Franklin Library leather edition of Peter Matthiessen's "The Snow Leopard," a Limited edition, one of the FIRST EDITION SOCIETY series with a 'facsimile' signature, published in 1978.  Bound in camel tan leather, the book has burnt orange French moire silk end leaves, acid-free paper, Symth-sewn binding, a satin book marker, gold gilding on three edges---in near FINE condition. Peter Matthiessen, who lived from 1927-2014, was an American novelist, wilderness writer, Zen teacher, and CIA officer.  He was a co-founder of the literary magazine, THE PARIS REVIEW.  He was the only writer to have won the National Book Award in both nonfiction and fiction.  Matthiessen wrote in the 'special message' to subscribers:  "The Snow Leopard" is the most personal of all my books." The book is a study of Himalayan wildlife and his search for the Himalayan "blue sheep."  Matthiessen and his wife were "converts" to Buddhism and their quest in the NEPAL MOUNTAINS to the Land of Dolpo, on the Tibetan Plateau in 1961 is the opening chapter. On November 7, Matthiessen wrote: "High on the mountain, I come upon a herd of twenty-seven blue sheep that includes males and females of all ages, until today the Somdo rams formed their own herd." "One of the males sense me, for there is an elegant arch to his neck, and his eyes and ears are wide in that relaxed readiness that reminds me unaccountable of Tukten: what can our evil monk be doing now?" In the last chapter, "December 2," Matthiessen wrote: "On foot and bicycle, I wander the old city of Patan, across the river, where Tibetan refugees make copies of true ancient relics of the Land of B'od. I visit stupas, temples, and pagodas of the valley and climb the three hundred thirty steps to Swayambhunath, where, it is said, the Buddha preached among the monkeys and the pines. . ." 248 pages, including Notes and an Index.  I offer Combined shipping.