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Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Jack Weatherford
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
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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.
Critic reviews
Featured Article: The 20 Best History Audiobooks You Never Heard in School
While history is by definition the study of the past, no subject tells us more about the present, or is as exciting to follow in contemporary times. The range of subgenres within history writing is huge. Some authors cover a massive scope, while others zoom in to examine tiny, overlooked elements in a new way. Unlike your history class of old, these selections don’t demand memorization of names and dates. Read on for the best in our catalog.
Editor's Pick
Even if you don’t pick up this title, please say ‘JENG-iss.’
"As an anthropologist studying and teaching in Mongolia for decades, Jack Weatherford collected stories: the facts of Genghis Khan’s life (few, but significant), his legacy (huge), and the intimacy and specialness of Mongolian culture that changed and spread across the world under his aegis. Jonathan Davis’s stellar narration of every novelistic detail guarantees that this audio is the BEST. HISTORY. EVER."
—Christina H., Audible Editor
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- Length: 26 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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This is the first volume in a bold new series that tells the stories of all peoples, connecting historical events from Europe to the Middle East to the far coast of China, while still giving weight to the characteristics of each country. Susan Wise Bauer provides both sweeping scope and vivid attention to the individual lives that give flesh to abstract assertions about human history. This narrative history employs the methods of "history from beneath" - literature, epic traditions, private letters, and accounts - to connect kings and leaders with the lives of those they ruled.
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An Historic Achievement
- By Ellen S. Wilds on 04-25-14
By: Susan Wise Bauer
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The History of Money
- By: Jack Weatherford
- Narrated by: Victor Bevine
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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From primitive man's cowrie shells to the electronic cash card, from the markets of Timbuktu to the New York Stock Exchange, The History of Money explores how money and the myriad forms of exchange have affected humanity, and how they will continue to shape all aspects of our lives--economic, political, and personal.
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Interesting annecdotes, but very biased reporting
- By Dean on 10-13-11
By: Jack Weatherford
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The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World
- By: Robert Garland, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert Garland
- Length: 24 hrs and 28 mins
- Original Recording
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Look beyond the abstract dates and figures, kings and queens, and battles and wars that make up so many historical accounts. Over the course of 48 richly detailed lectures, Professor Garland covers the breadth and depth of human history from the perspective of the so-called ordinary people, from its earliest beginnings through the Middle Ages.
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Tantalizing time trip
- By Mark on 08-21-13
By: Robert Garland, and others
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The Guns of August
- By: Barbara W. Tuchman
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 19 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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In this Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, historian Barbara Tuchman brings to life the people and events that led up to World War I. This was the last gasp of the Gilded Age, of Kings and Kaisers and Czars, of pointed or plumed hats, colored uniforms, and all the pomp and romance that went along with war. How quickly it all changed...and how horrible it became.
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Wonderful
- By Mike From Mesa on 10-28-08
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Napoleon
- A Life
- By: Andrew Roberts
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 32 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Andrew Roberts' Napoleon is the first one-volume biography to take advantage of the recent publication of Napoleon's thirty-three thousand letters, which radically transform our understanding of his character and motivation. At last we see him as he was: protean multitasker, decisive, surprisingly willing to forgive his enemies and his errant wife Josephine.
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What a dynamo!
- By Tad Davis on 01-16-15
By: Andrew Roberts
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The Storm of Steel
- By: Ernst Jünger
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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This classic war memoir, first published in 1920, is based on the author's extensive diaries describing hard combat experienced on the Western Front during World War I. It has been greatly admired by people as diverse as Bertolt Brecht and Andre Gide, and from every part of the political spectrum. Hypnotic, thrilling, and magnificent, The Storm of Steel is perhaps the most fascinating description of modern warfare ever written.
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Horror and randomness of war
- By 9S on 12-26-14
By: Ernst Jünger
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Masters of Doom
- How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture
- By: David Kushner
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 12 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Masters of Doom is the amazing true story of the Lennon and McCartney of video games: John Carmack and John Romero. Together, they ruled big business. They transformed popular culture. And they provoked a national controversy. More than anything, they lived a unique and rollicking American Dream, escaping the broken homes of their youth to produce the most notoriously successful game franchises in history - Doom and Quake - until the games they made tore them apart. This is a story of friendship and betrayal, commerce and artistry.
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How it was
- By Ryan on 08-27-13
By: David Kushner
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American Caesar
- Douglas MacArthur 1880-1964
- By: William Manchester
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 31 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Virtually all Americans above a certain age hold strong opinions about Douglas MacArthur. They either worship him or despise him. Now, in this superb book, one of our most outstanding writers, after a meticulous three-year examination of the record, presents his startling insights about the man. The narrative is gripping, because the general's life was fascinating. It is moving, because he was a man of vision. It ends, finally, in tragedy, because his character, though majestic, was tragically flawed.
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A Great American
- By Charlotte A. Hu on 05-19-13
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The Road to Serfdom, the Definitive Edition
- Text and Documents
- By: F. A. Hayek, Bruce Caldwell - editor
- Narrated by: William Hughes
- Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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An unimpeachable classic work in political philosophy, intellectual and cultural history, and economics, The Road to Serfdom has inspired and infuriated politicians, scholars, and the public for half a century. Originally published in 1944 - when Eleanor Roosevelt supported the efforts of Stalin, and Albert Einstein subscribed lock, stock, and barrel to the socialist program - The Road to Serfdom was seen as heretical for its passionate warning against the dangers of state control over the means of production.
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Hayek's case for individualism over collectivism
- By Wayne on 10-27-18
By: F. A. Hayek, and others
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Thank You for My Service
- By: Mat Best, Ross Patterson, Nils Parker
- Narrated by: Mat Best
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Members of the military’s special operations branches share a closely guarded secret: They love their jobs. They relish the opportunity to fight. They are thankful for it, even, and hopeful that maybe they’ll get to kill a bunch of bad guys while they’re at it. You don’t necessarily need to thank them for their service - the pleasure is all theirs. In this hilarious and personal memoir, listeners ride shotgun alongside former Army Ranger and private military contractor and current social media phenomenon Mat Best, into the action and its aftermath, both abroad and at home.
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If Deadpool was a ranger...with less cancer
- By Rick Valkyrie on 08-21-19
By: Mat Best, and others
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Indian Givers
- How the Indians of the Americas Transformed the World
- By: Jack Weatherford
- Narrated by: Victor Bevine
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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After 500 years, the world's huge debt to the wisdom of the Indians of the Americas has finally been explored in all its vivid drama by anthropologist Jack Weatherford. He traces the crucial contributions made by the Indians to our federal system of government, our democratic institutions, modern medicine, agriculture, architecture, and ecology, and in this astonishing, ground-breaking book takes a giant step toward recovering a true American history.
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All things Jack Weatherford
- By Robert on 06-03-10
By: Jack Weatherford
What listeners say about Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Andrew
- 05-10-10
Chills
I listen to audiobooks commuting to and from work and until Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World never had listened to one that actually kept me in the car for longer than necessary. I'd be idling for extended time while it got later and later listening to this incredible work.
The narration is great and the story is spellbinding. I bought the book on a whim and have no regrets.
The first half is much better than the second half, but I enjoyed the story immensely from start to finish and highly recommend.
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137 people found this helpful
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- Eric
- 06-16-10
Great Book
The book was well researched and thorough and the reader was very good. With that said you can sense that the writer had a little bias (I call it a man-crush) on Gengis Kahn and attributed the Mongol Empire as having developing the modern world short of landing on the moon and the invention of the computer. The real truth is that the Mongols contributed nothing but terror to the people of the dark ages and enslaved the masons, astrologist, scientists and craftsman of races with superior intellect (Chinese, Persians, Eastern Europeans, etc) and attributed their inventions and contributions to society to the Mongols who ruled (or payed tribute to) the lands by threat of death. The real truth is that if 30 million innocent citizens were not attacked, these contributions would have occurred naturally.
It sounds like I'm attacking the author, but I'm not. I highly recommend this book. He did a great job, it is just readily apparent he had a skewed view of what he calls "The great leader" and even visited his grave to pay homage and shed some tears (in his own words). Gengis Kahn was no more than murderous thug who invented perhaps the first ponzi scheme: He would take a handfull of warriors to a village and pillage all of their goods and tell the males to join his clan or die. Then he would have more warriors to attack the next larger village until he had an army of hundreds of thousands where he attacked major cities. Once his army got too large to manage, his successors lost hold and the scheme fell apart.
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21 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Dr.
- 06-25-10
If you like history - this is excellent
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have always wanted to know more about this man, his people, and his impact on world history. The author does and excellent job of helping to make sense out of how a band of nomads went on to conquer much of the known world and shape the course of world history. Well written and wonderfully narrated.
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15 people found this helpful
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- Jacobus
- 10-31-10
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.
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8 people found this helpful
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- BrentDC
- 06-07-12
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!)
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8 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Horace
- 08-29-11
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.
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8 people found this helpful
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- DS
- 11-12-12
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.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Gary
- 10-22-13
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!
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7 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 06-08-10
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.
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Ben
- 03-23-11
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.
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7 people found this helpful