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Genghis Khan: His Conquests, His Empire, His Legacy, by Frank McLynn
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Mongol leader Genghis Khan was by far the greatest conqueror the world has ever known. His empire stretched from the Pacific Ocean to central Europe, including all of China, the Middle East, and Russia. So how did an illiterate nomad rise to such colossal power and subdue most of the known world, eclipsing Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon? Credited by some with paving the way for the Renaissance, condemned by others for being the most heinous murderer in history, who was Genghis Khan?
His actual name was Temujin, and the story of his success is that of the Mongol people: a loose collection of fractious tribes who tended livestock, considered bathing taboo, and possessed an unparalleled genius for horseback warfare. United under Genghis, a strategist of astonishing cunning and versatility, they could dominate any sedentary society they chose.
Combining fast-paced accounts of battles with rich cultural background and the latest scholarship, Frank McLynn brings vividly to life the strange world of the Mongols, describes Temujin's rise from boyhood outcast to becoming Genghis Khan, and provides the most accurate and absorbing account yet of one of the most powerful men ever to have lived.
- Sales Rank: #290731 in Books
- Brand: McLynn, Frank
- Published on: 2015-07-14
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.10" h x 2.00" w x 6.10" l, .0 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 704 pages
Review
Praise for Genghis Khan
Booklist, July 2015
“This ambitious and massive effort offers some credible insights into the qualities of Genghis while providing an excellent chronicle of his military campaigns and conquests. Particularly interesting is McLynn’s description of thirteenth-century Mongolia, with its incredibly complicated web of tribes, clans, and subclans…This is an informative and admirable effort that is ideal for general readers.”
Kirkus Reviews starred review, 5/15/15
“A sanguinary and thorough account of ‘the greatest conqueror the world has ever known.’ McLynn knows the terrain and the times so well that he writes about 12th- and 13th-century history and culture as if it were yesterday. Throughout this intricately detailed text, the author pauses continually to explain relevant devices, personalities, political situations, and geography—all of this gives readers a chance to truly understand…McLynn recognizes that the historical sources must be constantly questioned and analyzed, as victors tend to inflate their victories and losers, to minimize and blame…Thoroughly researched, grim, grisly, and sometimes even grudgingly admiring.”
Publishers Weekly, 5/18/15
“Sweepingly ambitious and persistently intriguing.”
The Spectator (UK), 6/27/15
“[Khan’s] was an extraordinary, epic story and Frank McLynn does it full justice in a vivid, page-turning biography.”
Sunday Times (UK), 6/21/15
“A formidable study of the world’s greatest conqueror. With this compelling history of a brilliant, complex leader and ruthless master of warfare, McLynn has done his man proud.”
Sunday Times (UK), “Must Reads,” 6/28/15
“A formidable study of the ruthless Mongolian nomad who carved out an empire.”
The Times (UK), 6/27/15
“McLynn has carefully synthesized the work of hundreds of scholars to create a sensitive and immensely detailed portrait of an extraordinary leader.”
Shelf Awareness for Readers, 7/31/15
“A staggeringly ambitious biography of history's greatest conqueror…Genghis Khan is fascinating enough to appeal to any history fan.”
Maclean’s, 7/24/15
“McLynn’s bio of the legendary, brutal conqueror reveals the Mongol’s mantras.”
My Big Honkin Blog, 7/29/15
“The hundred pages of endnotes clearly illustrates the efforts that McLynn put forth in penning Genghis Khan.”
Examiner.com, 8/3/15
“Brings us face to face with this complex man who shaped the course of history.”
InfoDad blog, 8/6/15
“Such a man requires the most substantial possible biography, and McLynn gives him one that resoundingly demonstrates how intricately fascinating history can be…Sumptuous, erudite and stylish, careful to rely on often-contradictory primary sources when any such exist from so remote an era, McLynn’s Genghis Khan is a sweeping 650-page trek through times and peoples whose very names sound like the stuff of legend…A book that…makes history come alive.”
Literary Review, August 2015
“[An] impressive new biography…[A] deeply researched and finely honed portrait…A biography of extraordinary synthesis and historical vision.”
South China Morning Post, 9/19/15
“McLynn takes an epic story and distills it into a book that will fill readers with awe.”
Internet Review of Books, 8/18/15
“This complicated book is Frank McLynn’s twenty-fourth history, and includes an extensive bibliography, and voluminous notes…If you sink your teeth into it, you won’t be disappointed.”
Military Heritage, November 2015
“This new biography covers the life of this infamous and important man who would today be seen as a genocidal maniac. Time has softened the results of his actions, but the author brings the man vividly to life.”
Lemuria blog, 10/10/15
“Wildly interesting and very informative.”
Manhattan Book Review, 11/1/15
“[A] monumental masterpiece…Genghis Khan is no mere dry history book; the subject matter is so fascinating that despite few attempts to spice things up, one cannot help but be engrossed in the tale of one of history’s greatest protagonists…McLynn’s work is flawless; even if readers are not interested in a history, it would stand on its own as a masterwork novel of intrigue and conquest.”
New York Journal of Books, 12/5/15
“[McLynn] bring[s] the skill of a seasoned scholar to produce a readable, credible work, usefully illustrated with maps and pictures.”
Simply Charly, 12/13/15
“[A] sweeping study…This is a portrait of a single man’s rise to greatness and of an obscure tribe’s transformation from an isolated nomadic existence to a world power…This is the portrait of a complex man driven to greatness by the strength of his abilities and an unshakable will.”
Providence Journal, “2015's Best in Nonfiction,” 12/27/15
“This comprehensive biography by British historian McLynn tells us all about the Mongol’s brilliant strategy and the bloody battles, but you may find the anthropological details even more fascinating.”
Choice, February 2016
“A detailed but highly readable narrative…McLynn's information on Genghis is sound and exhaustive because the author drew on virtually every authoritative study related to his subject.”
Milwaukee Shepherd-Express, 2/23/16
“McLynn writes with evident relish as he puzzles over an unlikely world conqueror whose rise defies any theory offered in explanation.”
H-Net, June 2016
“Over seventeen chapters and nearly five hundred pages, McLynn builds the case that Genghis Khan was ‘the greatest conqueror the world has ever known’…An interesting read.”
The Lady (UK), 7/29/16
“A detailed review that combines contemporary sources with the most recent research.”
About the Author
Frank McLynn is a highly regarded historian and the author of more than twenty critically acclaimed biographies, including Marcus Aurelius and Richard & John. A graduate of Wadham College, Oxford, and London University, where he obtained his doctorate, he lives and writes in England.
Most helpful customer reviews
59 of 61 people found the following review helpful.
I want to go on record and say that this is my favorite book to date on Genghis Khan (or Mongols in ...
By David Preslicka
As a lover of history, I want to go on record and say that this is my favorite book to date on Genghis Khan (or Mongols in general). I don't think it deserves 5 stars, but because of the rating system this is the closest I can come to how I truly feel about the book. If I was being honest, I would say it deserves between 4.5 and 5 stars. That being said, I would like to provide some likes and dislikes of the book so that others can decide whether or not they would like to also read it. Although I fully understand that a lot of people won't agree with me on some (or all) of the things I have to say, I truly hope it helps someone in their decision of a possible future purchase.
I believe Frank McLynn's book does the following things well:
1. He writes the book in a way that isn't too academic. It is an academic book (and has over 100 pages of notes and bibliography that he drew his information from), but it didn't read like one. Once I started the book it was very hard to put down.
2. He provides a very detailed (and in my opinion needed) couple of chapters on the geography of central Asia and what the "Mongols" were like before being united by Genghis Khan. The geography part is a little long-winded, but the history behind what was there prior to Temujin and the dynamic between the different nomadic tribes is truly essential to a full understanding of (or appreciation of) what Genghis Khan accomplished in a relatively short period of time.
3. He breaks the book down into logical parts instead of just trying to run through everything with a straight chronology. He begins with the uniting of the different Mongol tribes and then breaks down the conquests into the Jin (northern China), the Khwarezmian Empire (one of my favorite parts of the book), and Eastern Europe (including Russia). I also appreciate the fact that the book doesn't end with the death of Genghis Khan. It goes on to concentrate on his son Ogodei's role as Great Khan and then glosses over Guyuk and Mongke. It all seems to make more sense (to me) with the way that he put it together.
4. He doesn't go crazy over trying to be a military expert and describe each conquest (battle) with overly small details. I realize this might be a negative to some, but for me, it made the book much more enjoyable.
5. Finally (I'm sure I could find more positives, but I am just including these) McLynn uses the conclusion to do some interesting things like speculate about why the Mongols didn't (or couldn't) take over Western Europe. It included some odd ideas, but it was interesting none the less.
The following is the hopefully small downside to McLynn's book:
1. He adds a lot of cliched type of language throughout the entire book. I would include a specific, but really all you need to do is open the book up and read a page or two and you will find a perfect example. I am not sure if he thinks he is being clever or if he believes this is helpful, but it became a bit of a distraction after a while.
2. He kept emphasizing the result of not surrendering to the Mongols after every single battle. They would kill everyone (brutally), rape (brutally), take artisans captive to be put to use later on, and use any other captives as fodder for future battles (sieges). I liked them including the brutality of the Mongol conquests and why they did what they did, but I found myself reading the same post-battle details over and over (and over). This may seem picky, but it was a negative for me.
3. This next one is something that I picked up on because of my interest in Russian history. McLynn seemed condescending to Russia and their history. One example is the "attack" on Alexander Nevsky and how his accomplishments are over-rated and relatively insignificant compared to other events in history. You may not view this in the same way, but I thought I would include it anyway.
4. Finally, McLynn made (in his conclusion) a couple of very odd comparisons between Genghis Khan and Jesus and Genghis Khan and Francis of Assisi. I didn't see the significance of including this in the book.
Overall, if you are interested in Genghis Khan and the Mongols this book is a keeper.
Feel free to rip it apart if you like. It seems like that is what people do nowadays with reviews online.
28 of 29 people found the following review helpful.
Lengthy But Worth The Time To Read It
By NinerFan
Initially, the length of the e-book of 757 pages was very daunting to me. However, my curiosity of the life and legacy of Genghis Khan urged me to read this book. To begin with, the author did a wonderful thing by placing the reader squarely on the Mongolian steppes. This was helpful to me in order to visualize and orient myself to the setting of where Genghis lived. The author goes further by describing the climate, flora, fauna, and livestock. By accounting the nomadic pastoralist's way of life, the reader can better understand the Monglol culture and how it affected future military strategy. Their diet that included koumiss (and later more potent alcohol), attire, and religion were also thoroughly discussed.
Nearly 200 pages were devoted exclusively to Temujin's (future Genghis) childhood, his military prowess, and eventual title of Genghis Khan. The military battles were described with great details as are the brutal aftermath of victories. The author's description of battle attire and combat weapons were essential in helping me picture military clashes in my brain. What was most astounding to me about Genghis, among other things, was that he was also an administration genius. His military organization of the decimal system and formation of the Great Yasa (Mongol code of conduct) was fascinating.
My favorite chapters would have to be the conquest of the Khwarezmian Empire and the Eastern Europe. The events were done chronologically with few diversions. One interesting unexpected positive aspect of this book was that the reader will not only learn about the Mongol Empire but also the histories of the other empires. Although the overthrow of the Jin Empire of Northern China had two chapters, I felt at times the battles would tangentially veer off into the life of a Jin General. Also, the era post-Ogodei (he inherited Genghis' empire) was very briefly done in the conclusion. It is understandable that not everything can be included in this book, or it'll just go on and on. In fact, the author preface that in the Author's Note by stating "a definitive biography of Genghis Khan is impossible". I apologize for my verbose review, but I really felt this biography was worthy reading.
44 of 52 people found the following review helpful.
“While the Mongols’ military achievements were stupendous, they were otherwise totally parasitic.”
By H. P.
Genghis Khan was the greatest conqueror the world has ever known. He consolidated the disparate clans and tribes of Mongolia. He conquered the Jin (northern China) and Kwarezmian (Persia) empires. “The Mongol empire covered twelve million contiguous square miles—an area as large as Africa and bigger than North America; by contrast the extent of the Roman empire was about half that of the continental U.S.A. . . . The modern population of the countries ruled by the empire at its greatest extent [today] contain three billion of the world’s seven billion population.” He also totally ravaged Oshman’s Sporting Goods.
MyLynn seeks to provide a “synthesis of all the scholarship done in the major European languages in the past forty years relating to Genghis and his sons.” (McLynn covers not only Genghis but the three great khans between Genghis and the break-up of the empire—Ogodei, Guyuk, and Mongke—with Ogodei being the most substantial, taking up multiple chapters.) And indeed one of McLynn’s strengths is discussing the varying scholarly views. His other strength is providing social history. He stumbles when forced to relay events and battles, and it “can sometimes seem no more than an endless recital of massacres with pyramids of skulls.” The other weakness is his writing, which is heavy on $4 words in $2 sentences and tortured metaphors and figures of speech.
FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA
McLynn’s book covers much more than you might expect from an ostensible biography of Genghis Khan. He attempts to give a history of the Mongols and the steppe to Genghis. In addition to Genghis’s exploits, McLynn frequently provides contextual information, not only about the later Mongol empire(s) but also about other societies (notably the birth of the Jin Empire). He covers the three great khans to follow Genghis as well as other major Mongol figures, such as Subedei, “who came to Temujin’s camp when he was ten years old, a starry-eyed boy who had spent all his life among the reindeer in the taiga and had never seen the steppe before” before going on to become one of the greatest generals in Genghis’ military meritocracy.
Considerable space is devoted to Genghis’ consolidation of the steppe tribes, his 23 year war against the Jin Empire (only 5 of which Genghis was present for), his conquest of the Khwarezmian Empire, and the invasion of Europe. This is truly history writ large. After vanquishing the Khwarezmian Empire, “Genghis Khan . . . ruled an empire that stretched from the Pacific to the Caspian, from Korea to the Caucasus, and from Siberia to the Yellow River.”
During the invasion of Europe “[i]n three years the two captains and their men rode 5,500 miles—history’s longest cavalry raid—won seven major battles (always against superior numbers) and several minor engagements and skirmishes, sacked scores of cities and revealed the world of Russia and eastern Europe to Genghis.”
HOME ON THE STEPPE
Mongol herdsmen handled five different types of domestic animal: sheep, goats, cattle, horses, and Bactrian camels (sheep were the most valuable, but horses the most valued).
Unlike many horses, the Mongolian horses could “subsist wholly on grazing.” Mongols kept three remounts on campaign and rotated mounts every two hours. This allowed marches as long and fast as 600 miles in 9 days (a record not matched until the era of Napoleon). The Mongols had so many horses they could specialize, using geldings for ambushes instead of stallions or mares, for instance.
Nomads had great advantages over pastoral peoples at war. They could provide twice as many soldiers per capita as pastoralists. Their military speed was a product of the nomadic life. Not only were their soldiers horsemen accustomed to long days in the saddle, camp followers and even families could keep up, and they brought giant herds of cattle and sheep.
A LIMITED BRILLIANCE
As mentioned above, the Mongols were well adapted to wars of conquest. Their mounted archers provided a distinct advantage of the usual infantry of the day, their archery and horsemanship skills were bar none, and they could move fast and they could maintain the pace. They mastered coordinating large armies both on the hoof and in battle, and they mastered light cavalry tactics, the feigned retreat most of all. They were quick to learn siege warfare and incorporate explosives and firearms, and they were artists at subterfuge, especially tactics to inflate their perceived numbers (the Mongols were almost always outnumbered and had “something of a fetish about keeping casualties to a minimum”).
They were an uncivilized people but open to change. They cauterized a wound for the first time in recorded history. They learned siege warfare and incorporated explosives and firearms from the Jin. Genghis was illiterate, but “[w]hen the importance of writing was explained to him, Temujin was impressed . . . with the consequence that Uighur writing became the official script of the Mongol empire.”
But it was a limited brilliance. The empire was never sustainable. It was the pyramid scheme of empires, relying on ever more conquest and tribute. Moreover, subjugated peoples couldn’t be controlled indefinitely when there were one hundred to every single Mongol.
McLynn mentions the aphorism that “you could travel from Palestine to Mongolia with a gold plate on your head and not be molested” without critical examination. Based on his own narrative it seems implausible. Draconian legal code notwithstanding, the Mongols lacked the numbers to effectively police an empire of that scale, and the populations displaced by wholesale slaughter surely led to widespread banditry. (There is also quite a bit on the Yasa, the secret written code of law created by Genghis. But it isn’t very interesting, even to a legal history nerd like me, but it didn’t appear to have much effect at the time let alone long-term.)
PROSE
As mentioned above, the narrative is consistently bogged down by what I refuse to call turgid prose:
“([T]he sources are anything but pellucid.)”
“Muhammed came within an ace of being captured.”
”It took another month for the Mongols to winkle them out.”
“Genghis identified 280 such persons . . . and mulcted them accordingly.”
“[T]he fall of Bukhara had made manifest the manifold latent fissiparous weaknesses in the Khwarezmian empire.”
“This was the moment when the Mongols most clearly impacted on the world of Islam, complicating also the already turbid bouillabaisse that was the Fifth Crusade.”
“Genghis departed this life much as he had lived in it, in a tourbillon of death and bloodshed.”
“When someone else approached him with the begging bowl, his financial advisors tried to kill the request stone dead by pointing out that the man already had massive debts.”
“[W]ithin a week of Ogodei’s death . . . Batu knew of it. This meant that everything in the Mongol empire was now in the melting pot.”
CONCLUSION
So how did Genghis do it? McLynn points to his mounted archers as a great leap forward in military technology, but surely that alone cannot be it. After all, Julius Caesar’s contemporary Crassus was mashed by Parthian mounted archers long, long before Genghis’ time. More important seems their use of horses and incredible mobility, described above, their use of long-distance relay riders and ability to coordinate large armies on the move over long distances, endless adaptability, detailed planning buttressed by war gaming and intelligence from spies, and Genghis’ radical reorganization of Mongol military forces along a decimal system. After Genghis’ death, Mongols were responsible for the first clear use of firearms in a major engagement in 1232 (including a bamboo cannon, which doesn’t sound terribly durable).
McLynn doesn’t attempt to canonize Genghis, but neither is he unfair. His final conclusion, though, is harsh: “While the Mongols’ military achievements were stupendous, they were otherwise totally parasitic. They were unoriginal, founded no new religions, produced no worthwhile cultural artefacts, developed no new crops or technologies (though they transmitted existing ones), created no worthwhile painting, pottery, architecture or literature and did not even bake bread; they essentially relied on the captive craftsmen and experts for everything.”
Disclosure: I received a comp copy through NetGalley.
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