Ruler of the Sky

A Novel of Genghis Khan

By: Pamela Sargent

Narrated by: Bernard Clark

In 1167, in the harsh homeland of Mongol tribes, a child was born who was to change the course of human history. His father named him Temujin, but the world knows him as Genghis Khan. Ruler of the Sky brings to life a time of often unendurable hardship and epic grandeur. From the windswept plains of Mongolia to the opulence and sophistication of the Chinese court, this is an unforgettable story. Set amid the barbaric splendor of the Mongol hordes, Ruler of the Sky tells how a twelfth-century warrior forged one of the greatest and most terrifying armies the world had ever seen, and conquered the world from Peking to Persia. Not only is this the story of Genghis Khan, but it is the story of those who were closest to him, particularly the women who played such an important role in his life.

©1996 Pamela Sargent (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Masterpiece

I have read everything I’ve been able to find on Genghis Khan and the Mongols and I have found this book to be quite close to the historical events while also giving you an up close look into what the daily life of a mongol would have been like. I enjoyed that it was predominately told from the point of view of his wives as this allowed you to see things from a perspective that no other text that I’ve come upon does. I would recommend this to anyone who is even slightly interested in Genghis Khan.

Wow what a thrill!

If you study Genghis Khan, this book is a must
listen/read!
Pamela Sargent, brings the man and his epic legacy to life like no other and I’ve read / listened to several!
Bernard Clark seems tailor made to present this great great presentation Bravo! I refer back to it and share it with others often.

Explicitly accurate

A thorough overview of the life of Ghengas Khan and those close to him, often including explicit violence and sexual content. As historically accurate and credible as any work so extensive and detailed about such political events a millennium ago could possibly be expected to be.

Romanticized Genghis Kahn.

Skipped through parts of it. Very little history that gave you a realistic feeling of the brutality of Genghis Khan.

Genghis Khan, from the POV of his Women

Any additional comments?

This is an interesting approach to the subject of the Mongol conquerer, Temujin, better known as Genghis Khan, because it is told from the point of view of some of the women in his life. The names of his mother and his first wife are known, and at least one other wife, but I suspect that some of the characters are entirely fictional, and even those persons whose names have come down to us are barely known in reality, so the author has had considerable latitude in the creation of her story. However, Pamela Sargent seems to have done her research. [She does not contradict anything I ever learned about the Mongols from the books of Harold Lamb, a historian of the period]. To be honest, the Mongols don't seem to have been the sort of persons one would want for neighbors -- their lives tended to be nasty, brutish, and short. But Sargent makes them believeable people, not monsters.

Bernard Clark is a competent reader, but a bit flat at times. Overall, I think 4 to 4 1/2 stars for this audiobook.

Just Okay

This novel about Ghengis Khan was fairly interesting, at least the first part, but got increasingly boring as it went along, and I didn't even finish it. I got this book because I loved the Conquerer Series about Ghengis Khan which was written by Conn Iggulden. I highly recommend skipping this one and trying those.