Absolutely, then people should rely on academic accounts and third party narratives. I have no problem with that, and am under no illusions that Tibetans were involved in the Cultural Revolution etc.
However, to recommend the work of the Trimondis I feel is very irresponsible because so much of their books contain not matters that are differences of opinion, but outright lies. They characterize Vajrayana as a sex cult and have a very skewed understanding about Buddhism. This is enough to indicate to me that they either don't research properly or are injecting their socialist politics and judgements into what is supposed to be a body of research.
I mean, for crying out loud, Hitler, Buddha, Krishna – An unholy alliance from the Third Reich to the present day by Victor and Victoria Trimond"" is the title of one of their "essays". They are Dalai Lama bashers of the worst kind as well as cultural elitists who see the "feudal Tibetans" as hopelessly backward and Western norms as the standard to which the world should hold itself.
These lines from an interviews posted on their website sum up their attitude:
We do not want to interfere with the Tibetans’ political concept. However, we are fundamentally opposed to an overemphasis on the nation state, as is currently once again in fashion everywhere. The Tibetans must decide honestly for themselves whether they are so oppressed by the Chinese that a detachment from China is the only way to achieve freedom. In any case people there ought to come together to emancipate themselves from the structures of political Lamaism and seek out autonomous ways in the interest of their people. Women and men from the west should assist them in this.
We criticize the Dalai Lama not because of his statements, but because of his religious system, Tantrism, and because of the rituals which he performs, especially the Kalachakra ritual.
In the West the Dalai Lama has gained his fame and charisma not least because he approached the public with a consistent peace program. Numerous people in the West, including many non-Buddhists, see in him a morally superior "apostle of peace" and see in his culture a message of peace to the whole world.
This pacifist image is, however, a deliberately staged falsification
Thanks I think I´ll pass on Mr and Mrs Trimondi´s `objective` opinions.