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)

The history courses we need

We think we know history…and then we read a book like this and realize that nothing we learned in school was even remotely close to the complete picture. Genghis Khan and the Mongol empire was not just a great leader but one of the greatest periods of human history and progress. I learned so much about the tolerance, innovation, and progress made during the rule of both Genghis and Kubilai and I highly recommend this to any amateur —> professional history buffs

Fantastic and enlightening

Well worth the listen. Completely changed my thoughts on Genghis Khan and the history surrounding that time period.

Great purchase!

Extraordinary detail and a vast educational experience. I recommend this book for all history enthusiasts.

GREAT BOOK

Great read !! Will really give you an understanding of modern geopolitical boundaries and world history

A Truly Amazing Story

I've listened to several dozen audiobooks on Audible. This is the first book I took the time to review. The amount of research that went into this book is hard to comprehend. The research resulted in a book that was very informative and a pleasure to listen to throughout the day.

History As I had learned, All Wrong...

Being Persian, all I had learned about Genghis Khan was anything that would even interest me to want to learn more about him. In short we were thought that he invaded my country, destroyed and burned everything and was a savage and wild ruler! It is a fact that invasions and territory expansions are bloody! But, GK's actual story tells another story. What I learned about GK, how the history had been altered, how for centuries and most recent by communist China and Russian Socialist the whole history and events of GK and Monguls had been altered. I really have a better understanding of the world history following the mongols invasions and subsequent downfall. This is a must read for anyone even slightly interested in the origins of world history!

Excellent insight into history that much of the Western World does not know.

Making of the Modern world is an excellent exploration of the impact the people of the Steppes had in world history. Great read for those that know a little about this period of human history. Forget what you think you know will be turned upside down after the reader finishes this superb book.

World history that you never learned.

Wow. Stunning information well presented. Glad to know more of the history of civilization from the viewpoint of the east.

Thorough History of the Khan Dynasty

Many reviews criticize the author for portraying Genghis of doing no wrong. I did not find this to be the case. This was a thoughtful and accurate history of Genghis Khan and his ancestors.

Enjoyable history lesson

A fascinating story of Genghis Khan that is also entertaining. This was my first exposure to the full version of his life and exploits and I found it to be very well written and researched. The author made history come alive and revealed much about Khan that I had never heard before. I knew he was a pivotal figure in history, but I did not know how far reaching an impact he had in the world until this book. It is a fairly long book, but held my interest throughout. I highly recommend.

The narration is also excellent.