THE FRIENDSHIP HIGHWAY
Two Journeys in Tibet
Published in the USA and Canada as Peaks on the Horizon
A compelling and unforgettable encounter on the roof of the world.
Hoping to reach Tibet after a twenty-year obsession, Charlie Carroll travels to China. Contending with Chinese bureaucracy, unforgiving terrain and sickness-inducing altitude, Charlie experiences twenty-first-century Tibet in all its heart-stopping beauty.
Tibetan-born Lobsang fled the volatile region over the Himalayas, on foot, as a child in 1989. An exile in Nepal, then a student in India, he was called back to Tibet by love. At the end of the road known as the Friendship Highway, he met Charlie and recounted his extraordinary life story, exemplifying the hardship, resilience and hope of modern Tibetan life.
"A rare and extraordinary account of life in Tibet." - National Geographic
"In this passionate account ... Carroll's passion for the topic bleeds on to the pages, making this both a love letter to Tibet and a call to arms for Tibetan freedom. By adding Lobsang's tale, Carroll further humanises the effort ... an engrossing and even enlivening book." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Charlie Carroll's fascinating account of his recent trip to the "roof of the world" is no ordinary travelogue but also an extremely detailed version of Tibet and its relationship with China ... The Friendship Highway is unique in its style and content. This is an adventure, thriller and political history book all rolled into one ... Carroll's vibrant description of his experience in Tibet, from the stunning scenery to its eclectic mix of people, is enough to inspire the most reluctant traveller ... This is a mighty read." - We Love This Book
"The Friendship Highway is another gripping, emotive tale from Charlie Carroll. Beautifully written, it tells of not only the author's brave journey into Tibet but also the ongoing, heart-rending plight of its people. A must for anyone with even an inkling of interest into this mystical Himalayan kingdom." - Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent, author of Land of the Dawn-lit Mountains
"He richly describes the landscape of the country and its people ... and dutifully fulfills Tibetans' oft-repeated exhortation to visitors: 'Go to Tibet, and then tell the world what you saw'. A gripping, enlightening journey." - Kirkus
"The Friendship Highway is no simple travelogue, but reaches out to become a powerful and deeply moving account of the predicament of the people of Tibet." - Neil Ansell, author of Deep Country
"An enthralling account of two entirely different Tibetan journeys ... Charlie Carroll turns out to be a superb storyteller and his re-telling of Lobsang's tragic life-story is hauntingly evocative, whilst the device of telling his own story alongside leaves the reader both touched and hugely well informed about the culture, history and recent politics of Tibet." - Good Book Guide
"His journey takes in Tibet's raw beauty but also the intense weight of fear that sits on the populace ... a blinker-free look at Tibet." - Wanderlust
"A hard-hitting account, showing what lies beneath the surface of modern-day Tibet ... Charlie Carroll gives this story the voice it deserves." - Alec Le Sueur, author of The Hotel on the Roof of the World
"The two narratives dovetail beautifully to present a powerful portrait of place." - Longitude Books
"Charlie Carroll has woven a flawless narrative out of a very complex subject ... In simple language, it explores the Tibet mystery, a country that is at the core of our being like no other. Evocative, provocative and very readable." - Naomi Levine, author of Chronicles of Love and Death