the Indian subcontinent and took part in an invasion into what is now Tibet.
221 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1954
About the author
David Stacton
53 books10 followersAka Bud Clifton
David Derek Stacton (1925–1968) was a U.S. novelist, historian and poet. He was born on 25 April 1925 in Minden, Nevada. Stacton attended Stanford University from 1941–43, and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1951. He served in the Civilian Public Service as a conscientious objector then lived in Europe from 1950–1954, 1960–1962, and 1964–1965. Stacton wrote under the pseudonyms Carse Boyd, Bud Clifton, David Dereksen and David West. Most of his books were originally published in England. He died of a stroke 19 January 1968 in Fredensborg, Denmark.
Stacton's novels are often low in dialogue, and his better novels are instead full of his witty scornful comments on his characters and life. At his best Stacton had an epigrammatic style and enjoyed a sophisticated irony, although antipathetic critics took him to task for pretentious vocabulary, a tendency to florid paradoxes, and anachronistic allusions (i.e. describing a 14th century Zen garden using phrases from Marianne Moore and Peter Pan). In 1963, Time magazine praised his work as "masses of epigrams marinated in a stinging mixture of metaphysics and blood" and suggested that "something similar might have been the result if the Duc de la Rochefoucauld had written novels with plots suggested by Jack London". His other literary influences include Walter Pater, for his choice of characters with frustrated artistic and emotional longings, and Lytton Strachey for his witty attention to history. Several of Stacton's novels feature homosexual characters prominently. Fans of David Stacton include John Crowley, Thomas M. Disch, and Peter Beagle.
David Derek Stacton (1925–1968) was a U.S. novelist, historian and poet. He was born on 25 April 1925 in Minden, Nevada. Stacton attended Stanford University from 1941–43, and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1951. He served in the Civilian Public Service as a conscientious objector then lived in Europe from 1950–1954, 1960–1962, and 1964–1965. Stacton wrote under the pseudonyms Carse Boyd, Bud Clifton, David Dereksen and David West. Most of his books were originally published in England. He died of a stroke 19 January 1968 in Fredensborg, Denmark.
Stacton's novels are often low in dialogue, and his better novels are instead full of his witty scornful comments on his characters and life. At his best Stacton had an epigrammatic style and enjoyed a sophisticated irony, although antipathetic critics took him to task for pretentious vocabulary, a tendency to florid paradoxes, and anachronistic allusions (i.e. describing a 14th century Zen garden using phrases from Marianne Moore and Peter Pan). In 1963, Time magazine praised his work as "masses of epigrams marinated in a stinging mixture of metaphysics and blood" and suggested that "something similar might have been the result if the Duc de la Rochefoucauld had written novels with plots suggested by Jack London". His other literary influences include Walter Pater, for his choice of characters with frustrated artistic and emotional longings, and Lytton Strachey for his witty attention to history. Several of Stacton's novels feature homosexual characters prominently. Fans of David Stacton include John Crowley, Thomas M. Disch, and Peter Beagle.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 27, 2026
A completely fascinating and wonderful book which I was pleased to discover has not completely vanished from memory; on the site https://www.billbuxton.com/climbing.h... amongst many books he consulted is this one of which he writes:
"This is a very readable biography of Victor Jacquemont, a French botanist who traveled in India around 1830. He visited the north west Himalaya, including a brief excursion into Tibet, and had protracted stays in Lahore, as the guest of Ranjit Singh and Kashmir, as a guest of Gulag Singh. Jacquemont's account could just as easily be entitled, "How to use your charm to travel like a king at other people's expense." In many ways, this is the story of one of the most audacious characters that one could encounter. He seemed to feel superior to everyone who was not French, and take it for granted that, with the right introductions (which he shamelessly procured), others should clearly treat him well. Despite being poor, but of good family, and dying relatively young, he knew almost everyone there was to know in France and in India. Fascinating. See also the edition of Jacquemont's letters edited by Phillips."
which is a wonderful summation of this biography and it is wonderful to see that it is not completely forgotten - though you wouldn't know it from consulting Jacquemont's Wikipedia entry. I did not read this biography because of Jacquemont but because of David Stacton (a writer of some exquisite prose and fine novels who is virtually forgotten today) but the discovery of Jacquemont was a great pleasure because he is, in English speaking lands, as forgotten as Stacton though like him he deserves to be rediscovered. Perhaps via this biography someone will discover them botth.
"This is a very readable biography of Victor Jacquemont, a French botanist who traveled in India around 1830. He visited the north west Himalaya, including a brief excursion into Tibet, and had protracted stays in Lahore, as the guest of Ranjit Singh and Kashmir, as a guest of Gulag Singh. Jacquemont's account could just as easily be entitled, "How to use your charm to travel like a king at other people's expense." In many ways, this is the story of one of the most audacious characters that one could encounter. He seemed to feel superior to everyone who was not French, and take it for granted that, with the right introductions (which he shamelessly procured), others should clearly treat him well. Despite being poor, but of good family, and dying relatively young, he knew almost everyone there was to know in France and in India. Fascinating. See also the edition of Jacquemont's letters edited by Phillips."
which is a wonderful summation of this biography and it is wonderful to see that it is not completely forgotten - though you wouldn't know it from consulting Jacquemont's Wikipedia entry. I did not read this biography because of Jacquemont but because of David Stacton (a writer of some exquisite prose and fine novels who is virtually forgotten today) but the discovery of Jacquemont was a great pleasure because he is, in English speaking lands, as forgotten as Stacton though like him he deserves to be rediscovered. Perhaps via this biography someone will discover them botth.
Displaying 1 of 1 review