Dangerous Passes: Exploring Western China & the 1911 Revolution

Bangkok : White Lotus, 2001. Paperback. Good/no dj. 1.0. Legendre, A-F. Originally published in 1913 as Au Yunnan et dans le Massif du Kin-Ho, this report on the Legendre Mission�s travels of scientific and geographic discovery in Szechwan and the Tibetan steppes. A portrait of remote, mountainous regions, their natural phenomena and diverse ethnic groups, Legendre�s memoir also, by force of circumstance, becomes a dramatic tale of high adventure: engulfed by the Revolution sweeping across China, the Mission comes to a catastrophic end with Legendre�s work in ruins. Having barely escaped with his life, his retrospective account is marked both by failure and triumph. He offers invaluable perspectives on the region�s geography, flora and fauna, and on its rural life and trade. This record of a passionate scientist and a keen observer of China�s first great twentieth-century revolution, is as informative as it is fascinating.