25-50

My first acquaintance with Spencer Chapman was his 'The Jungle is Neutral', the quintessential 'behind enemy lines' story of the Pacific War. And added irony to that story was that his allies in the jungle were essentially the Communist Party of Malaya led by the perennial Chin Peng (his group finally ceased hostilities in 1989). It may have been the dramatic circumstances, or a maturing in Spencer Chapman's writing, but it has to be said that this earlier book detailing his journeying in Tibet in the 1930's is exceedingly dull. Which is doubly odd - and disappointing - as he had extraordinary access (via his temporary diplomatic posting) to the most powerful and influential Tibetan leaders of the day. None of this, however, overcomes S-C's plodding style; "I did this, then I did this, after that I did this". If ever a man was in need of a good editor... As for the description of the mountaineering, well nobody has ever better conveyed the tedium of climbing up big piles of rocks. Don't dismiss his 'Jungle is Neutral' or think less of the man (try a biography perhaps), but this is more miss than hit. One for the modern Tibetan history folk. ( )