Between the middle of January and the end of March 1912 five men died in the attempt to return from the South Pole to their base on the edge of Antarctica. Their leader; the last to die and the man whose diary described their agonies was Robert Falcon Scott. The expedition had been beaten to the Pole by a band of racing Norwegians; led by Roald Amundsen. The bodies of the last three to die were found seven months later and; ever since; Scott's men have been British heroes. It is that legend; as much as their ordeal that is the subject of this book. Scott's men and the supporting characters; Amundsen and Shackleton; his rivals; Clement Markham; his discoverer; his wife Kathleen—give a fascinating picture of English society before the First World War. The story of the drama becomes also an illustration of human and social character. And; to the extent that Scott is legendary in England; the book tells something about the English and their attitude to duty.
#7100038 in Books 1995-01-01Original language:English 9.00 x 1.00 x 6.00l; #File Name: 155939028X504 pages
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. A clear and readable introduction for students and nonspecialistsBy John in OrlandoJohn Powers's Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism meets a genuine need in providing nonspecialist students of religion or Asian studies with an overview of this distinctive form of Buddhist belief and practice. In clear and readable language; the book mostly achieves its stated goal of being "a systematic and wonderfully clear presentation of Tibetan Buddhist views and practices."Powers begins with a survey of Buddhist history and doctrine; with a focus on Mahayana philosophy. This whole opening section of the book is very useful; allowing as it does a reader new to Buddhism to pick up the work and be introduced to the tradition as a whole before moving on to consider its Tibetan manifestation. What follows is a brief but informative survey of Tibetan history and a look at some of the holy days; ceremonies; and architectural settings of Tibetan Buddhist practice.Part Three is; it seems to me; the heart of the book; as it engages the distinctive teachings and practices of Tibetan Buddhism; both in the context of wider Mahayana and in contradistinction to it. Powers admirably clarifies the Tibetan understanding of the place of tantra in Buddhism and provides a very easily-understood description of the major forms of tantric practice. Chapter 10; "Death and Dying in Tibetan Buddhism;" is admirable for the vividness with which it portrays the Tibetan Buddhist understanding of death in its metaphysical; ontological; and soteriological aspects.Part Four turns to the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Here I think the book gets a bit bogged down in a surfeit of detail. Brevity is not one of this section's virtues; indeed; the author occasionally seems to repeat himself from chapter to chapter; restating conceptions or doctrines already associated with one of the previously-discussed schools.This Introduction is highly recommended to undergraduates in Religious Studies or Asian Studies; to general readers with an interest in Asian religions; or to academics needing a primer on Tibetan Buddhism.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. New edition has a lot of very useful additional materialBy Colorado Mountain LadyThis book is competently written and has material on subjects such as "pliancy" not really discussed in other books. It is a good overview that should and could be read with classic texts including Lam Rim; and also books by HH the Dalai Lama.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. An excellent beginning text on Tibet's historical; cultural and religious development.By Robert E. KauffmanPowers gives us a great overview of not only the history of Tibet and its political and cultural role in the region but a nice overview of the major tenet systems. An easy and informative read that provides balanced views on Tibet's political and religious past and present.
