Author Description

Compelling history in its careful treatment of the perplexing search for "manhood," social placement and meaning, and religious practice and belief - particularly lha pa 'spirit mediums' - gives great value to Klu thar rgyal's grandfather's and great-aunt's meticulous accounts of ordinary life among herders in the 1929-1958 era among A mdo tribes. This extraordinary work, packed with tragedy, violence, and the most tender of moments emphasizes the value of ethnographic work, while also challenging the mindless embracing of modern transformations. Sketches by the principal informant's grandson, photographs, maps, the author's nuanced interpretations and insights, and much more, further enrich this valuable addition to the study of nomad Tibetan life recounted by those who lived it, provoking the question: "What should students of the past focus on?" -Rinchen Khar, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Extraordinary memories from ordinary Tibetans living a challenging nomad life south of Qinghai Lake in China provide important supplementary historical accounts missing from mainstream Tibetan and Chinese histories. Events described occurred as power shifted to the Communist Party in Qinghai from the Ma Bufang regime. Tibetologists, sociologists, anthropologists, historians, and novelists need to read this book. -Li Jianfu, Qinghai Normal University Last Memories gives us entrée into a historical period and region in A mdo rarely featured in written accounts through the life experiences/ storytelling of two Mang ra elders. Klu thar rgyal renders his own people's tribal and ancestral history via local voices he trusts and whom, in turn, entrust their stories to him. The author's curiosity in his community's past and the narrators' accounts provide a valuable resource for posterity. Last Memories fills one of many lacunae toward a clearer understanding of modern A mdo history and culture in general, and Mang ra people's livelihood in