This is the true story of Sikkim, a tiny Buddhist kingdom in the
Himalayas that survived the end of the British Empire only to be annexed
by India in 1975.It tells the remarkable tale of Thondup Namgyal, the
last King of Sikkim, and his American wife, Hope Cooke, thrust
unwittingly into the spotlight as they sought support for Sikkim's
independence after their 'fairytale' wedding in 1963. As tensions
between India and China spilled over into war in the Himalayas, Sikkim
became a pawn in the Cold War in Asia during the 1960s and 1970s.
Rumours circulated that Hope was a CIA spy. Meanwhile, a shadowy
Scottish adventuress, the Kazini of Chakung, married to Sikkim's leading
political figure, coordinated opposition to the Palace. As the world's
major powers jostled for regional supremacy during the early 1970s
Sikkim and its ruling family never stood a chance. On the eve of
declaring an Emergency across India, Indira Gandhi outwitted everyone to
bring down the curtain on the 300 year-old Namgyal dynasty.
Based on interviews and archive research, as well as a retracing of a
journey the author's grandfather made in 1922, this is a thrilling,
romantic and informative glimpse of a real-life Shangri-La.
