The Dalai Lama may be the only religious leader who can inspire the devotion of agnostics. Patrick French has been fascinated by Tibet since he was a teenager.

In a compact narrative account, Lee Feigon examines the country behind the myths to locate the origins of modern Tibet and to sort out its controversial relationship with China.

Presents a comprehensive history of the country, from its beginnings in the seventh century, to its rise as a Buddhist empire in medieval times, to its conquest by China in 1950, and subsequent rule by the Chinese.