A well-written, engaging and facinating story about a part of history that's often little more then a footnote in American history textbooks. It's well known that Gengis Khan very nearly conquered the entire world, but what does that actually mean?

This book answers that question.

The part I found most facinating was the stories about the early life of the boy that would grow up to become the Universal Ruler. Like many stories about the origins of great people, you have to take it with a certain level of skepticism, but regardless whether it is true or not, it's a good story.

The one thing I didn't like; this book glorifies the rise of the Mongol Empire and, of course, Genghis Khan in particular. It details how this event shaped the world we now live in and how much better the world is for it. It tends to gloss over the fact that the man was a butcher. It downplays the horrors inflicted upon the conquered people in favor of the great rewards the world reaped as a result of their suffering. While the authors could easily go overboard with the grizzly details of slaughter, it is worth more then just the occasional passing reference.

Excellent, well written, and well read history of the Mongols. This a great starting point for an overall view of the great Kahn and of the Mongols in general. I was only familiar with the vague story of the rise and rule of Ghengis Kahn and this was a fantastic exploration! The accounts of some of the battles, the tactics, weapons, and strategies were endlessly fascinating and descriptive; full of emotion and even tension.
The flexibility of the Mongols to learn and apply knowledge and technology is hardly less than impressive. This fact and the relentless determination and perseverance of the Mongol people nearly guaranteed them success until they strayed too far from their own humble beginnings.
The Mongols affected nearly the entire world; if you did not realize this, this book is for YOU!

It is always fun to cut through the untruths that fill out history books. We were all taught that Genghis Khan was one of the most blood thirsty barbarians that has ever lived. The truth always being more complex, we find that he was a brilliant general who united territories and countries in to an empire.

Highly informative and worth the time investment. It gets repetitive at times, but overall conveys a new perspective on what I once believed to be a barbarian leader and empire and its impacts on history and today.

I got this book on a recommendation and I never would have guessed how much I would enjoy it. It filled a huge gap in my understanding of world history and reversed misconceptions. After I finished the book I noticed the PDF of the family tree. I wish I had found that earlier. I also wish there had been a PDF glossary of frequently used words.

I may buy this book now in print so I can re-enjoy at leisure.

Bill

Reading this certainly improved my knowledge about this important historical figure.I didn't realize that there were positive aspects to his rule.

I would recommend to history buffs.

No

I believe the subject was covered adequately so that there is no need for a follow-up book.

Some of the positive developments in civilization attributed to Genghis Khan I believe are overstated. After all the Romans and Greeks had a pretty organized society.

Very interesting and enriching. Learn about history on Asia and importance of Genghis Khan and Mongol Empire. A little too long sometimes, but worthwhile to listen from beginning to end.

This a a great book with a lot of new details you may not have heard about Genghis Khan and his family. I was not very familiar with the history of the Mongols but after listening to this book I was in awe of their accomplishments both on and off the battlefield. While their fighting prowess was the stuff of legends, their governing of conquered countries and encouragement of trade was pretty astonishing. If you like history in this time period, this is a must listen.

This book is one of the ones that brings other histories together. When you read other stories that say “then came Genghis khan”, now I know what that means.

This part of our history i really never got other than the movie make. Much better understanding about the Khan people and how strong they were.

If you love history, then listen. Gets kind of slow when describing his childhood but stick it out. It makes William Wallace seem like rookie.