Out of This World: Across the Himalayas to Forbidden Tibet

1950 1st Ed Out of This World: Across the Himalayas to Forbidden Tibet by Lowell Thomas Jr. - US Army Attaché Military Provenance Ex-Library

Book Description: An extraordinary 1950 first edition chronicle of the famous expedition to Tibet by father-and-son newsmen Lowell Thomas Sr. and Jr., just before the Chinese entrance into Tibet. Richly illustrated with color and black-and-white photographs, maps, and firsthand accounts of meeting the 14th Dalai Lama in Lhasa. This particular copy carries rare US Army Attaché military library markings, adding significant historical context for collectors of Tibetan exploration, Himalayan history, and military provenance.

Historical Background & Significance: In 1949, Lowell Thomas and his son Lowell Thomas Jr. received rare permission to enter the "Forbidden City" of Lhasa. Their journey across the Himalayas and unique audience with the young 14th Dalai Lama captured international attention. Shortly after their visit, geopolitical shifts permanently altered Tibet's region, making this book a critical photographic and narrative record of traditional Tibetan life, culture, and government on the eve of historic change. The US Army Attaché stamp highlights the US military/diplomatic monitoring of the Tibetan region during the early Cold War era.

Condition Report:

• Cover/Spine: Hardcover in original tan cloth. Fading, shelf wear, and tape residue/stain on the lower front cover. Spine title panel intact with library category marking in yellow ink.

• Interior: Clean pages with light toning. Map endpapers intact. Includes original card pocket and library checkout cards attached inside back/endpaper.

• Provenance/Markings: Stamped "PROPERTY OF US ARMY ATTACHE" and "PROPERTY OF US ARMY CIMA AT DET" on flyleaves/title pages. Deaccession/catalog number stamps present. No dust jacket.

1950年初版《Out of This World》小勞威爾托馬斯 穿越喜馬拉雅到禁地西藏 美國陸軍武官處舊藏/軍方來源

內容簡介： 本書為1950年由Greystone Press出版的首版珍本，記錄了美國著名探險家與新聞人勞威爾·托馬斯父子穿越喜馬拉雅山脈、進入神秘「禁地」拉薩的真實歷程。書中收錄了大量珍貴的彩色及黑白實景照片，並記錄了作者與年輕的十四世達賴喇嘛會面的珍貴畫面。此本更帶有罕見的「美國陸軍武官處（US Army Attaché）」官方館藏印章，是研究西藏探險史、喜馬拉雅文化及冷戰初期美軍情報/外交視角極具收藏價值的稀有文獻。

歷史背景與重要性： 1949年，托馬斯父子獲得極少數外國人能取得的特別許可進入拉薩。這趟旅程正好發生在西藏歷史重大轉折的前夕，保存了傳統西藏文化、宗教儀式與政教體系的最後影像與文字記錄。此書印有美軍駐外武官處的藏書章，反映了韓戰及冷戰初期美軍對喜馬拉雅地區地緣政治的高度關注，賦予了這本探險回憶錄極高的軍事與外交歷史附加價值。

書本狀態說明：

• 封面與書脊： 原裝黃褐色布面硬殼。封面下方有明顯的膠帶黏貼殘痕及歲月黃斑；書脊字樣清晰，帶有早期圖書館黃色書背分類標記。無書衣（Dust Jacket）。

• 內頁狀況： 紙張自然泛黃，印刷與彩色/黑白圖版清晰完好。前後附有完整的主題地圖環襯。

• 來源標記： 扉頁及書頁印有「PROPERTY OF US ARMY ATTACHE」及「PROPERTY OF US ARMY CIMA AT DET」等軍方圖書館印章，後頁保留有當時的借書卡袋與紙卡，歷史痕跡完整。