
The Snow Leopard
Peter Matthiessen(Author)
Vintage Classics (Publisher)
Published on 22. January 1998
Book
Paperback/Softback
336 pages
978-0-09-977111-1 (ISBN)
Description
One of the greatest pieces of travel and nature writing ever written, this is the true story of a journey to the high Himalayas in search of the snow leopard.
In 1973 Matthiessen made the 250-mile trek to the dazzling Tibetan plateau of Dolpo, as part of an expedition to study wild blue sheep. It was an arduous, sometimes dangerous, physical endeavour: exertion, blisters, blizzards, endless negotiations with sherpas, quaking cold. But it was also a 'journey of the heart'. Amongst the beauty and indifference of the mountains Matthiessen was searching for solace. He was also searching for a glimpse of a snow leopard, a creature so rarely spotted as to be almost mythical.
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY RICHARD MABEY
'A beautiful book, and worthy of the mountains he is among' Paul Theroux
In 1973 Matthiessen made the 250-mile trek to the dazzling Tibetan plateau of Dolpo, as part of an expedition to study wild blue sheep. It was an arduous, sometimes dangerous, physical endeavour: exertion, blisters, blizzards, endless negotiations with sherpas, quaking cold. But it was also a 'journey of the heart'. Amongst the beauty and indifference of the mountains Matthiessen was searching for solace. He was also searching for a glimpse of a snow leopard, a creature so rarely spotted as to be almost mythical.
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY RICHARD MABEY
'A beautiful book, and worthy of the mountains he is among' Paul Theroux
Reviews / Votes
A beautiful book, and worthy of the mountains he is among What began as a practical search for the rare snow leopard, revered Buddhist emblem, developed into a quest for the meaning of Being. An enjoyable combination of mountaineering and mysticism * Observer * It's a tale of an inner struggle for calm, and would be an inspiring and sustaining desert island companion As much the chronicle of an inner journey as it is the learned recording of an unfamiliar territory...a timeless account * Independent * An evocative account of a remote and timeless place and its people * Sunday Times * A magical book: a kind of lunar paradigm and map of the sacred-The book has transcended the usual limits of language * Nation *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Vintage Publishing
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
maps
Dimensions
Height: 191 mm
Width: 130 mm
Thickness: 35 mm
Weight
236 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-09-977111-1 (9780099771111)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Peter Matthiessen
The Snow Leopard
E-Book
11/2014
1st Edition
Vintage Digital
€10.99
Available for download
Previous edition
Peter Matthiessen
The Snow Leopard
Book
11/1996
The Harvill Press
€27.42
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Person
Peter Matthiessen was a naturalist, explorer and writer. His works of fiction include At Play in the Fields of the Lord, Far Tortuga and the acclaimed 'Watson Trilogy'. His explorations resulted in many fine works of non-fiction, among them The Snow Leopard, The Cloud Forest and The Tree where Man was Born. He died in 2014, aged 86.