Harrer was, I discover at the end of this tedious book, a Nazi, and a member of the SS no less. Small wonder then, that he makes no mention of this or of the crimes of Nazi Germany at any point in his otherwise detailed account of his time in Tibet during and after WWII. He is, however, often critical, even angry, about Tibetan culture. In 1946, for example, he describes with outrage the collapse of a poorly-constructed giant prayer pole that killed several people and injured many more. While the pointless nature of this tragedy is undeniable, the context of his criticism is breathtaking. He had just arrived at the capital city, Lhasa, and after many months on the run from a POW camp in India, finally catches up with news of the aftermath of the war. Europe and much of Asia and Africa had been laid to waste by fascism and militarism, and the whole world now knew the full extent of the horrors of Nazi brutality and the death camps. “Not exhilarating”, Harrer concludes blandly, noting his country was experiencing some “hard times.” No acknowledgment of his own connection with the organization that faithfully carried out the worst atrocities, let alone coming to terms with his complicity. No expression of disgust or anger over the deliberate industrial-scale murder of 12 million people. No, he reserves his indignation for a tragic accident around a religious ceremony.

Harrer hid his Nazi past, presumably aware it would not help the sales of his book, and his membership in the SS was not made public until it was revealed by a German magazine which published the information in the 1990’s. Articles appended to the edition I read do their best to contain and explain away these facts, seeking to cast Harrer as the last of the great explorers, but it’s shameful propaganda.

I wanted to read this book because I thought it would be an interesting story about the author’s relationship with the young Dalai Lama. I was disappointed. Most of the book is about Harrer’s experiences as he tries to escape across Tibet and frankly, although I am sure it was something for him, it quickly becomes repetitive and dull. Then there is much detail about him establishing a life in Lhasa, with observations about Tibetan government and culture at the time. I would estimate that less than ten percent of the book deals with his relationship with the Dalai Lama, and even that contains little or nothing of insight or interest. The rest of the book deals with the Chinese invasion in 1950, the military occupation of Tibet, and Harrer’s return to Austria.

Dull and infuriating in equal measure. Wish I had not read it.