This is the untold story of Tibet—a compelling account of conspiracy, covert organizations and international intrigue. It includes hitherto classified information and photos gleaned from privileged sources. Central to these revelations is a seemingly simple man: Gyalo Thondup, the Dalai Lama’s elder brother.

After Tibet was overrun by the Chinese in 1951, Thondup served for decades as His Holiness’s special envoy—the trusted interlocutor between his country and foreign leaders including Chiang Kai-shek, Jawaharlal Nehru, Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping. He has acted as a go-between for the CIA and Tibetan freedom fighters. He has recruited for the resistance and negotiated with China. His has been a vital role in the history of modern, tragedy-ridden Tibet. // Now, together with Anne F. Thurston, Gyalo Thondup shares his experiences for the first time.

He offers an intimate portrait of the Dalai Lama and their immediate family, and he also reveals his secret international role. No one has a better grasp of the ongoing great game as the divergent interests of China, India, Russia and the United States continue to play themselves out over the Tibetan plateau, and no one is better placed to offer his vision for the future of Tibet in the twenty-first century.