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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
I was inspireded to read this book after listening to Dan Carlin's Hardcore History podcast series, "Wrath of the Khans", which outlines the Mongol conquests of the 13th Century. Most of my historical interest lies in the ancient period and the story of the Mongol rise to power was something I knew little about, but found fascinating nonetheless. Frank McLynn's book details the Mongol conquests from the rise of Genghis Khan to the death of his son and successor, Ogedai. The Mongols were one of the many nomadic peoples of the steppes and were in almost constant conflict with neighboring clans. The genius of Genghis was that he was able to subdue and unite these clans into perhaps the greatest fighting force the world has ever known - one that would go on to conquer most of the known world. McLynn does a good job handling the disparate source material and manages to weave an engaging, lively narrative. The book includes several good maps as well as a glossary of important people mentioned in the text. I recommend this book unreservedly to anyone looking to learn about this amazing, brutal, and utterly fascinating story.
Took me a VERY long time to wade my way through, but here we are! I’m not too sure how to review a history book on a subject I had no prior knowledge on, so here’s my face first impression. I learnt a lot, so that can’t be a bad thing; McLynn’s telling is also very engaging, with his dabbles of Mongolian culture here and there.
An interesting account of a time period and culture that I am entirely unfamiliar with. I confess, the elements of cultural history and the attempts the author makes to analyse the character of Genghis Khan were of most interest to me here. The military history isn't really my speed, even if this is probably the least dry recounting of various battles that I've read in some time
informative
slow-paced