Men and Gods in Mongolia

First published in 1935, this rare and unusual travel book takes us into the virtually unknown world of Mongolia, a country that only now, after 70 years, is finally opening up to the west. Haslund, a Danish-Swedish explorer, takes us to the lost city of Karakota in the Gobi desert. We meet the Bodgo Gegen, a god-king in Mongolia similar to the Dalai Lama of Tibet. We meet Dambin Jansang, the dreaded warlord of the 'Black Gobi'. There is even material on the Hi-mori, an 'airhorse' that flies though the air (similar to a Vimana) and carries with it the sacred stone of Chintamani. Aside from the esoteric and mystical material, there is plenty of just plain adventure.