The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia (Paperback)

~ Renè Grousset (Author)
Key Phrases: steppe art, chancellerie chinoises, grand khan, Central Asia, Issyk Kul, Asia Minor (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 718 pages
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press (January 1, 1970)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813513049
• ISBN-13: 978-0813513041
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #51,613 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth reading even after six decades, January 6, 2001

By	Jeffrey L. Guthery (Seoul Korea (South)) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I first read this book twelve years ago and have been fascinated with the history of the Central Asian steppes ever since. Rene Grousset was one of those rare writers who could infect the reader with the same enthusiasm and interest that he himself possessed. Naomi Walford did a fantastic job translating from the original French text and retaining the spirit of the work. The 600+ pages cover in chronological order the history of steppe tribes from the Scythians to the Dzungar realm in the late 18th century. Throughout the work Grousset conveys to the reader a detailed picture of the various Turkic, Mongol, and Manchu tribes (and to a lesser extent Indo-Eurpoean tribes), and how political and military control of the steppe regions shifted between these tribes over the centuries. There is also a great deal of coverage on the more well-known known conquerors (Genghis and Kublai Khan, Tamerlane) and their empires. The book contains a great number of quotes from passages recorded by many civilizations throughout history which had come in contact with these Central Asian peoples, and these coupled with Grousset's writing style portray the events and personalities of that distant age in a more intimate light. The fact that Indo-Europeans had co-existed in close proximity to Turkic-Mongol tribes and Chinese peoples long before recorded history was a fascinating revelation to me. In addition to documenting the geographic parameters of the more significant empires and their direct contact with cultures from Poland to Iraq to India to Japan, Grousset also shows how events in Central Asia have indirectly affected distant regions by causing a chain of population displacements that resulted in military conquests far away from Central Asia. Although Grousset often resorted to speculations which have proved in time to be inaccurate, the detraction from the book's overall quality is minimal. One can read one of the many up-to-date books on this subject to clean up Grousset's inaccuracies, but I personally have yet to find one that has been of comparable pleasure to read.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most detailed book ever written about Steppe History, June 4, 1999

By A Customer

This book is truly a "work of historical art". It provides comprehensive text concerning many different groups residing in Central Asia, not only the Mongols. This book is a masterpiece and is a must-read for any history enthusiast. If you are looking for a book that tells you everything about Central Asian/Inner Asian/Mongol History, then you will strike oil with this one. It is the best thing close to an encyclopedia on Central Asian history and it has been a wonderful addition to my home library.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book on the Impact of Nomads on Sedentary Peoples, September 2, 2001

By	Kung Kuo Chuan (Hong Kong / Taiwan) - See all my reviews

Of the 50+ books I have read on Central Asia, this book is by far the most insightful. This is more than a history of Central Asia -- it is a whole treatise on the impact of the nomads on the sedentary peoples. The book also places a heavy emphasis on the origins of various peoples (Turks, Mongols, etc.) and their relationships. The displacement of the Indo-Europeans by the Turks in Central Asia (from western China to present-day Uzbekistan) also makes for facsinating reading. There is also detailed discussions about Genghis Khan and the Mongols -- frankly much better than most other books I've read that deal with only that topic.
On the negative side, the book focuses too much on Genghis Khan and generally has a pro-Mongol bias. Some of the maps are also quite unhelpful and do not correspond to the text too well.
Nonetheless, this old book is still the best around after all these years.