Naked Spirits

This is the story of a journey to Tibet undertaken by Adrian Abbotts and his wife. Smuggled illegally by Chinese truck drivers, they set out to discover the true Tibet underneath the sanitized face the Chinese choose to present to the world. While bringing to the world's attention the plight of a unique culture under one of the most brutal regimes in Asia, Adrian Abbott has also written an account of the history, culture and traditions of Tibet. Far more than just a distant mountain realm of little significance, the book shows the importance of Tibet as one of the world's major spiritual centres, and its history as a land at the crossroads between Asia, India and China; a land with a proud independent history. Running through the book is the theme of oppression, fear and destruction brought about by Chinese rule, of the savage attempts to suppress the individuality and independence of the Tibetan people, and of the genocide and torture that has gone hand in hand with this. Rather than simply condemning, the author attempts to understand the history and motivation behind the harsh and unforgiving regime, and shows that not least among its victims are the Chinese themselves.