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To Lhasa in Disguise
There were two Asian lands forbidden to Westerners in the early twentieth century. The region of the sacred Muslim cities of Mecca and Medina was well known for being off-limits. The second was Tibet, located high up on the roof of the world. This windswept, snow-covered Himalayan kingdom was the home of the Dalai Lama, the living reincarnation of the Buddha. Hidden behind stony mountains and a phalanx of xenophobic warrior monks, the high Lama resided in his isolated realm, serenely cut off from the outside world. Yet erect an obstacle and human beings will endeavor to get around it. Secretive Tibet was no different. A number of foreigners tried to get to Lhasa, the off-limits capital of the kingdom. They were all eventually discovered and turned back. Then in 1912 an unlikely candidate for geographic romance appeared. His name was William McGovern. He was an Oxford trained scholar, and more surprisingly, an American, for no one from that faraway country had ever attempted to beard the Tibetan lion in his den. McGovern was no ordinary Yankee traveler though. An excellent student of Tibetan culture, art, and language, he also brought a hitherto undisclosed talent in the search for Lhasa's secrets. McGovern was a scholar of Buddhist thought and prayer. It was because of this religious sympathy that Tibetan authorities grudgingly allowed the American, and his tiny caravan, to enter their country. He was ordered to go to the first border town, and stop. However as "To Lhasa in Disguise" explains, McGovern had no intention of stopping before he reached the forbidden city. What follows is one of the most intriguing tales of travel ever penned. McGovern made his way over dangerous mountain passes, avoided prowling Tibetan patrols, and finally reached his goal, only to be recognized and arrested. Still a vivid tale after all these years, if it is adventure and hair-raising travel you are seeking, then go no further. "To Lhasa in Disguise" delivers all that and more.
484 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2001
About the author
William Montgomery McGovern
53 books6 followersWilliam Montgomery McGovern was an American adventurer, Northwestern University professor, anthropologist and journalist. He was possibly an inspiration for the character of Indiana Jones. McGovern's life may be more incredible than the fictional character he spawned. By age 30, he had already explored the Amazon and braved uncharted regions of the Himalayas, survived revolution in Mexico, studied at Oxford and the Sorbonne and become a Buddhist priest in a Japanese monastery. He became a beloved lecturer, war correspondent and military strategist.
His formative years were spent in Asia. McGovern graduated with the degree of Doctor of Divinity, from the Buddhist monastery of Nishi Honganji in Kyoto, Japan at age 20 before going on to study at the Sorbonne and University of Berlin. He received his D.Phil. from Christ Church College, Oxford in 1922—working his way through school by teaching Chinese at the University of London. Shortly after graduation he began his first great expedition, to the remote mountain kingdom of Tibet. Another expedition to Peru and the Amazon would follow a few years later.
In 1937, McGovern was named Far East correspondent by the Chicago Times, arriving in Tokyo with his wife as war began with China.
When the United States joined what had become World War II, McGovern joined the United States Naval Reserve, serving from 1941 to 1945. His most important job was not martial in nature however. Throughout the war he would rise at 5:30 AM to prepare a top-secret newspaper on enemy capabilities and intentions. This paper was considered required breakfast reading for President Roosevelt and the Joint Chiefs.
At age 30, McGovern became assistant curator of the anthropology department at Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History. Two years later, was appointed a professor of Political Science at Northwestern, a position he would hold for the rest of his life.
Between his time as a war correspondent during the Sino-Japanese War and the entry of the United States into World War II, McGovern lectured on government at Harvard University. During the post-War years, he lectured on military intelligence and strategy at the Naval, Air and Army War Colleges.
Reputed to speak 12 languages and deaf in one ear, McGovern was an academic celebrity known for outlandish foreign dress and holding court in Northwestern's University Club.
McGovern married his second cousin, Margaret Montgomery, and fathered four children—three daughters and a son. His granddaughter is actress Elizabeth McGovern.
His formative years were spent in Asia. McGovern graduated with the degree of Doctor of Divinity, from the Buddhist monastery of Nishi Honganji in Kyoto, Japan at age 20 before going on to study at the Sorbonne and University of Berlin. He received his D.Phil. from Christ Church College, Oxford in 1922—working his way through school by teaching Chinese at the University of London. Shortly after graduation he began his first great expedition, to the remote mountain kingdom of Tibet. Another expedition to Peru and the Amazon would follow a few years later.
In 1937, McGovern was named Far East correspondent by the Chicago Times, arriving in Tokyo with his wife as war began with China.
When the United States joined what had become World War II, McGovern joined the United States Naval Reserve, serving from 1941 to 1945. His most important job was not martial in nature however. Throughout the war he would rise at 5:30 AM to prepare a top-secret newspaper on enemy capabilities and intentions. This paper was considered required breakfast reading for President Roosevelt and the Joint Chiefs.
At age 30, McGovern became assistant curator of the anthropology department at Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History. Two years later, was appointed a professor of Political Science at Northwestern, a position he would hold for the rest of his life.
Between his time as a war correspondent during the Sino-Japanese War and the entry of the United States into World War II, McGovern lectured on government at Harvard University. During the post-War years, he lectured on military intelligence and strategy at the Naval, Air and Army War Colleges.
Reputed to speak 12 languages and deaf in one ear, McGovern was an academic celebrity known for outlandish foreign dress and holding court in Northwestern's University Club.
McGovern married his second cousin, Margaret Montgomery, and fathered four children—three daughters and a son. His granddaughter is actress Elizabeth McGovern.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 21, 2020
I didn't realize that the author was the original model for Indiana Jones! I randomly found this book as a first edition (published in 1924!), and it is a sturdy book. The adventure described is rather immersive, and a lot of the hardships suffered were vivid. The grainy photographs were fantastic, and I wish there were more. The language is very Anglo-centric ("hurrah for the British Empire" and all that), and in today's standards, the language could also be construed as "racist" (referring to the Tibetans as "Orientals" rather than "Asians"). A lot of the descriptions of the people, I felt, were derogatory and a bit difficult to take in. Considering the time the book was written, it is par for the course, particularly since the target audience was probably for Europeans and Americans. However, towards the end, there is an ominous observation of the political climate between China and Tibet with a harbinger of what is to come.
May 23, 2019
An amazing chapter in a remarkable life
May 2, 2026
Qualcosa meno.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews