Folio Archives 183: Lamas of the Western Heavens by Régis-Evariste Huc 1982
Talk Folio Society Devotees
Join LibraryThing to post.
1wcarter
Lamas of the Western Heavens by Régis-Evariste Huc 1982
In 1844 two French Catholic missionaries set out on a remarkable journey. Starting from a point 400 miles North of Peking (Beijing) they travelled across Manchuria, northwest China and as far as modern Kyrgystan before turning South to enter Tibet and eventually, after months of arduous and adventurous travel, arrived at Lhasa.
They gained the favour of the regent of the child Dali Lama, and spent two months in Lhasa gradually explaining the Christian doctrine to the devoted Buddhists of Tibet. The Chinese authorities who had significant influence in what was nominally an independent Tibet, forced the hand of the authorities, and had the missionaries expelled. They then faced an equally arduous, but this time well supplied and supported, journey from Lhasa to the Portuguese colony of Macau.
The journey is superbly documented by the younger of the two missionaries (Régis-Evariste Huc) whose books of the adventure were first published in France in 1851. The three volumes of the original has been condensed to remove some unnecessary and less interesting detail, but there is still plenty in the 351 page book to keep you fascinated and want to keep reading to see how they, the first Europeans in most of the areas they traversed, coped with the innumerable adversities they faced. Their descriptions of local people and their customs are fascinating.
The book is introduced by John Keay and was translated by Charles de Salis. 46 wood engravings taken from the first edition are integrated into the text. The endpapers are a map printed black on grey that shows the route of their extensive journey. The page tops are stained dark blue, and the book is bound in dark blue cloth blocked on the cover with a design in grey and gold. The slipcase is a mottled grey and 24.9x15cm.
.... 
Endpapers
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
In 1844 two French Catholic missionaries set out on a remarkable journey. Starting from a point 400 miles North of Peking (Beijing) they travelled across Manchuria, northwest China and as far as modern Kyrgystan before turning South to enter Tibet and eventually, after months of arduous and adventurous travel, arrived at Lhasa.
They gained the favour of the regent of the child Dali Lama, and spent two months in Lhasa gradually explaining the Christian doctrine to the devoted Buddhists of Tibet. The Chinese authorities who had significant influence in what was nominally an independent Tibet, forced the hand of the authorities, and had the missionaries expelled. They then faced an equally arduous, but this time well supplied and supported, journey from Lhasa to the Portuguese colony of Macau.
The journey is superbly documented by the younger of the two missionaries (Régis-Evariste Huc) whose books of the adventure were first published in France in 1851. The three volumes of the original has been condensed to remove some unnecessary and less interesting detail, but there is still plenty in the 351 page book to keep you fascinated and want to keep reading to see how they, the first Europeans in most of the areas they traversed, coped with the innumerable adversities they faced. Their descriptions of local people and their customs are fascinating.
The book is introduced by John Keay and was translated by Charles de Salis. 46 wood engravings taken from the first edition are integrated into the text. The endpapers are a map printed black on grey that shows the route of their extensive journey. The page tops are stained dark blue, and the book is bound in dark blue cloth blocked on the cover with a design in grey and gold. The slipcase is a mottled grey and 24.9x15cm.
.... 
Endpapers
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
2bacchus.
The cover color seems sometimes black and other times blue - I thought they were two different books :) Is this one of the earliest FS books with colored page tops?
As always, thank you for taking the time to prepare and share with us.
As always, thank you for taking the time to prepare and share with us.
3wcarter
>2 bacchus.:
The cover is dark blue, but in direct sunlight seems a mid-blue.
The photos must have been taken in different lights.
I have now corrected that colour error.
The cover is dark blue, but in direct sunlight seems a mid-blue.
The photos must have been taken in different lights.
I have now corrected that colour error.
