It is not possible to fully understand contemporary politics between China and the Dalai Lama without understanding what happened--and why--during the 1950s. In a book that critically revised our understanding of that key period, Melvyn C. Goldstein continues the story of Tibet's history that he began in his acclaimedA History of Modern Tibet, 1913-1951: The Demise of the Lamaist State.Beginning with the 1951 invasion of Tibet by Chinese Communists, here Goldstein focuses on the years of Mao Zedong's new government--a period in which China and the Dalai Lama tried to work out a way to coexist under the terms of the 17 Point Agreement. Goldstein's authoritative account utilizes new archival material, including never-before-seen documents, and extensive interviews with Tibetans, including the Dalai Lama, and with Chinese officials. This expertly crafted work furnishes fascinating, and sometimes surprising, portraits of these major players as it deftly unravels the fateful intertwining
