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)

Enlightening beyond all my expectations

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

Impact on world

Who was your favorite character and why?

GK obv.

What about Jonathan Davis and Jack Weatherford ’s performance did you like?

Clear

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Game of Thrones Meets Reality

Any additional comments?

For anyone that thinks "barbarian" begins to describe Genghis Khan, you will be shocked, educated, and delighted by this book.

The Khan of All Stories!

It's really a master piece in the world of History. Jack has taken me to the Steppes along with the Genghis Khan and just made me to witness the adventures with my own eyes. Excellent work. I'll remember this work forever. Superb experience that I will cherish through the time.

Fascinating

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

Never covered Genghis Khan or the Mongols at school. I moved a lot, maybe that is why. Truly fascinating book though.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Genghis.

what a great story

this was an incredible book. full of so much information. you will never look at the Mongols the same again.

Couldn't stop listening!

Great history and fascinating connections with the modern world, and parallels with current culture and conquest

lots of information

so many things I didn't know and the impact on the current world 800 years later

Fabulous trip back through history

I loved Mongolia when I visited it, and I love it even more now that I know the intricacies of the Mongol empire... What a fascinating man, people and awe inspiring legacy.

Very Interesting

Genghis and Kublai Khan really progressed civilization. Thanks guys. Genghis was a gangster and all business. Someone the common folk could really get behind. Kublai was really an underrated leader. The only hard part to follow is when the author breaks down the lineage which is gone through in depth. Oh no I've gone cross-eyed.

Totally eye-opening.

A much more sage approach to a figure whom Western society has made into a pop culture villain, creating a truly human portrait that comes alive in anecdote after anecdote.

The Genghis Khan we never Knew

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

I loved best learning about how advanced he was in his thinking both politically and socially.

What other book might you compare Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World to and why?

Marie antoinette by antonia Fraser. (sorry, capital "a" key is broken)

Which scene was your favorite?

The Pope giving Holy Communion to the Khan's representative.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Genghis Kahn - the emperor you only think you know.

Any additional comments?

What a fascinating book. In a middle ages world in which only the courts and clergy were literate, Genghis Khan insisted on universal literacy for all his men and women. His acceptance of all religions was extraordinary at the time. The empire of the Khan enthusiastically embraced the artistic and craft abilities of the sedentary "conquered" regions without losing its basic nomadic center. and, of course, the Mongols opened up the trade routes between the East and West, thereby allowing a free flowing exchange of goods. knowledge, and, unfortunately, disease. This book gripped me from beginning to end.