Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

By: Jack Weatherford

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Jack Weatherford

Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

The Mongol army led by Genghis Khan subjugated more lands and people in 25 years than the Romans did in 400. In nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought an unprecedented rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization.

Vastly more progressive than his European or Asian counterparts, Genghis Khan abolished torture, granted universal religious freedom, and smashed feudal systems of aristocratic privilege. From the story of his rise through the tribal culture to the explosion of civilization that the Mongol Empire unleashed, this brilliant work of revisionist history is nothing less than the epic story of how the modern world was made.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

Listen to An Interview with Author Jack Weatherford.

©2005 Jack Weatherford (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"With appreciative descriptions of the sometimes tender tyrant, this chronicle supplies just enough personal and world history to satisfy any reader." ( Publishers Weekly)

"There is very little time for reading in my new job. But of the few books I've read, my favourite is Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford. It's a fascinating book portraying Genghis Khan in a totally new light. It shows that he was a great secular leader, among other things." (Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India)

"Weatherford's admiration for Genghis and his firsthand knowledge of many of the sites important in Mongol history give this text an immediacy and a visual quality that are enhanced by Davis’s presentation. When the narrative begins to lag in its final hour or two as it moves farther from the twelfth century, Davis's crisp pace maintains the listener’s interest to the end. An informative and provocative work of popular history." ( AudioFile)

Worth it

so detailed and fun. you hear all about it but this is all fact and nicely put together. A+

Surprise, surprise, surprise!

What made the experience of listening to Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World the most enjoyable?

I am not usually a fan of historical books, but Jack Weatherford made the saga of Genghis Khan as fascinating as any mystery novel. It is simply amazing, the debt we owe to this little known Mongol civilization.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

It was particularly interesting to me to learn about how Genghis incorporated into his "country" the best of the cultures that he defeated. He was always willing to learn from others.

Any additional comments?

This was a read from which I learned in an entertaining way so much that I had not previously known.

Very Interesting

What did you love best about Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World?

The narration in this book was great. I admittedly skipped the section ready by the author as Jonathan Davis had done such a great job with the rest of the book. The ending of the book did lose a little focus I thought, but overall a great book about a subject I know little.

Un panorama amplio de una perspectiva desvalorada

Un panorama amplio de una perspectiva desvalorada. gracias por ayudarnos a verlo diferente. Hare Krishna.

Fantastic Book

The story is fantastic and should be shared across the world. Narration was great too. Thank you Audible.

Fantastic and surprising!

I can't believe I hadn't heard before of these things about the Mongol Empire. Way ahead of their time and with such an impact on today's world.

Excellent and Interesting History

There are two opposite problems common to history books:

The first is when the author gets so creative in his narrative style that he neglects issue of evidence and research. It can make the book more interesting, but--with no mention of where the information is coming from--it makes you constantly second guess the accuracy of what you are hearing. I'm thinking of Tom Holland's The Shadow and the Sword here.

The second is when the author gets so lost in the weeds of the sources that it disrupts an narrative flow. This solves the believability problem, but it makes the book a hard read.

The nice thing about Ghengis Kahn and the Making of the Modern World is that it manages to avoid both of these problems. It gives the reader an interesting narrative sprinkled with just the right amount of sourcing.

I found myself, as I did with Lars Brownsworth's Sea Wolves, completely drawn in to the story of these great people and marveling at how much I had not known about the influence of the Mongels on world history.

The narration was perfect for the reading this book. I highly recommend it.

Enlightening and amazing history

The misperception propagated through popular culture regarding Genghis Khan and he Mongols is incredible and a shame. Not only due to the fact that we’ve fabricated a history, but that in doing so, we’ve denied ourselves the opportunity to better understand our past and present.
Amazing book!

Inspiring

Well we all known history is written by the Victor, but as the Mongol Empire came to a close writing began to bud. despite that, the Mongols probably wouldn't have written much down any way. this book is a crucial piece of WORLD history. It brings to light the amazing and unparralled impact that Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire had on the entire world. It's as if history itself began at this period, for everything else seems so decidedly intertwined with the movements of this empire.

Outstanding depth and interestingly told

Great history of a subject I knew very little about. Interesting and great story of a people told artfully, kept me excited to hear what came next at each step.