-
An astonishing tale of perseverance
-
Wonderful insight into 19th century Tibet
-
A moving tale of adventure and discovery
In the late 1800's, when women were bound by both cumbersome clothing and strict Victorian morals, a small band of astonishing women explorers burst forth to claim the adventurous life. What drew the five profiled in this book -- three British, one American, one French -- was Tibet, then the ultimate in exploration. Nina Mazuchelli organized a small expedition, urging the party on when they were lost on a glacier. Annie Taylor, a reckless, romantic missionary in China, knew her life was in danger the moment she crossed into Tibet. Esabella Bird Bishop, sickly while at home, was always robust on her adventures; she was nearly 60 when she went to Tibet. Fanny Bullock Workman plowed her way up Himalaya and Karakoram mountains, saying any woman could do so. Alexandra David-Neel, at 56, trekked for eight months through tropical lowlands and snow-covered passes with only a backpack and a begging bowl. Even by today's standards these women's accomplishments are remarkable.
On Top of the World: Five Women Explorers in Tibet, Luree Miller, Mountaineers Books, Paperback, 224 pp, $18.95
The late Luree Miller was an author, scholar, and world traveler whose many endeavors ranged from driving huge freight trucks on unpaved roads through the Alaskan wilderness to co-founding the International School in Mumbai, India.
|
Foreword by Arlene Blum
|
9
|
|
Author's Note
|
13
|
|
Introduction
|
17
|
|
|
|
|
PART ONE: ENGLISH LADY TRAVELERS
|
|
|
1. Elizabeth Sarah "Nina" Mazuchelli
|
27
|
|
2. Annie Taylor
|
47
|
|
3. Isabella Bird Bishop
|
67
|
|
|
|
|
PART TWO: AMERICAN MOUNTAINEER-EXPLORER
|
|
|
4. Fanny Bullock Workman
|
93
|
|
|
|
|
PART THREE: FRENCH SCHOLAR-ADVENTURER
|
|
|
5. Alexandra David-Neel
|
119
|
|
|
|
|
Epilogue
|
179
|
|
Notes
|
185
|
|
Bibliography
|
193
|
|
Index
|
199
|
|
