1928. Eight hundred or so years ago, a man almost conquered the earth. He made himself master of half the known world and inspired humankind with a fear that lasted for generations. Genghis Khan, meaning universal ruler, was a man difficult to measure by ordinary standards. When he marched with his army, it was by degrees of latitude and longitude instead of miles; cities in his path were often obliterated and rivers diverted from their courses; deserts were populated with the fleeing and dying, and after he had passed, wolves and ravens were often the sole living things in a once populous area.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Compelling account of a conqueror,
By Lleu Christopher (Hudson Valley, NY) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Genghis Khan or the Emperor of All Men (Paperback)
I found an old paperback edition of this 1927 book in a used book store and just found out that a new edition has very recently been published. Genghis Khan Emperor of All Men is a very readable fact-filled history of the great conqueror's life. Genghis Khan was born with the name Temujin in 1162. He was later given the title Genghis Khan, which means the Emperor of All Men. He came surprisingly close to living up to this grandiose title. Harold Lamb did a very good job of packing his book with information and writing it in an entertaining and informal style that does not compromise the educational value. There is an ample bibliography giving all of his sources. The modern reader may find the style a little dated; I had to look up several words and expressions that are now seldom used, but this is a very minor fault. Actually, it can also be considered a virtue. For it's a sad but true fact that much writing we now call "old fashioned" (this also applies to writing from England; I'm not even sure of Lamb's nationality) is distinguished from modern writing in that it contains a greater variety of words than we are used to. Genghis Khan achieved his notoriety by uniting many different nomadic tribes that had previously been at war with each other. Together they came to be known as the Mongols (prior to this there was one smaller tribe that had been called this). These new Mongols were sometimes erroneously called Tatars, which were a distinct tribe of their own. The history of the Mongols is exciting and frightening to explore. They were perhaps the most ferocious, ruthless and relentless group of "barbarians" the world has known. Under the brilliant and utterly ruthless generalship of Genghis Khan (and later his descendants), the Mongols conquered all of Asia and came close to dominating Europe as well. They won battles not only by their courage and ferocity but by utilizing extremely sophisticated military techniques and sometimes plain trickery (e.g. they would pretend to retreat then catch the enemy off guard). They were, of course, expert horsemen and archers. They completely destroyed two ancient empires, the Chinese and Persian. The Mongols, probably more so than the Christian crusaders, prevented Islam from becoming the dominant force in the world. Lamb presents Genghis Khan as a very practical ruler. He cared little for politics or religion, and used these only as tools. For example, he expressed a belief in one God, but allowed Christians, Buddhists and Moslems alike (along with the older shamanistic nomads) to worship as they pleased, as long as they submitted to his rule. The Mongol empire endured for many centuries. After the death of Genghis Khan, his sons continued to expand its borders. His grandson Kubilai Khan was made famous in the West by Marco Polo. The Mongols played a large, probably underestimated role in world history. On the one hand, it is impossible not to admire their courage, determination and perseverance. When they decided to invade a place, even a vast empire like China, they simply kept attacking until they achieved victory, no matter what the cost. On the other hand, the Mongols are known for a savageness and brutality that is hard to match. On more than one occasion, they killed every single inhabitant of a city and burned everything to the ground. They are one group whom the term "barbarian" is probably not undeserved. Historically, like Alexander the Great and the Roman Empire, the Mongols were instrumental in opening up and connecting different regions of the world. They created a vast system of communication across Asia. All in all, this is a fascinating introduction to the life of Genghis Khan and the legacy of the Mongols.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
History The Way It Should Be Told,
By
This review is from: Genghis Khan or the Emperor of All Men (Paperback)
WOW! This book brings to life the achievements of a man who had his heart set to conquer! The next time you're driving on a highway on your daily commute to work, look forward into the distance and try to picture how it would've been for an entire army to cross the distance from China to Europe on foot, through deserts and mountains! Forget all about the quick conclusions on "the cruelty of the horde." That may have been the norm for the dark ages and for times of war. Perhaps Temujin (Genghis Khan) was a greater soul than he oftentimes is portrayed to be. This book is about a leader. It depicts an extraordinary man who had vision, acted on his convictions, inspired his people and led them to victory.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
death and destruction,
This review is from: Genghis Khan or the Emperor of All Men (Paperback)
I read a paperback edition of this book when I was around 14 and lapped it up. It presents a harsh, no-nonsense world in which the strong survive and the weak perish. It is as if Lamb had just read Ragnar Redbeard's Might Is Right before he sat down to write this. The reader is swept away with the true story of the invincible and ruthless Mongol conqueror and his hoards. The exact historical facts are not so important as the mood of the book.
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