This history is written from the point of view of the evolution of Chinese political thought and its affect on Tibet, more than a straightforward history. The author deals more in broad Chinese influences than specific ones, although he does discuss specific events. About half the book covers the time period after 1951 to the late 80's and should have stuck with that. Smith uses mainly secondary sources, like Goldstein,...
0Report
Smith has provided a balanced, thorough, and judicious review of Sino-Tibetan relations from the earliest times to the Lhasa riots of the late 1980s and their aftermath. He has thoroughly mined the English language literature from Chinese, Tibetan exile, and Western scholarly sources, though he did no research in Chinese or Tibetan. Although obviously sympathetic to the Tibetan cause, he has carefully analyzed such dubious...
0Report