• Tamerlane

  • Conqueror of the Earth
  • By: Harold Lamb
  • Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
  • Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (309 ratings)

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Tamerlane  By  cover art

Tamerlane

By: Harold Lamb
Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
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Publisher's summary

Sweeping out of Central Asia in the last half of the 14th century came the Tatar armies of Timur, known as Tamerlane in the West, and one of history's supremely gifted military leaders.

With consummate skill, Tamerlane cobbled together a kingdom from the tattered leftovers of various Mongol fiefdoms. He then enlarged that fiefdom into a large and menacing power in the center of Asia. But when the mighty Mongolian empire decided to crush out this upstart rival, it was too late.

Tamerlane not only defeats the Mongols, but goes on to vanquish the Persians, the Indians and the mighty Ottoman Turks in successive wars. It was one of the most astounding developments imaginable, doubly so because of its swiftness and decisiveness. And at the time of his death in 1405, Tamerlane was on his way to invade and subdue China with an army of 200,000.

Ruling from his fabulous capital of Samarkand, he was a fascinating, controversial, and contradictory tyrant. He was both a destroyer and a builder, a barbarian and a cultured gentleman. He was ostensibly Muslim, but was the scourge of Muslim states, who vilify him to this day. The Tatar empire at his death approached the dimensions of the earlier Khans of Mongolia, yet it melted away immediately after his passing.

In yet another superb historical work, Harold Lamb brings the mighty Tatar leader to vivid life and shows how this ruthless commander used his superior intellect and magnetic leadership to overcome one obstacle after another. Tamerlane was truly one of the most remarkable personalities ever to emerge from the steppes of Central Asia.

©2007 Audio Connoisseur (P)2007 Audio Connoisseur

What listeners say about Tamerlane

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

It's more like a long poem

I wanted something about Tamerlane, but I didn't expect it to be spoken/written like a long poem. I like the narrator's voice though. After hearing "the young boy child name world gripper..." I was done. lol, just say the boys name, Jahanguir.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

History or historical novel?

This book is a cross between a history and a historical novel and to my mind doesn't fully succeed as either. Tamerlane is a fascinating figure, however, and there seems to be a shortage of modern treatments of his life and times (this one is from 1955).

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Not bad

I'm a big fan of histories and like stories about empires, there's a good one about Russia like a radio lecture series, and great courses has a good one about modern China. With that said, this one reads like a book that happens to be Audio. Lots of foreign names come up and it makes it hard to remember the story. Therefore you have to repeat it. More modern audiobooks prepare you for foreign names. His military conquest chapters are interesting. Some about his early childhood and civil administration are a bit slow.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Narrator was a bit dry, slightly monotone.

I preferred the end bits where Lamb explains his sources, would reccomend for hardcore historophiles, or students interested in central Asian history and or anthropology.

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