Captured in Tibet

9780195815702

019581570X

Although the Chinese invasion of Tibet and the subsequent Communist program of Cultural Revolution forty years ago destroyed most of the monasteries, ancient shrines, and much of Tibetan art, remnants of that ancient civilization--including the tenets of Buddhism and the Middle Way--continue to fascinate the world at large. The fortieth anniversary of the Chinese invasion of Tibet holds great personal significance for Robert Ford, who in 1950 while working as a radio officer for the government of Tibet, was the only Westerner to witness the invasion. The invading Chinese took him captive and held him prisoner until 1955, accusing him of espionage, anti-Communist propaganda, and murder. First published in 1957, Captured in Tibet recounts Ford's experiences in bringing radio communications to Tibet. Ford writes movingly of his years in captivity and of his captors' attempts to reform his thinking. This new edition contains a foreword by Nobel laureate the Dalai Lama and a postscript by Ford which brings the story fully up to date.