Lost in Tibet: The Untold Story Of Five American Airmen, A Doomed Plane, And The Will To Survive

by Richard Starks, Miriam Murcutt

Overview

Caught in a violent storm and blown far off their intended course, five American airmen—flying the dangerous Himalayan supply route known as "The Hump"—were forced to bail out just seconds before their plane ran out of fuel. To their astonishment, they found they had landed in the heart of Tibet. There they had to confront what, to them, seemed a bizarre—even alien—people. At the same time, they had to extricate themselves from the political turmoil that even then was raging around Tibet's right to be independent from China.

Now back in print,Lost in Tibet is an extraordinary story of high adventure that sheds light on the remarkable Tibetan people, just at the moment when they were coming to terms with a hostile outside world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762781348
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	09/04/2012
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	849,133
Product dimensions:	5.58(w) x 7.99(h) x 0.65(d)

About the Author

Richard Starks and Miriam Murcutt are worldwide travelers, writers, and editors who have authored several books, including A Room with a Pew and Along the River that Flows Uphill. Visit them at www.starksmurcutt.com. 

Read an Excerpt

"The storm when it hit was wholly unexpected. From Kumming, Crozier had turned the plane onto a course of tw-eight-zero—almost due west—and for nearly an hour had flown through clear, open skies with the earth unrolling smoothly beneath him. For any pilot flying the Hump, this was as good: no real weight in the hold, good visibility in all directions, the serrated peaks of the Santsung Range still a long way ahead. Even so, Crozier couldn't relax. The tension of flying lay deep within him. It was always there, in the tautness across his shoulders and his neck. On the flight deck aound him there was little in the way of conversation, just a few jokey remarks tossed back and forth over the intercom. Most crews liked to keep it that way. Light and impersonal. They didn't want to invest time and emotion in men they might not see again, men who might soon be dead."

Table of Contents

1. The Forgotten Theater
2. Hitting the Silk
3. India or China?
4. No Shangri-la
5. The Last Blank on the Map
6. A Wholly Erroneous Conclusion
7. Political Quagmire
8. Gokar-la
9. "This Desolate Lhasa"
10. A Chinese Welcome
11. Gin and Lime?
12. Double Bill
13. R.S.V.P.
14. The last Word
15. Christmas Eve
16. Dead Men Walking
Afterword

Editorial Reviews

This book tells about an incident that has been hidden for too many years. It’s a fascinating adventure that stands out from all the other wartime experiences I have heard about.”—Charles Martin, former “Hump” pilot

“A well-rendered story of WWII action and adventure, one with plenty of twists and operational pointers for future warriors.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Authors Starks and Murcutt absorbingly recount the political conquest of Tibet through the story of these five young men’s unwitting embroilment in an international incident and their extraordinary journey home.”—Publishers Weekly online

“This is a fine story of courage and diplomacy that presents invaluable information on a little-known theater of WWII and insight into the Tibet-China political situation.”—Booklist

“This is a ‘must-read’ for mountaineers and history buffs alike. I was absorbed and moved.” –Amanda Daflos, Director, Special Projects, International Mountain Explorers Connection
 
"This is a gripping military adventure tale of a little-known episode of the Second World War."
—WWII History Magazine  

From the Publisher