Man of Peace

March 6, 2017
Much like John Lewis’s March series, this biography of the Dalai Lama is more than just a biography, but rather a sprawling historical tale filtered through one individual life. The book covers events during the Dalai Lama’s previous incarnation and leading up to his own ascendancy, which may be a bit much for a casual reader who just wants the basic story. The narrative includes the intricacies of the Chinese government’s relationship with Tibet, capturing all the players, military moves, and atrocities in harrowing detail. All three writers are devoted followers of Tibetan thought—Thurman is the famed founder of Tibet House—and given their closeness to the subject, the book lags a bit in the last third as it slavishly renders the Dalai Lama’s rise to internationally treasured leader status. However, the artwork by multiple contributors gives the presentation a cinematic sweep that captures the intensity and larger-than-life quality of the subject.