Himalaya

by Michael Palin

Overview

'A battleground of immense geological forces that is a centre of human tectonics as well, with sacred and secular, tradition and technology, all pushing up against each other . . .'

In Himalaya, Michael Palin travels the length of the world's most astonishing mountain range from its origins in the Khyber Pass to its final descent to the sea in the Bay of Bengal. Along the way he encounters landscapes both beautiful and deadly - and meets the extraordinary people who make these mountains their home.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781474625777
Publisher:	Orion Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/13/2024
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.25(h) x 9.00(d)

About the Author

Michael Palin has written and starred in numerous TV programmes and films, from Monty Python and Ripping Yarns to The Missionary and The Death of Stalin. He has also made several much-acclaimed travel documentaries, his journeys taking him to the North and South Poles, the Sahara Desert, the Himalayas, Eastern Europe and Brazil. His books include accounts of his journeys, two novels (Hemingway's Chair and The Truth), three volumes of diaries and Erebus, the Story of a Ship. From 2009 to 2012 he was president of the Royal Geographical Society. He received a BAFTA fellowship in 2013, and a knighthood in the 2019 New Year Honours list. He lives in London.

Table of Contents

	Introduction	6
	Pakistan	10
	India	64
	Nepal	98
	Tibet	138
	Yunnan, China	176
	Nagaland and Assam	208
	Bhutan	238
	Bangladesh	262
	Acknowledgements	286

Editorial Reviews

The ultimate armchair travel book—Guardian

The ultimate armchair travel book—Guardian

Coupled with his eye for detail, he has the diarist's willingness to try anything and to laugh at himself ... travel-writing of unpretentious charm and enjoyable originality—Independent

Coupled with his eye for detail, he has the diarist's willingness to try anything and to laugh at himself ... travel-writing of unpretentious charm and enjoyable originality—Independent

Brisk, fresh and makes you want to go where he has gone—Daily Telegraph

Brisk, fresh and makes you want to go where he has gone—Daily Telegraph

A glorious travel book—Daily Mail

A glorious travel book—Daily Mail

Palin is the Python we all want to go abroad with—Observer

Palin is the Python we all want to go abroad with—Observer

From the Publisher

Four months, seven countries, and more than 2000 miles: Palin and his BBC film crew took a zigzag trip along the top of the world, the Himalayas, in 2004. Palin began in the west at the Khyber Pass on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border and ended at the mouth of the Ganges River in Bangladesh. He deftly interweaves the historical (the legacy of the British Empire is strong) with the contemporary (refugees in Peshawar, Tibet-in-exile, the effect of tourism in Nepal). He doesn't neglect the spectacular terrain: climbing Annapurna, traversing the high plains in China, riding an elephant bareback through the jungle in Assam. At the same time, he has an audience with the Dalai Lama (who has seen him on TV), he milks yaks in Tibet, meets headhunters in Assam, and watches a Hindu cremation. Palin's narration is expert, but it is unfortunate that this program (which itself is a version of a filmed travelog) does not have a map so that the listener can trace the itinerary. A great choice for armchair travelers!-Nann Blaine Hilyard, Zion-Benton P.L., IL Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

During his trip through the Himalayas, Michael Palin celebrated his fifteenth anniversary of hosting TV travelogues. Palin's familiar voice is a welcome one, not only for its dry wit but for the distinct vocal work that brings alive the memorable characters he meets--from dentists to polo players to the Dalai Lama--in a way that's rare in a travel audiobook. His Monty Python career enters in odd ways--when he finds himself in stitches listening to a native comedian, even without knowing the language, or when a clinic doctor thinks he knows Palin because a prankster patient once put his name in the register. Nonetheless, his journeys reflect a serious interest in the world. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

FEB/MAR 06 - AudioFile