The Dalai Lama is one of the best-known and respected public figures of modern times. A Nobel Peace Prize Winner, advocate for peace and campaigner for compassion, he regularly speaks at sell-out arena tours across the globe. In this new biography, Alexander Norman reveals the complex and compelling character of the Dalai Lama in more detail than ever before. Drawing on his long friendship with His Holiness and with his full support, Norman gives unparalled insights into the Dalai Lama's life, from being chosen as a young boy, his exile from Tibet and his involvement in political negotiations, to the present day. Uniquely, however, this book also reveals the private life of a very public man, including his personal spiritual experiences, daily Buddhist practice and the issues that are closest to his heart. Norman also explains how the turbulent history of Tibet has shaped the Dalai Lama's thinking and personality and corrects the myths that have built up around him. Illuminating, surprising and fascinating, this book is essential reading for all those who want to understand the Dalai Lama.