First published in 1933, this novel by award-winning author James Hilton tells the story of Hugh Conway, a veteran member of the British diplomatic service who finds inner peace, love, and a sense of purpose in Shangri-La, an Eden-like valley high in the Himalayas in Tibet.

Said to have been inspired by reading the National Geographic Magazine articles of a botanist and ethnologist who explored the southwestern Chinese provinces and Tibetan borderlands, the name “Shangri-La” has become a by-word for a mythical utopia, a permanently happy land, isolated from the world, and one that captivated the world’s imagination—from Roosevelt naming his Maryland presidential retreat “Shangri-La” to the Zhongdian mountain region of Southwest China being renamed Shangri-La (Xianggelila).

The novel won James Hilton the Hawthornden Prize in 1934 and was also immortalized in a movie version in 1937 by influential director Frank Capra.

“Hilton’s premise strikes a deep chord in today’s ‘everything is relative’ society. His utopia retains all its charm and, in his creation of Shangri-La, he added something permanently to the language”—Guardian

“Lost Horizon introduced the world to a Tibetan paradise where people live extraordinarily long lives of peace, harmony and wisdom. Expertly plotted and deftly written, Hilton’s book suggests mysteries without spelling them out - and leaves us wanting more”—New York Times

“James Hilton invented the name Shangri-La for a paradise on earth in a book that captured the imagination of a public dealing with financial hardships and the threat of Nazism”—Observer

“The important thing to note about this very fine novel—the tale of an adventure in Tibet—is that it is unusual and the product of a first-class mind...a wildly exciting story, nightmare, fantasy, or what you will”—Daily Express