The Buddha Party

John Powers is Professor of Asian Studies in the College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University. He specializes in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan history and is the author of 17 books and more than 80 articles. His books include A Bull of A Man: Images of Masculinity, Sex, and the Body in Indian Buddhism (2009) and Historical Dictionary of Tibet (with David Templeman; 2012).

• AcknowledgementsPreface 1 Acts of Ingratitude2 The Limitations of Propaganda3 Patriotic Soul Boys and Other Chinese Myths4 Tibetology with Chinese Characteristics5 Chinese and Tibetan Perspectives on History6 Conclusion Appendix A: Tibetan SpellingsAppendix B: Chinese TermsAppendix C: Buddhist Terms NotesBibliographyIndex

The Buddha Party is an excellent book that will be essential reading for students of contemporary Tibet. It is a handy and accessible classroom resource for courses on contemporary China that address the PRC's ethnic policies and the status of the country's ethnic nationalities. The book focuses on Tibetans, but it is highly relevant for understanding Chinese nationalism and the narratives that underpin the Chinese Dream -- Xi Jinping's vision for the great rejuvenation of China. It will also be helpful to those wishing to gain a greater understanding of current events in Xinjiang, where Islam is being similarly targeted as a threat to national integration and China's return to world power status.