- Hardcover: 224 pages
- Publisher: Viking (India) (30 May 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0670999016
- ISBN-13: 978-0670999019
- Product Dimensions: 23.2 x 15.6 x 2.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
141,811 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2 in Books > History > Countries & Regions > Asia > South Asia > Bhutan
- #2 in Books > Travel & Holiday > Countries & Regions > Asia > Bhutan
- #39 in Books > Travel & Holiday > Countries & Regions > Asia > Central Asia
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› Visit Amazon's Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, Queen, Consort of Jigme Singye Wangchuck, King of Bhutan Page
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Product Description
Synopsis
Long regarded as the Forbidden Land, Bhutan - or Druk Yul, the Land of the Thunder Dragon - was virtually closed to the outside world until the 1960s. Even today, little is known about this remote Himalayan Buddhist kingdom nestled between two giant neighbours, India and China. Often described as the Last Shangri La, Bhutan is still a country of pristine forests, alpine valleys and glacial lakes, rich in rare flora and fauna such as the blue poppy, the golden langur and the red panda. As spectacular as its natural beauty are the architecture of its towering dzongs (fortresses) and the art treasures that fill its monasteries and temples. Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck's portrait of her country is a captivating blend of personal memoir, history, folklore and travelogue. It provides unique and intimate insights into Bhutanese culture and society, with its vivid glimpses of life in Bhutan's villages and hamlets, monasteries and palaces.This book, with its specially commissioned illustrations by young Bhutanese artists, and photographs from the author's family album, is essential reading both for those who plan to visit the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon and for armchair travellers who yearn to experience the magic of Bhutan through their imaginations.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a most interesting book written by one of Bhutan's queens. She gives details of how things were when she was young and growing up, how the King, her husband, took the country into the 21st century, and what the thinking is behind some of the places most tourists will see on their visit. She also explains the country's 'gross national happiness' extremely well.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a fascinating book which must be read by anyone visiting Bhutan. It's written by the Queen of Bhutan and gives a great insight into the country. I am going next week and am so glad I read this book before. I can't wait.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Highly Reccomended
17 April 2009
Format:Hardcover
This is a very fun and illuminating book. It has a very warm and engaging style and the perspective on this charming little country it offers is impossible to find elsewhere. I am a big Bhutanophile and wrote my undergraduate dissertation on it, but I still learned something new and interesting on every page.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
A Charming memoir/travel diary
24 Jan 2010
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book was written by one of the previous Queens of Bhutan. She and her three sisters married the previous king who recently abdicated in favor of his oldest son who has now become King.
The book is a breezy and rather charming read. It begins as a memoir of the author who talks about her childhood in a small village and her trip to an Indian boarding school. And continues with a retracing of the changes that occurred in her life and that of her country. She then spends the second half or so of the book recounting her many walking/trekking tours across the country including to some of its remotest parts meeting the local people along the way.
This is certainly not a Bhutan travel guide. It is more of a discussion of the modernization of a very isolated country and the culture of its people. I suppose you might be able to hike to many of the remotest places she talks about but they would take a great deal of logistical planning. Of course other places mentioned in the book are very much on the normal tourist itinerary. She, of course, had the advantage of being the Queen. But that is not to say that she was carried around on a litter. She certainly did a lot of hard walking and hiking and I think her aim and goals were admirable. But as a relatively well-off person, even as a child, I think she probably had a number of advantages over not just foreigners visiting Bhutan but also certainly over the average villager. Her family traces its lineage to one of the most important figures in Bhutanese history.
Ultimately I enjoyed this book very much. I will be spending a few weeks in Bhutan later this year so I have been reading about the country.
The book is a breezy and rather charming read. It begins as a memoir of the author who talks about her childhood in a small village and her trip to an Indian boarding school. And continues with a retracing of the changes that occurred in her life and that of her country. She then spends the second half or so of the book recounting her many walking/trekking tours across the country including to some of its remotest parts meeting the local people along the way.
This is certainly not a Bhutan travel guide. It is more of a discussion of the modernization of a very isolated country and the culture of its people. I suppose you might be able to hike to many of the remotest places she talks about but they would take a great deal of logistical planning. Of course other places mentioned in the book are very much on the normal tourist itinerary. She, of course, had the advantage of being the Queen. But that is not to say that she was carried around on a litter. She certainly did a lot of hard walking and hiking and I think her aim and goals were admirable. But as a relatively well-off person, even as a child, I think she probably had a number of advantages over not just foreigners visiting Bhutan but also certainly over the average villager. Her family traces its lineage to one of the most important figures in Bhutanese history.
Ultimately I enjoyed this book very much. I will be spending a few weeks in Bhutan later this year so I have been reading about the country.
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