Michel Peissel

Michel Peissel (actually: Michel Georges Francois Peissel; born February 11, 1937 in Paris, † October 7, 2011 in Paris) was a French anthropologist.

Youth and the first explorations

At the age of 18, he read the works of Fosco Maraini, especially the 1951 released " Segreto Tibet " over Tibet. The secrets of the culture of Tibet interested him from now on and he acquired a Tibetan language book. He then studied under in Oxford, England, and Harvard in the U.S.. He received a doctorate in France at the Sorbonne.

At age 21, he discovered study trips to Mexico, the ruins of 14 Mayan settlements and he realized that even in the 20th century still exist completely unknown cultural sites. This prompted him to become explorers. His interest in Tibetan culture soon led him to the Himalayas. Of his more than 20 expeditions to Tibet ( he spoke fluent Tibetan) he wrote several ( travel ) books and published more than 250 articles in over 22 countries.

Michel Peissel died on 7 October 2011 at the age of 74 years.

Works

• The Chinese are there. The freedom struggle of Khambas, 1973, ISBN 3-552-02532-4
• Expedition Kali Gandaki. With the airboat through the Himalayas, 1974, ISBN 3-552-02627-4
• The Forbidden Kingdom in the Himalayas, 1982, ISBN 3-596-23501-4
• Walk through the Middle Ages. Wonderland Bhutan, 2001, ISBN 3-89405-128-0
• Country without horizon. Travel to the undiscovered Tibet, 2005, ISBN 3-492-24411-4