genghis khan and the making of the modern world

The book begins with the disappearance of Genghis Khan’s soul in the midst of Stalinist Russia. The book is not only about Genghis Khan and the creation of an empire, but argues for his greatness at the time and (as the title says) toward “the making of the modern world.” This opening quote, from “The Squire’s Tale,” a story written around 1395, is a fitting one here. Later books by the author add more detail. The material covers over a hundred years of detail (and summarizes things up until today), so is not a full history in its three hundred pages. The book is geared to the general audience while also having much cultural and historical content. The author does a good job while generally not ignoring the dark side of his subjects. A golden age of civilization that helped bring forth the modern age. But, not only must one compare this to the other empires of the day, we should look at the aftermath. The author does not deny that the Mongols were in various ways quite brutal and ruthless in their pursuit of empire.

This book is the first of the three and is basically written from the Mongol point of view. He has written three books on this subject. This became instead a new passion, the study of Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire. An author of a book on money, he planned to write a book on the ancient trade route from Asia to Western Europe known as the Silk Road. Jack Weatherford is a cultural anthropologist with a specialty in studying various indigenous cultures.

This book is an attempt to redeem Genghis Khan and the Mongols’ reputation.ĭr. Genghis Khan, the founder of an empire in the 13th Century, is particularly demonized as a brutal barbarian. The Mongols, an Asian people living between Russia and China, have a bad reputation. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford (Paperback 312 Pages) Basic Summary of the Book

Genghis khan and the making of the modern world