Sasha Wakefield, who has had a deep relationship with Bhutan for more than two decades, has written Ascent of the Thunder Dragon (published by Shambala), a book about Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, Bhutan's founding father. The book offers both Bhutanese readers and those unfamiliar with the country an accessible introduction to the historical significance and enduring legacy of this extraordinary man.

I found the book personally revelatory, particularly in its three-dimensional portrayal of Zhabdrung, not only as a revered leader, but as a complex human being. Wakefield celebrates Zhabdrung with a good balance of intellectual rigour and spiritual insight, a perspective shaped by her own unusual journey from investment banker to Buddhist practitioner.