They lived in a masculine culture that revered horsemanship, courage, endurance and loyalty. His father's position gave the boys status. Genghis was the second of five sons born to a fierce and admired Mongolian khan (tribal leader). (The book ends with his unification of rival tribes.) The facts in the story are historically accurate, and the author fleshes them out with emotion and atmosphere. Iggulden describes Genghis Khan's childhood and early manhood. Of course, implementing this particular mission statement required some blood-spilling and orphan-making. He presents a full-blooded portrait of the 13th-century warrior who united the Mongols, then invaded China and Eastern Europe. Iggulden remedies the oversight in this, the first of his proposed four-book series on Genghis. Roman intrigue has always exerted an appeal, from William Shakespeare to HBO.īy contrast, the superstar of Mongolian history, Genghis Khan, hasn't gotten nearly as much ink. Iggulden already is an admired name in historical fiction, thanks to his best-selling Emperor quartet about Julius Caesar. Nothing makes me forget my Visa balance faster than zesty historical fiction, the kind with plenty of unbridled combat, accurate research, rampaging hordes and believable characters from very different cultures whose motivation rings true across the centuries. That's how a reader feels after finishing Conn Iggulden's invigorating Genghis: Birth of an Empire. Imagine jolting down three Red Bull energy drinks, followed by a chaser of testosterone.
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