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)

History almost forgotten- Mongol Empire

How can it be that a people so unlikely, could or would alter the destiny of so many others? Many have tried to rewrite the story now told without prejudice, in this book. Eight hundred years is a long legacy. One wonders how the world would be today without the Black Plague of 1300s that greatly affected the Mongol Empire. This is a book one will never forget.

True Ghengis Khan History

Amazing story. Seems totally credible. Very intriguing background-epilogue. Covers the overall influence of the Mongol empire very well and refutes the European distortion of the Mongol story.

very long and very interesting

especially the last three hours describing the impact and changes caused by both Genghis and Kublai Khan on their and our present world

a book worth your time and money

Very interesting book

I didn’t really know much about Genghis Khan until listening to this book. The man was much more than I had always thought and the book helped me to understand more about his life and history of his people. I would definitely recommend the book to any interested in history.

I liked it very much

We in Europe are taught that Mongols were (almost) pure evil. This book opened my eyes. Thank you!

Well Worth a Listen

Enjoyable account of many historical events and evolution of societies. Mongol culture is very intriguing.

There were numerous references to historical scholarly work included... the book simply highlights how European perspectives portray tribal cultures & people as sub-human in their effort to conquer the world & claim they are they only "correct" people alive. Something that prevails to this day. The author did a great job at making that connection & providing insight to many real world current day issues.

The people attempting to provide reviews discrediting this work and using words like "savages" are simply so biased to their belief system they cannot comprehend a different one. Christianity is not innocent in the world, as it too has been responsible for much death & suffering.

Genghis Khan Lives

I have been to Mongolia, where the people honor Genghis almost as a god. From past studies, I thought he was a cruel barbarian, but this well researched book showed me another side, and illuminated the whole character. His influence on the world still lives after 8 decades.

Excellent

Really Loved it
To the point and easy to follow. Also has a PDF ! Excellent.

Amazing!

Absolutely amazing, a wonderful book read by a talented narrator. Both extremely informative and extremely entertaining.

Great History Of Asia. The Mongols helped civilize Europe

This is a very detailed historical book on the impact The Mongols on modernizing/civilizing Asia and Europe.

This book is one of the few books that helps put Europeans and their alleged contributions to Modernity into perspective.

Europe is not the cradle of civilization nor the genesis of human knowledge as we’ve been lied to.

Most people aren’t aware of this because since the ascent of British and American Imperialism, a relentless effort has been made to rewrite history/exaggerate the intelligence/contributions of Europeans and minimize/eliminate the contributions of non Europeans.

The negative reviews on this book are most likely from disillusioned Europeans who’ve been taught that the world revolves around them.

The only reason I gave this book 4 stars is because, like virtually every historical book ever written since the fall of the great African empires, Africa’s massive contributions to world civilization was completely Ignored. Arabia was never at any point the richest civilization in the world. The richest civilization in the history of the world was Mali.