Genghis Khan

It was said of the Mongol Empire under the great Kahn that a virgin with a hundred pounds of gold could travel from one end of the empire to the other with no fear of losing anything. Now I'm not so sure you could make it accross Central Park. On the other hand if you were in a city being approached by his army and you were told surrender or we're going to kill everybody and flatten the city you might think of the Mongols in a different light, especially when you were aware of some neighboring cities having been flattened. For so important a figure in history, as Genghis Khan, we know so little about him. And here in the west we know even less. We do not study his ways of warfare (the Mongols weapons, tactics, strategy, morale, ruthlessness were all better), or his laws that controlled a huge empire. This book is an excellent rendition of the history of Genghis Khan and of the search for more information about him. I's easy to see why the story so captivates John Man. It makes me want to go to Mongolia, a place that hever held any interest to me before.

Mainstream historians may object to some of the claims in this book, but John Man has created quite a readable mix of travelogue and history. This is more a work of interpretation, rather than direct research, as Man has combined his own past learning about Genghis Khan and the Mongols with his modern-day travels to Mongolia in search of surviving relics. So do not expect newly detailed research breakthroughs, because this is one of those "living history" books. One particular problem is that Man uses a lot of conjecture and opinionating when tackling gaps or contradictions in the historical record. But in the end, we do get a very good summary of all the present knowledge on Genghis and his descendants, and Man engagingly discusses this very intriguing and complex historical personage. This especially applies to how Genghis was surely a genius in military strategy and administration, and was a remarkable leader of men, while also being responsible for the destruction of dozens of classic cities and the slaughter of probably a few million people. Man also discusses the sheer hugeness of the Mongols' empire-building practices, why these once-anarchic nomads decided to destroy every settled civilization in the known world then return to their simple pastoral lives, and how Genghis has been deified as both a god and a devil by multiple societies ever since. Add to this Man's exploration of the modern landscape and the Mongols' ongoing influence, and this conjectural but still very readable book really shows what made Genghis and his boys tick. [~doomsdayer520~]

Just finished the paperback edition--which has maps and color pictures. A very good read in the manner of the best dogged English seekers after truth--what can we know about G.K. today? and what does he mean to present day Mongolians and Chinese? A good combination of challenging travel in Central Asia and educated weighing of evidence, with wonderful writing about places.

John Man's done a great job of sequencing the historic events in a way that captures the attention of the reader. I must however hasten to add that not all the events have been asserted as facts leaving some scope for reader's fantasy. John tends to hop back and forth between decades and centuries at some points where in he tries to place the reader in an appropriate context to best understand and appreciate certain facets of Genghis's vision and life. That might leave the readers a little lost in time :) Over all a very well done book that leaves readers rather enlightened on the geopolitical dynamics of ancient Eurasia.

John Man's Genghis Khan is a chalenging and rewarding read. It will come as a bit of a jolt to readers used to reading popular biographies of more modern figures. This is a very different experience to reading about, say, Churchill or Kennedy. More modern subjects have a wealth of source material available to the historian, whose task becomes one of selection and condensation. Not so for a 13th century leader whose life was often deliberately shrowded in secrecy. Man's task is not to wade through volumes of material, but to actually find material. And he does a terrific job. He has pieced together a rivetting account of Genghis Khan's life, from birth to death and beyond. He takes the reader on a journey in search of Genghis, through the steppes and deserts of Central Asia, into Europe, and to China. One strength of this book is Man's depth of knowledge and experience. He has clearly spent a great deal of his life in Mongolia, has picked up the language and immersed himself in the culture of the Mongols. He still sees himself as an outsider, an indication of his great humility, but he is certainly not typical of many modern writers who adopt a subject only until their book is published. The scope of this book is truly impressive. A word should also be made about the illustrations. The book has two sections of illustrations, and many seem to be photographs taken by Man himself. They add to the enjoyment and experience of the read, as do the several maps included in the text. Another great strength of this book is in capturing the present day spirit and influence which Genghis still holds in Mongolia and beyond. There is a nice concluding chapter on Genghis's current place in international relations and how modern day leaders manipulate his image and legacy for geopolitical reasons. Overall, this is not your average popular historical biography. I imagine the general reader, like me, doesn't dwell too much on 13th century Mongolia. But for a glimpse of the life, death and resurrection of one of history's greatest leaders, I can imagine no better treatment.