Genghis Khan: His Life and Legacy [Paperback]

Paul Ratchnevsky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 16, 1993

Genghis Khan was the founder of the Mongol Empire, the largest continuous land empire ever. On his death in 1227, this extended from the Near East to the Yellow Sea, and was expanded by his successors to include what is now Iran, Iraq and southern Russia. By 1206, Genghis Khan had completed the unification by conquest of all the tribes of Mongolia, and was acclaimed as universal Khan. He then launched his assault on Northern China. Peking was captured in 1215, and the Chin were finally subjugated by Genghis's successors in 1234. This is the definitive biography.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The 13th century was the Mongol century in world history, when pastoral horsemen from the deserts of Central Asia established an empire that extended from the Danube to the Yellow Sea. Ratchnevsky, one of the foremost living Mongol historians, draws upon Mongol, Chinese, Persian, and English sources to produce what may well be the definitive biography of Genghis Khan, the man responsible for unifying the scattered Mongol tribes into an empire-building nation. Originally published in German as Cinggis-Khan: Sein Leben und Wirken in 1983, the book was longer and weighed down with documentation of interest to the most specialized readers only. The present English version is still heavy reading, but Haining, former U.K. Ambassador to Mongolia, has done much to extend its appeal with skillful translation, reorganization, and abridging. While this book is quite similar in scope and style to Leo Hartog's Genghis Khan: Conqueror of the World ( LJ 1/90), I would give a nod to the Ratchnevsky volume for its readability.
- John H. Boyle, California State Univ., Chico
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"This may well be the definitive biography of Genghis Khan" Library Journal

"But for Paul Ratchnevsky this corner of history would remain largely unavailable to the West. The debt to the author is enhanced by Thomas Haining's splendid and untiring work in rendering the original book into English." Times Higher Education Supplement

"If anyone could bring us close to the mystery of Genghis Khan's achievements, it was the late Paul Ratchnevsky." London Review of Books

"The translation is excellent. Mr Haining is to be congratulated on his contribution to what is in many respects an improvement even on Ratchnevsky's splendid work." Royal Asiatic Society

"The most significant post-war study of Genghis Khan. Ratchnevsky had exemplary linguistic and historiographical skills enabling him to draw on a very wide range of original sources. Thomas Nivison Haining, the translator and editor of the English version, has done a fine job in trimming the notes while maintaining their principal import, to produce a work of value both for the informed general reader and for specialists." Asian Affairs

"This is the most exciting book I have read for a long time ... A book that no serious Mongolist should be without. The general reader will find it absorbing and informative." The Anglo Mongolian Society Newsletter

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell (December 16, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631189491
• ISBN-13: 978-0631189497
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,445 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #46 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Reference & Collections

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Reference, January 17, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Genghis Khan: His Life and Legacy (Paperback)

Those who want an exciting and romantically embelished account of Temujin's (Genghis Khan) life should stick with Harold Lamb. His account is certainly more fun, but also laced with poetic license that at times becomes outright misleading. Lamb is an introduction to the story of the emperor of all men.

But Ratchnevsky is the top of the line reference to Temujin and his amzing life. He weighs the evidence and directs the reader to the lesser known aspects of Temujin's life.

Nowhere else will you find mentioned that Temujin probably had disappeared for ten years to China before his comeback in the late 1190ies.

Few point out that Temujin was not the most daring of men, more of a planner than a fighter and not above saving himself first.

Rachnevskies book paints a less glorious, but much more realistic and human picture of the man who changed the world forever. Temujin's actions have been accounted for in many sources, but few allow us to understand his motives.

Instead of inventing awe inspiring moments, as Lamb does, and putting words into the mouth of the man, Rachnevsky presents the different sources and versions diligently; and strangely, this allows a better understanding who this great Mongol was than all the literary fancy of Lamb or the sycophantic impropabilities of Malik Juvayni.

Lamb and Malik Juvayni have their own merits, and are a must have for all who want to explore this amazing part of history, but without Rachnevskies scholarly integrity, true understanding would elude most.

Not for the casual reader, but Temujin deserves on less than full attention.

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very informative but not an easy read., April 19, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Genghis Khan: His Life and Legacy (Paperback)

The book is well written and informative but I found it diffucult to read. I don't think it was written for the layman. Too much technical jargon. I wanted to know more about how the mongols actually lived and fought. Where did they get their weapons, how did they survive the cold winters and what made them so tough. Still looking for this type of book on Genghis Khan and the mongols.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best of my Mongols books, thus far., September 21, 1998

By 

GoldHorde "goldhorde" (Minneapolis, Minnesota USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Genghis Khan: His Life and Legacy (Paperback)

I have several books on the Mongols and this one has been, by far, the more informative of the bunch. When telling stories or writing about the Mongols, I rely much more heavily on this study, using it as the standard for texts covering the same or similar incidents in my other Mongol books.