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)

Very Insightful, time break with Western Hubris

The story of Genghis Khan is not so well-known as other parts of history. Jack Weatherford did us a tremendous service by seeking the man behind the myth. He made the customs of the Mongols easy to understand, ensured heartfelt empathy with the Khan and showed the influence of the Mongols on the whole world. Just to think that paper money, cannons and firearms are part of this nation's gift to humankind!

I thought Jonathan Davis did an excellent job of narrating this book. I didn't opt out while listening.

This book comes highly recommended, especially to those who love history and biographical works. The book is a bit of both.

STUNNING! Uncovering the man behind the myth!

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

The concise and direct historical presentation of a man lost to myth and legend as well as the refreshing perspective of his policies and rule. The life of Temujin, the boy who grew into the Great Khan sounds like a Hollywood movie! Father poisoned? Captured and made a slave? From that abject state to the greatest conquerer in history!

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Surprise! My understanding was his empire fractured and collapsed soon after his death, much like Alexander the Great's. To learn the depth and scope of the Mongol Empire and it's unique longevity even decades after his passing is a testament to his vision and leadership.

Which scene was your favorite?

When as a youth he single-mindedly forged an alliance to wage war on the tribe that had kidnapped and outraged his young wife, Borte.

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

When Temujin exhibits his ruthless nature for the first time by killing his rival step brother, their mother's grief and anguish at Bechter's loss and her favorite son's cruelty haunted me.

Any additional comments?

This book reveals a man that, even in the pursuit of a unified Mongol Nation by fire and sword, forged a Nation that was based on merit, not blood. Believed to be the world's FIRST true Meritocracy (albeit at sword's point!)

an historic double-take

You will never think about Genghis and Kublai Khan the same way again. It turns out they were socially progressive. Seriously. A brilliantly researched eye opener. Very well read. They supported religious diversity, universal education, promotion on merit not birth, global trade, fair judicial system. This is so compellingly written I listened almost non-stop. Just a great and really thought provoking look at the history of a part of the world we don't hear enough about.

My Pick for Book of the Decade

So the book is about the dynasty established by Genghis Khan. The shocking parts of the story are how humble his origins, how historically singular his rise, how total his success, and how much he was latter unfairly vilified by Europeans, Chinese, and Middle Easterners alike.

This book fundamentally rewrote my view of the core narrative in Chinese History. Unfortunately, telling you this is likely to bring down the wrath of the “Chinese Machine”.

The book solidified a growing belief that at its core Chinese history is about the duality of the “Barbarian” and the “Mandarins”. Neither amounts to much on their own, but together they have immense potential. The Mandarins need “their” Barbarian to change their world and the Barbarian needs a team of Mandarins to get anything done, especially in Asia. It’s sort of like the relationship between an entrepreneur and a team of engineers in Silicon Valley. Chinese history complains incessantly about the barbarians, but they needed them, and appear to even secretly want their Barbarians … it’s almost kinky.

In the non-Chinese world much lip service paid to yin and yang, but mostly arising from a misunderstanding that arises from equating things that are functionally the same but are of such different magnitudes as to be different. More is different. The duality at the core of Chinese history is so vast as to be unlike the dualities in most of the rest of the world.

The other insight is that Chinese tell their history from an absurdly Mandarin-centric perspective. A more objective telling would place a succession of Barbarians at the core of the story. It’s like telling the history of Apple while arguing that Steve Jobs was not a real Apple employee and a mediocre engineer, who came and went a few too many times. This inversion is a soft lie that somehow facilitates their society.

This is the story of the greatest Chinese ever, and yet in some versions of the story he’s a Barbarian, that is, not even Chinese.

Deserves the rave audible reviewers have given it

I bought this book for two reasons. 1) It was a daily deal and 2) the audible reviews on this books seemed to be one of the most consistently positive I had ever seen.

I knew nothing about that period of history before reading this book. My bad. Now I understand why I was wrong to have ignored this time period.

I just love a well written biography written by an author who loves his subject. This book qualifies and will profit the listener by listening to it. I'm totally convinced that my previous impression of Genghis Khan before this book were just plain wrong. He was a great leader and great man. Little did I know.

Trust you fellow audible book reviewers on this book and give it a try!

Couldn't Stop Listening

I was hooked on this audio book. It was the first time I had read anything about this period of history. I loved learning about how the Mongolian Empire really did shape a lot of how we know the world today, in some surprising ways. A bit of information overload though. I don't think I can remember half of what was in the book, but it very entertaining when in the middle of it.

Magnificent

This book is one that I probably wouldn't have read in print, but as an audio book is alive, vibrant and fully engaging. Every bit is interesting as Mongol culture is examined and explained. The stories are wonderful and I ended up appreciating that part of world history more than I would have after a college level course. It was brilliant.

Fills In a Less-Understood, But Important Period

This is a good account of an amazing and misunderstood leader, I had a very weak understanding of this man and period. I believe the author carries Genghis Khan's influence on the later history of the world a tiny bit too far, but his impact was no doubt very great. The story skips over significant periods with large conquests. I'm not sure if this is due to a lack of information or an effort to keep the story from dragging. The maps (downloadable from the Audible site) help a little, but they lack essential details that would give a greater appreciation for the feats of this great leader.

AWESOME, GREAT INSIGHT INTO THE REAL GENGHIS KHAN

If you could sum up Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World in three words, what would they be?

Great for historians!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Genghis Khan, the man inside and his contribution to our world today. Our politicians should read/listen and take a lesson from a great man who was not motivated by power, greed and lust like most of them! Didn't realize I was so misinformed about him and I came out with a great admiration for how he performed the task he was obviously born to do, his respect for other religions, his brilliance, his fairness, ethics, could go on and on.

Have you listened to any of Jonathan Davis and Jack Weatherford ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No. This is a great author/narrator combination!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book is so absorbing, all-consuming, wonderful!

Any additional comments?

Thanks, Jack Weatherford, for painstakingly doing this for us. I want more of your books!

Solid and well written

I found the book to be well written, and useful for filling in gaps in my knowledge of world history, but I discovered that the topic and the man are generally not my favorite areas of study. The reader is pleasant, and I guess I have nothing negative to say about it. If you are interested in Genghis Khan, you'll like this book (I think!).