Mongols (Men-At-Arms Series, 105) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Angus McBride (Illustrator) "The history of the Mongol armies is a catalogue of superlatives..." (more)
Key Phrases: Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan, Marco Polo (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The history of the Mongol armies is a catalogue of superlatives. No armies in history have ever won so many battles or conquered so much territory. No army has ever provoked such justifiable terror and loathing in its victims, or slaughtered so many of its vanquished. What other army in history has marched on Russia in the winter and survived, let alone won victories? The stories of these and many other amazing feats of this 'barbarian' people are here brought vividly to life by Stephen Turnbull, from the birth of Genghis Khan in the wind-swept steppes of Mongolia, through the conquest of China and beyond.

From the Publisher

Packed with specially commissioned artwork, maps and diagrams, the Men-at-Arms series is an unrivalled illustrated reference on the history, organisation, uniforms and equipment of the world's military forces, past and present.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing; illustrated edition edition (November 20, 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0850453720
• ISBN-13: 978-0850453720
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #155,412 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful study of Mongol military strategy and tactics, November 11, 2000

By	Dilip Susruta Samarasinghe (Colombo, Sri Lanka) - See all my reviews

I enjoyed reading this book because I learned a lot about this fascinating period. The Mongol Empire stretched from China to present day Poland.Many leading powers today such as Germany, Russia, China and Japan had to bear the brunt of Mongol attacks or were incorporated into one of the world's largest empires. One interesting point is that after a while, the Mongols simply stopped advancing even though their enemies, Arabs or Europeans were not in a position to check their advances. It is difficult to imagine the course history would have taken had the Mongols pressed on with their offensive. The Western dominated international dydtem would not have existed. The book also has some interesting information on the battle tactics and equipment of the mongols. There is also a lot of details about their ability to assimilate outsiders and their military technology. A lot of of Chinese know-how especially in siege warfare was used, but the Mongols relied mainly on their ability to wage speedy, cavalry based attacks. Discipline and an honour system was a major reason for the success of the Mongols, a people who played a considerable part in shaping world history.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The end of a myth, September 18, 2002

By	A. Tegtmeier (Northern Alabama) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This book ends all the myths about the mongols - that they only won because they had numerical superiority, that their army was an uncoordinated horde of wild animals, and so on. Other bits and pieces of what we think we know about them are actually confirmed, though : that they were cruel, that they practically lived on their horses and so on. Additionally, there are brief descriptions about the clothes they were wearing, their haircuts and what they ate and drank. Together with the usual beautiful full color plates, this is a book which is highly recommended as a very good starting point for further studies in this area.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good one, April 3, 2003

By A Customer

It's a fine book for the people who are beginners in Mongolian history field. Recommended. Only thing that's missing on Mongols' subject in Osprey books is that they don't have anything from original Mongolian sources (Osprey books use either Chinese, Russian, or Arabic sources mostly)! But as I said before this book is good for beginners and you won't be dissatisfied.