Penthouse of the Gods. A Pilgrimage into the Heart of Tibet and the Sacred City of Lhasa.
New York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1939. First Edition, First Impression. Hardcover. Large octavo. xiv + 344pp. Original black cloth with inlaid b&w photo of the Potala on upper board, gilt titling to upper board and spine, frontisportrait of Bernard, b&w illustrations, index. This copy with a warm personal inscription from the author on the front blank: " To my dear friend, Francis Fiest - One who can truly appreciate the design and color of this Forbidden Land. Sincerely, Theos Bernard, 4/27/39." Theos Casimir Bernard (1908 – 1947) was an American scholar of Indic and Tibet religion, an accomplished practitioner of Yoga, and a pioneer of Indian and Tibetan studies in the United States. Bernard had a fascinating life of travel and adventure, and was only the third American to visit Lhasa. In "Penthouse of the Gods" he recounts his travels through Tibet to Lhasa and his experiences there, including his embrace of Buddhism and initiation into the Buddhist preisthood. The circumstances of his death are unknown, but he disappeared, presumed murdered, on his way to a Tibetan monastery in a remote area of the Indian Himalaya some eight years after this book was published. Light bruising and chafing to spine ends and edges, some loss of gilt to lettering on spine (as is common with this edition), corners lightly chafed, pages lightly toned but unmarked. All up a tight, bright VG+ copy in about VG dust jacket. (Dust jacket is a bit rubbed and chafed overall, all edges and folds are lightly creased and chipped, with a few minor tears at upper spine, pencil note on the reverse side of jacket, price clipped. Now in protective mylar cover.). Item #64919
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