A sweeping biography of the Himalayas by the acclaimed author of
Red Nile and
Angry White Pyjamas.
Home to mythical kingdoms, wars and expeditions, and strange and magical beasts, the Himalayas have always loomed tall in our imagination. Overrun at different times by Buddhism, Taoism, shamanism, Islam and Christianity, they are a grand central station of the world's religions. They are also a plant hunter's paradise, a climber's challenge, and a traveller's dream.
In his quest to explore the region's seismic history, Twigger seeks out the Nagas, who helped his grandfather build a camp for Allied soldiers near Imphal during the Second World War and takes the most scenic bike ride in the world from Lhasa to Kathmandu. The result is a sweeping, fascinating and surprising journey through the history of the world's greatest mountain range.
About the Author
Robert Twigger is a British author, poet and adventurer. After attending Oxford University he trained with the Tokyo Riot Police, which became the subject of his bestselling book
Angry White Pyjamas. He has been awarded the Newdigate Prize for poetry, the Somerset Maugham Award for Literature and the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award.
He led the expedition that was the first to cross the Great Sand Sea of the Egyptian Sahara solely on foot, and another that was the first to cross Western Canada in a birchbark canoe since 1793. He is the author of eight books, both fiction and non-fiction, as well as several collections of poetry. Big Snake was filmed for Channel 4.
Industry Reviews
'Twigger leaves no mountain path untouched . . . lively, interesting, unusual and entertaining' -- Sara Wheeler * THE SPECTATOR *
'A fascinating compendium of stories' * DAILY TELEGRAPH *
'Very readable . . . White Mountain offers firm narrative and sweeping views' -- John Keay * TLS *
'Real and imagined journeys in the Himalayas, by Robert Twigger, acclaimed author of Red Nile. A travelogue and expansive exploration of these mighty mountains that follows a meandering and often mythical path' * NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER *
'Twigger is one of the best and most fascinating of recent travel writers. Following his excellent book on the Nile, Twigger goes into deeper territory with this "spiritual" biography of the Himalayas. Of course, in any such book, there are a lot of mountaineering tales and tragedy, but Twigger is far more interested in the spirituality of the people of Nepal and Tibet than he is with peaks and summits. Looking at Tibetan Buddhism as well as the area's bloody history, Twigger show the spiritual importance of this strange and haunting place' * CATHOLIC HERALD *
Interesting and idiosyncratic... The author's style is by turns entertainingly conversational, essay-like and at times almost stream-of-consciousness ... The author, Robert Twigger, is a writer of considerable acclaim and a poet, which shows. His prose crackles ... It is a literate miscellany of obscure facts, characters and tales of history interwoven with philosophy, biography and autobiography. Not for everyone - but if you think you'll like it, you'll probably love it. I did -- Simon Ingram * TRAIL *
