Publishers Weekly
05/18/2015
Prolific British historian and biographer McLynn (Captain Cook) seeks to determine how a seemingly insignificant nomadic tribe from the remote, arid, sub-Arctic steppe became world conquerors. He relies heavily on The Secret History of the Mongols, an enigmatic Mongol hagiography, and on contemporary Arab and Persian authors who had their own evident biases. “The history of Genghis Khan and the Mongols can sometimes seem no more than an endless recital of massacres with pyramids of skulls,” McLynn writes, but he enlivens the litany of destruction with explorations of animal husbandry, traditional religion, and other anthropological topics—sections that are often more interesting than those recounting military exploits. Mongol diplomatic strategy also bears recounting, particularly the drinking binges forced upon Song dynasty envoys. Although the author exhibits a great deal of sympathy for his subject, his opinions on the Mongol nation are not particularly positive: “While the Mongols’ military achievements were stupendous, they were otherwise totally parasitic,” he notes. They also “produced no cultural artefacts... and did not even bake bread; they essentially relied on the captive craftsmen and experts for everything.” McLynn’s work is sweepingly ambitious and persistently intriguing, even if it is not always clear how reliable his sources may be. Maps & illus. (July)
From the Publisher
The Spectator (UK), 6/27/15
“[Khan's] was an extraordinary, epic story and Frank McLynn does it full justice in a vivid, page-turning biography.”
Sunday Times (UK), 6/21/15
“A formidable study of the world's greatest conqueror. With this compelling history of a brilliant, complex leader and ruthless master of warfare, McLynn has done his man proud.”
Sunday Times (UK), “Must Reads,” 6/28/15
“A formidable study of the ruthless Mongolian nomad who carved out an empire.”
The Times (UK), 6/27/15
“McLynn has carefully synthesized the work of hundreds of scholars to create a sensitive and immensely detailed portrait of an extraordinary leader.”
Shelf Awareness for Readers, 7/31/15
“A staggeringly ambitious biography of history's greatest conqueror…Genghis Khan is fascinating enough to appeal to any history fan.”
Maclean's, 7/24/15
“McLynn's bio of the legendary, brutal conqueror reveals the Mongol's mantras.”
My Big Honkin Blog, 7/29/15
“The hundred pages of endnotes clearly illustrates the efforts that McLynn put forth in penning Genghis Khan.”
Examiner.com, 8/3/15
“Brings us face-to-face with this complex man who shaped the course of history.”
Praise for Genghis Khan
Booklist, July 2015
“This ambitious and massive effort offers some credible insights into the qualities of Genghis while providing an excellent chronicle of his military campaigns and conquests. Particularly interesting is McLynn's description of thirteenth-century Mongolia, with its incredibly complicated web of tribes, clans, and subclans…This is an informative and admirable effort that is ideal for general readers.”
Kirkus Reviews starred review, 5/15/15
“A sanguinary and thorough account of ‘the greatest conqueror the world has ever known.' McLynn knows the terrain and the times so well that he writes about 12th- and 13th-century history and culture as if it were yesterday. Throughout this intricately detailed text, the author pauses continually to explain relevant devices, personalities, political situations, and geography—all of this gives readers a chance to truly understand…McLynn recognizes that the historical sources must be constantly questioned and analyzed, as victors tend to inflate their victories and losers, to minimize and blame…Thoroughly researched, grim, grisly, and sometimes even grudgingly admiring.”
Publishers Weekly, 5/18/15
“Sweepingly ambitious and persistently intriguing.”
Lemuria blog, 10/10/15
“Wildly interesting and very informative.”
Manhattan Book Review, 11/1/15
“[A] monumental masterpiece…Genghis Khan is no mere dry history book; the subject matter is so fascinating that despite few attempts to spice things up, one cannot help but be engrossed in the tale of one of history's greatest protagonists…McLynn's work is flawless; even if readers are not interested in a history, it would stand on its own as a masterwork novel of intrigue and conquest.”
New York Journal of Books, 12/5/15
“[McLynn] bring[s] the skill of a seasoned scholar to produce a readable, credible work, usefully illustrated with maps and pictures.”
Simply Charly, 12/13/15
“[A] sweeping study…This is a portrait of a single man's rise to greatness and of an obscure tribe's transformation from an isolated nomadic existence to a world power…This is the portrait of a complex man driven to greatness by the strength of his abilities and an unshakable will.”
Providence Journal, “2015's Best in Nonfiction,” 12/27/15
“This comprehensive biography by British historian McLynn tells us all about the Mongol's brilliant strategy and the bloody battles, but you may find the anthropological details even more fascinating.”
InfoDad blog, 8/6/15
“Such a man requires the most substantial possible biography, and McLynn gives him one that resoundingly demonstrates how intricately fascinating history can be…Sumptuous, erudite and stylish, careful to rely on often-contradictory primary sources when any such exist from so remote an era, McLynn's Genghis Khan is a sweeping 650-page trek through times and peoples whose very names sound like the stuff of legend…A book that…makes history come alive.”
Literary Review, August 2015
“[An] impressive new biography…[A] deeply researched and finely honed portrait…A biography of extraordinary synthesis and historical vision.”
South China Morning Post, 9/19/15
“McLynn takes an epic story and distills it into a book that will fill readers with awe.”
Internet Review of Books, 8/18/15
“This complicated book is Frank McLynn's twenty-fourth history, and includes an extensive bibliography, and voluminous notes…If you sink your teeth into it, you won't be disappointed.”
Military Heritage, November 2015
“This new biography covers the life of this infamous and important man who would today be seen as a genocidal maniac. Time has softened the results of his actions, but the author brings the man vividly to life.”
"McLynn succeeds in lifting the veil from Khan's early life, his rise to power, and his rule. Furthermore, the author adds depth to the narrative by discussing not only his subject's military strategies and campaigns but also by delving into the structure of Mongol society, the role of women, and the reorientation of the Mongols from factional tribalism to absolute devotion to the Khan...A richly complete account."—Library Journal
"[An] account of how the founder and leader of the Mongol empire was a skilled strategist with a cowardly streak...The bloody story of how an illiterate peasant came to rule the "largest contiguous land empire" the world has known."—Sacramento Bee
"In author Frank McLynn's estimation, there is more to be gleamed from the Mongol emperor's life, and much more to be added to his incomplete record. Genghis Khan is McLynn's successful proof of concept, built on newly-translated sources to expand our understanding of the man responsible for forging one of the world's greatest empires."—Biographile
"The most readable, enjoyable, and comprehensive study of the subject since John Man's brilliant 2005 book... A first-rate biography."—The Nation (United Arab Emirates)
"This new biography covers the life of this infamous and important man who would today be seen as a genocidal maniac. Time has softened the results of his actions, but the author brings the man vividly to life."—Military Heritage
"[A] monumental masterpiece...Genghis Khan is no mere dry history book; the subject matter is so fascinating that despite few attempts to spice things up, one cannot help but be engrossed in the tale of one of history's greatest protagonists...McLynn's work is flawless; even if readers are not interested in a history, it would stand on its own as a masterwork novel of intrigue and conquest."—Manhattan Book Review
"[McLynn] bring[s] the skill of a seasoned scholar to produce a readable, credible work, usefully illustrated with maps and pictures."—New York Journal of Books
"This comprehensive biography by British historian McLynn tells us all about the Mongol's brilliant strategy and the bloody battles, but you may find the anthropological details even more fascinating."—Providence Journal, "2015's Best in Nonfiction"
"A detailed but highly readable narrative... McLynn's information on Genghis is sound and exhaustive because the author drew on virtually every authoritative study related to his subject."—Choice
"McLynn writes with evident relish as he puzzles over an unlikely world conqueror whose rise defies any theory offered in explanation."—Milwaukee Shepherd-Express
"Over seventeen chapters and nearly five hundred pages, McLynn builds the case that Genghis Khan was 'the greatest conqueror the world has ever known'...An interesting read."—H-Net
"McLynn tells his story brilliantly, cutting through myth to paint a portrait of a complex man, a product of his time and place, but able to rise above circumstance to impose himself on the world in terrifying fashion."—Irish Examiner
Library Journal
06/15/2015
At the outset, McLynn (Captain Cook; Marcus Aurelius: A Life) declares that an authoritative biography of the Mongol ruler Genghis Khan (1162–1227) is impossible, but that this project is an attempt to synthesize the relevant scholarship of the last 40 years written in the major European languages. To a large degree, McLynn succeeds in lifting the veil from Khan's early life, his rise to power, and his rule. Furthermore, the author adds depth to the narrative by discussing not only his subject's military strategies and campaigns but also by delving into the structure of Mongol society, the role of women, and the reorientation of the Mongols from factional tribalism to absolute devotion to the Khan. McLynn's scholarship is at times undermined by an overwhelming array of details that sidetrack the work and distract the reader—as when the book continues on for over 100 pages after Khan's death. VERDICT A richly complete account that will satisfy those history readers loving minutiae, while being perhaps too overstuffed with detail for more casual readers.—Chris Sauder, Round Rock P.L., TX
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2015-04-27
A prolific historian, biographer, and journalist returns with a sanguinary and thorough account of "the greatest conqueror the world has ever known." McLynn (Captain Cook: Master of the Seas, 2011, etc.) knows the terrain and the times so well that he writes about 12th- and 13th-century history and culture as if it were yesterday. Throughout this intricately detailed text, the author pauses continually to explain relevant devices, personalities, political situations, and geography—all of this gives readers a chance to truly understand. (The author even includes a lengthy appendix on Mongol religion, which was "extraordinarily complex," as well as an immensely helpful "glossary of principal personalities.") McLynn recognizes that the historical sources must be constantly questioned and analyzed, as victors tend to inflate their victories and losers, to minimize and blame. The author begins with the geography of Mongolia. He then tells us what we know about the boyhood of Temujin (who would become Genghis Khan) and charts his rise as a warlord to the position of absolute leader. McLynn provides plenty of material about Mongol battlefield strategy and tactics (they loved the false retreat and the divide-and-conquer ploy; they valued swiftness and were masters of horsemanship) as well as gruesome details about the fates of their enemies. As the author describes repeatedly, the Mongols treated settlements that surrendered without resistance much more humanely than they did those that resisted. Resistance meant absolute slaughter—men, women, children—after, of course, an extended period of looting and raping. The killing was vicious; some warriors even slit open the bodies of pregnant women and removed their unborn. McLynn estimates that the Mongols killed millions of people in their ventures into China, Russia, Hungary, Poland, and elsewhere. Thoroughly researched, grim, grisly, and sometimes even grudgingly admiring.
