The Life and Times of Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan was the Mongol conqueror who ruled one of the greatest land empires that the world has known.

The Mongols were a group of pastoral peoples from Central Asia, who lived an extremely primitive and nomadic life. Genghis Khan (born Temujin) was the chief of a small Mongol tribe at the end of the twelfth century. Extremely ambitious, he fought to take over control of the Mongol confederacy, eventually becoming its leader. He then instigated a Code of Conduct, reorganised the Mongol armies, and overran northern China, leaving a trail of havoc and desolation in his wake. From 1218 to 1224 Genghis Khan’s hordes attacked in succession Afghanistan, Persia and southern Russia, often defeating larger armies through the sheer ferocity of their fighting.

These wars are notorious for their ruthless destruction of all forms of civilisation that had existed in the conquered territories. This is not to ignore the achievements of Genghis Khan himself. As the text shows, he was an outstanding leader as well as a military leader of genius.

Part history and part legend – the story of Genghis Khan’s life is a fascinating example of how a man, by sheer force of character, can force thousands of disparate peoples into a united army and subsequently into a united nation.

Complementing a lively and totally absorbing text are over 180 illustrations, the majority of which are in colour. They are drawn from mainly Persian and Chinese sources and many of them have not been previously reproduced.