English writer and screenwriter James Hilton (1900–1954) wrote this novel in 1933, and it immediately became incredibly popular. A mysterious paradise lost among the Tibetan mountains, the dreamland of Shangri-La, where wisdom and wonderful longevity are found, has conquered all hearts. Two films were made based on the book, in 1937 and 1973. And this is not surprising: an exciting plot, superbly written characters, and most importantly - the bewitching charm of mystical secrets... It is curious that, at the request of Franklin Roosevelt, who loved this novel, the country residence of American presidents, Camp David, was initially called “Shangri-La.” And in In 2001, Shangri-La, invented by Hilton, acquired a very real geographical status: this is now the name of Tibetan Zhongdian, which immediately attracted crowds of tourists to this high-mountainous region. The book is published in Russian for the first time.