Genghis: Birth of an Empire

AMAZING book. a very fast and exciting read. i can't wait for the sequel to come out. So much so that i ordered it from the UK (it came out this month, while we have to wait until the end of March to buy it in the US).

This book is about the early life of one of the greatest conquerors in the world history, Gengis Khan. Temujin is born the second son of the Khan of Wolves, a Mongolian tribe living in the plains. During a visit to another tribe, the Khan is ambushed, wounded and died some days later. Temujin's family is then evicted from the tribe and left alone in the plains. However, Temujin survives. He learns to fight against natural and human threats. He unites the Mongolian wanderers under his banner, and step by step, he unites the Mongolian tribes and is becoming one of the strongest Khans of Mongolian plains. This book is the first one of the new Conqueror series written by Conn Iggulden, who is the author of the Emperor series about Julius Caesar. Wolf of the plains is a really good read. It is a very promising start of a new (hopefully) great historical fiction series. Well done, Mr Iggulden!!!

I also read this in its original launch avatar as Wolf of the Plains in Singapore. It is simply a brilliant book- but then, for anyone who has read his Emperor series, this is what one has come to expect of this author. I really look forward to the rest of the series.

I bought this in England three months ago, where it is also (like Australia) known as The Wolf of the Plains. Fast moving, accessible novelization of the early life of Genghis. Admirers of Iggulden's "Julius Caesar" series will enjoy the style, and recognize a similar broad structure of the book - the childhood and coming-of-age of the future warrior/king, the early training, the devastating hardships that create the man to be. The overarching cultural background is portrayed well - though I don't know enough to vouch for its accuracy - the characters are all credible, and well developed. The book certainly leaves the reader looking forward to the next installment.

Published as 'Wolf of the Plains' in Australia, this is an action-packed story of Temujin-Uge and his making as Ghengis Khan. Conn Iggulden advises that he used an English translation (from Chinese) of 'The Secret History of the Mongols' as his chief source. Mongolia was, and remains, a harsh place. Genghis Khan forged an empire by uniting Mongol tribes. This novel is about the boy who became the man, and the vision and blood debts that motivated and sustained him. No doubt, some readers will find the story brutal. It is. But at the same time, it creates a wonderful backdrop against which to view the emergence of the Mongol empire. In short, it brings the figure of Genghis Khan to life. I understand that this is the first of a series on Genghis Khan and his descendants. I look forward to reading the next book. 'Tell them that I am Genghis and I will ride' Highly recommended. Jennifer Cameron-Smith