Trans-Himalaya: Discoveries and Adventurers in Tibet. Vol. 1 (of 2)

"Trans-Himalaya: Discoveries and Adventurers in Tibet. Vol. 1 (of 2)" by Sven Hedin is a historical account written in the early 20th century. The book explores Hedin's ambitious journey through Tibet, detailing his discoveries and the various challenges he faced while attempting to explore this largely uncharted region. It combines personal narrative with comprehensive observations of the geography, culture, and people Hedin encounters along the way. The opening of the narrative sets the stage for Hedin’s expedition, outlining his longing to return to Tibet after a previous journey and detailing the preparation and difficulty of gaining permission from British authorities. He reflects on his desire for exploration and the obstacles posed by political circumstances, particularly the reluctance of the British government to allow him access to Tibetan territory. At the start of his journey, Hedin meticulously plans his route and the logistics of his caravan, introducing key individuals who will accompany him on this venture into the unknown, while expressing a profound yearning for adventure and discovery. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Sven Anders Hedin, KNO1kl RVO, was a Swedish geographer, topographer, explorer, photographer, travel writer and illustrator of his own works. During four expeditions to Central Asia, he made the Transhimalaya known in the West and located sources of the Brahmaputra, Indus and Sutlej Rivers. He also mapped lake Lop Nur, and the remains of cities, grave sites and the Great Wall of China in the deserts of the Tarim Basin. In his book Från pol till pol, Hedin describes a journey through Asia and Europe between the late 1880s and the early 1900s. While traveling, Hedin visited Turkey, the Caucasus, Tehran, Iraq, lands of the Kyrgyz people and the Russian Far East, India, China and Japan. The posthumous publication of his Central Asia Atlas marked the conclusion of his life's work.