"Excellent . both Himalaya and Erika Fatland's High are ideal books for armchair travelers, packed with information and entertaining anecdotes. You will learn a lot from them-though not, of course, the way to reach fabled Tralla La. That must remain a secret." -- Michael Dirda, The Washington Post "A fascinating assemblage of anecdotes, crisscrossing deep gorges and mountain passes, visiting exotic retreats with unfamiliar names, and leaping back and forth across the centuries, true to the unique mix of nature and culture that is Himalaya.Keay's narrative, compellingly complex as the Himalaya itself, touches on all these subjects, offering, as if from highest ground, exhilarating vistas in every direction." -- Natural History Magazine "A panoramic overview of the history, archaeology, geology, politics, religions, and cultures of the storied mountain range, highlighting the individuals who have aspired to reach its peaks, visited its sacred sites, investigated its flora and fauna, and created its vivid mythology . A wide-ranging adventure into rugged terrain.

" -- Kirkus Reviews "A singularly unique and seminal study.impressively informative, exceptionally well written, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation. An inherently fascinating and thought-provoking read from cover to cover, Himalaya is especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists for anyone with an interest in Central Asian History." -- Midwest Book Review "An important work on an imperiled land, best suited to collections with an emphasis on geography, geology, or environmentalism." -- Library Journal "A lively, wide-ranging primer on the towering mountain ranges known collectively as the Himalayas . timely, authoritative." -- Booklist "I started this book thinking a better understanding of Himalaya would merely augment my knowledge of the area.

But I ended believing I'd stumbled upon a wholly unique, hidden region with a surprisingly central role in our history, especially regarding climate change and the religious impulses that buttress its natives. It's also a place that could not be subdued by Europeans. It stands apart, mystified and demystified in Keay's Himalaya , challenging our assumptions about the planet and its peoples." -- Washington Independent Review of Books.