Genghis Khan: His Life and Legacy

I've read over 20 books on Genghis Khan's life and legacy. Without any doubt Ratchevsky's book is a stand out. Book itself is 213 pages, 85 pages is devoted to notes. Considering that Ratchevsky translation of Secret History became an Outstanding Academic Title in 2005 rest assure you're reading a right book on the subject. If you get to read just one book or 20 + you can't miss this book. Besides his major work on Secret History Rachevsky made Un Code des Yuan a three volume work. In my eyes no other western writer has better grip on the subject and vivid understanding of the culture. Highly addictive!

Westerners are often shocked to hear that in Mongolia today, Genghis is revered as a national hero and the father of the country. Indeed, even in China - a victim of the Mongols - Genghis is regarded as a great man. Not China's great man, of course, but a great man nevertheless. I know, speaking as an ethnic Chinese myself. By contrast, Europeans know Genghis as something like a cross between a medieval Hitler and Anti-Christ.This book is indeed a little confusing, given all those proper names. Despite its conciseness, it is not written for the casual reader. I confess I have trouble understanding it. I advise those of us who are not experts in Asian history to read the relevant chapters in Frederick Mote's "Imperial China," which I think is very instructive on the Mongol period, and has a good deal to say about Timujin (Genghis) himself, from his ancestry and birth on.

Those who want an exciting and romantically embelished account of Temujin's (Genghis Khan) life should stick with Harold Lamb. His account is certainly more fun, but also laced with poetic license that at times becomes outright misleading. Lamb is an introduction to the story of the emperor of all men. But Ratchnevsky is the top of the line reference to Temujin and his amzing life. He weighs the evidence and directs the reader to the lesser known aspects of Temujin's life.Nowhere else will you find mentioned that Temujin probably had disappeared for ten years to China before his comeback in the late 1190ies.Few point out that Temujin was not the most daring of men, more of a planner than a fighter and not above saving himself first.Rachnevskies book paints a less glorious, but much more realistic and human picture of the man who changed the world forever. Temujin's actions have been accounted for in many sources, but few allow us to understand his motives. Instead of inventing awe inspiring moments, as Lamb does, and putting words into the mouth of the man, Rachnevsky presents the different sources and versions diligently; and strangely, this allows a better understanding who this great Mongol was than all the literary fancy of Lamb or the sycophantic impropabilities of Malik Juvayni.Lamb and Malik Juvayni have their own merits, and are a must have for all who want to explore this amazing part of history, but without Rachnevskies scholarly integrity, true understanding would elude most.Not for the casual reader, but Temujin deserves on less than full attention.

A great book, though shorter than I would've expected. I imagine this brevity is due more to the dearth of information on Temuchin than anything else. Offers not only a history of the Mongols and their greatest leader, but a fairly objective study of his measure as a man.

I have several books on the Mongols and this one has been, by far, the more informative of the bunch. When telling stories or writing about the Mongols, I rely much more heavily on this study, using it as the standard for texts covering the same or similar incidents in my other Mongol books.