A review by danocrates66
Genghis Khan: His Conquests, His Empire, His Legacy by Frank McLynn

4.0

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.