This bibliography, over ten years in the making and numbering over seven hundred items, attempts to provide for the first time a comprehensive listing in chronological sequence of Tibetan-language works belonging to the typical historical genres that have evolved between the 11th century and the present. Included are not only the dates and details of composition or publication, authorship and title, but also references to the burgeoning secondary literature in other languages.
Although the work is aimed primarily at specialists in Tibetan studies, for whom it will quickly become indispensable, a conscious effort has been made to accommodate the needs of librarians, historians of neighbouring cultures and interested laypersons. An extensive index of proper names, titles and subjects in Roman rather than Tibetan order maximizes the value of the bibliography as a tool of easy reference.
Michael Aris in his Foreword describes the appearance of this book as "a key event in the development of Tibetan studies", "a wonderful testimony to a very important feature of Tibetan culture, namely a constant preoccupation with the past and its vital relevance for the present".