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Khubilai Khan - Lord of Xanadu, Emperor of China
His grandfather was the bloodthirsty Mongol leader Genghis Khan. Groomed from childhood for a position of authority, Khubilai snatched the position of Great Khan, becoming the overlord of a Mongol federation
272 pages, Paperback
First published June 24, 2010
22 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Clements
153 books124 followersJonathan Clements is an author, translator, biographer and scriptwriter. His non-fiction works include biographies of Confucius, Marco Polo, Mao Zedong, Koxinga and Qin Shihuangdi. He also writes for NEO magazine and is the co-author of encyclopedias of anime and Japanese television dramas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
August 19, 2017
I would have thought that the "A Brief History" series would be aimed at the reader who has a passing interest in the specific subject and just wants to be educated with out delving into the more academic tomes that may be available. I would have thought that the "A Brief History" series would also require good footnotes, a chronology and a bibliography as to where to go next if ones interest is piqued. Most of all it should cover its subject with an easy to read and accessible text. This book covers all that is required of a brief history. Sources covered and explained. Made the subject matter a breeze to read and best of all left one hankering for more.
I have now read a few of these A Brief History's and they are in general very good with the odd one being superb in doing what they should set out to do. This one by Jonathan Clements is as good as it gets. Highly recommended to the lay reader.
I have now read a few of these A Brief History's and they are in general very good with the odd one being superb in doing what they should set out to do. This one by Jonathan Clements is as good as it gets. Highly recommended to the lay reader.
September 25, 2021
As I've read nothing on this topic before, this book was enjoyable just for the novelty of it. I really enoyed how the author wrote of the attempted invasions of Japan: those scenes felt electric. But afterward....the race to finish covering the repeated, failed invasions of Southeast Asia before the book concluded felt exhausting to read and I mostly skimmed them. I was most intrigued by the fact that Khubilai married a daughter to a prince of Goryeo and thereafter in that dynasty his descendants ruled Korea; and having never read this far back in Chinese history, it was fun to see the beginnings of so much that was familiar.
However, this book definitely needed another pass through the editing stage. There were a lot of glaring errors just on a grammar stage, where it was obvious two sentences had been combined and the tenses were all over the place (e.g. 'Takezaki struggles to his feet, his life saved by the timely available of another horseman', pg 132) or errors in spelling.
There were also odd moments, such as when he says the Nestorians had a god called Alohe (pg 15)? And that was one of the many similarities that encouraged many of them to convert to Islam? I haven't been able to find anything of the sort online, but perhaps it is only in a few historical records....
However, this book definitely needed another pass through the editing stage. There were a lot of glaring errors just on a grammar stage, where it was obvious two sentences had been combined and the tenses were all over the place (e.g. 'Takezaki struggles to his feet, his life saved by the timely available of another horseman', pg 132) or errors in spelling.
There were also odd moments, such as when he says the Nestorians had a god called Alohe (pg 15)? And that was one of the many similarities that encouraged many of them to convert to Islam? I haven't been able to find anything of the sort online, but perhaps it is only in a few historical records....
August 5, 2019
A random choice for a morning of self-indulgence in the history section of the bookstore, this book is definitely a great read if you are a fan of history in general and Eurasian history in particular.
With the depth of research, the author tells the story about the life of Khubilai Khan, the grandson of the great Genghis Khan of Mongolia who conquered a vast tract of the Eurasian continent, stretching from the Balkan peninsular all the way to the Korean coast. Against the backdrop of wars and chaos, we readers can witness how the main character, as the heir to this enormous empire, grow up, engage in and survive high-stake politics to forge his way to absolute power and establish himself as the first Emperor of China under his newly-proclaimed Yuan dynasty.
More than just a biography, this is a story about a tumultuous time in human history where an empire was built out of endless bloodletting and destruction. Life seemed precarious under the stampede of the Mongol military might. Yet, out of the same period an Asian renaissance was born when trade flourished and cultures mixed under the new multiracial empire of Khubilai Khan. This period would leave far-reaching effects that still influence our world today.
Definitely a must read!
With the depth of research, the author tells the story about the life of Khubilai Khan, the grandson of the great Genghis Khan of Mongolia who conquered a vast tract of the Eurasian continent, stretching from the Balkan peninsular all the way to the Korean coast. Against the backdrop of wars and chaos, we readers can witness how the main character, as the heir to this enormous empire, grow up, engage in and survive high-stake politics to forge his way to absolute power and establish himself as the first Emperor of China under his newly-proclaimed Yuan dynasty.
More than just a biography, this is a story about a tumultuous time in human history where an empire was built out of endless bloodletting and destruction. Life seemed precarious under the stampede of the Mongol military might. Yet, out of the same period an Asian renaissance was born when trade flourished and cultures mixed under the new multiracial empire of Khubilai Khan. This period would leave far-reaching effects that still influence our world today.
Definitely a must read!
July 17, 2018
Neat book, but emphasis on "brief". It's way too short and leaves out many details, and the background is scarce, so that I didn't know what was going on in the first chapter. Cool overview of his life and what the Mongols did in his lifetime, but I'd definitely look elsewhere if your interest is anything more than that of a book you happened to find in a used bookstore.
May 12, 2024
A good but brief introduction to the history of khublai khan, reunifier of china and founder of the yuan dynasty. If you don't know much about him, this is a good place to start.
August 2, 2020
Not sure if this is normal to historical books, but this brief history was indeed brief and seemed to be all over the place. At times, there are random injections or seemingly unnecessary quotes. When the story gets interesting, it then goes off on a different tangent about some random figure unrelated to Khubilai. And for a book chronicling the life of Khubilai, I did walk away from this book feeling that I never really understood the man. It's more (60%) about what Khubilai did, and the other 40% is random events and long passages about some unrelated people or events.
But at other times, the story was extremely interesting, captivating, and informative. There are many humorous moments in the story, and I'm not sure if that was intended. I'd also like to add that the chapter titles were very clever- for example; I loved chapter 8 titled "The Miscellaneous Aliens: Khubilai's Cosmopolitan Empire", whether intentionally funny or not. Also, Mongolian names are so dope, and could definitely be used in a science fiction book.
Besides that, this book does its job of providing a brief history and I took a lot from it. Even though at times it was a jumbled mess, I found myself remembering many of the events that Clements described. One random fact I learned was that, if I remember correctly, the Mongolian word for family or tribe was 'ordo', which was eventually translated into the English 'horde'. Now, 'horde' sort of has negative connotations, when I think of 'horde' I think of a horde of locusts or something. But for Mongolians, 'ordo' was a positive word of community and brotherhood. So it's funny that the different sides had vastly different perceptions of each other and the outside world made out the Mongols to be this great and terrible enemy, but they were also a nomadic peoples who just thought that they were doing the right thing by unifying the lands and above all else they were just normal folk, though the focus was on the bloodthirsty generals and khans. In fact, I would much have rather lived in a civilization which had been ruled by Mongols rather than the Europeans. There was a lot of religious acceptance, the Silk Road, etc...
My favourite section of the book described the attempted Mongol invasion of Japan- two of them- which both failed because of typhoons, as if an act from God to defend Japan. Although this isn't relevant at all, a humorous moment was when Kono-Michiari, a samurai, was so eager for battle that he pitched his tent on the wrong side of the defensive wall, and he was in full view of the enemy Mongols. When he witnessed a heron pick up a falling arrow and proceed to drop it on one of the largest ships, he took it was a message from the gods, and decided to lead a suicidal assault on the Mongol flagship. This was so obviously insane that none of the captains of the Mongol boats thought that this one samurai could be attacking, and interpreted it as an approach to surrender. I really like this Kono-Michiari guy, man. Sometimes I also make insane decisions based on what a seagull tells me. And I believe, that he lived to survive that encounter and wrote a poem about it afterwards.
Another interesting thing was when the Mongols, unfamiliar with the coastal waters, became constantly on edge over seeing 'shadows of hills in the water', and the 'smell of sulphur'. Apparently, they had begun to suspect that there were dragons in the water. A while after that, the hurricane arrived and decimated their fleet- so, dragons are confirmed to be real?
Clements' voice made the brief book more interesting, despite the story being so rushed and all over the place. I would have liked to see more focus on Khubilai- and see the soul behind the man. Overall, I took a lot from this book. It's a solid 3.5.
But at other times, the story was extremely interesting, captivating, and informative. There are many humorous moments in the story, and I'm not sure if that was intended. I'd also like to add that the chapter titles were very clever- for example; I loved chapter 8 titled "The Miscellaneous Aliens: Khubilai's Cosmopolitan Empire", whether intentionally funny or not. Also, Mongolian names are so dope, and could definitely be used in a science fiction book.
Besides that, this book does its job of providing a brief history and I took a lot from it. Even though at times it was a jumbled mess, I found myself remembering many of the events that Clements described. One random fact I learned was that, if I remember correctly, the Mongolian word for family or tribe was 'ordo', which was eventually translated into the English 'horde'. Now, 'horde' sort of has negative connotations, when I think of 'horde' I think of a horde of locusts or something. But for Mongolians, 'ordo' was a positive word of community and brotherhood. So it's funny that the different sides had vastly different perceptions of each other and the outside world made out the Mongols to be this great and terrible enemy, but they were also a nomadic peoples who just thought that they were doing the right thing by unifying the lands and above all else they were just normal folk, though the focus was on the bloodthirsty generals and khans. In fact, I would much have rather lived in a civilization which had been ruled by Mongols rather than the Europeans. There was a lot of religious acceptance, the Silk Road, etc...
My favourite section of the book described the attempted Mongol invasion of Japan- two of them- which both failed because of typhoons, as if an act from God to defend Japan. Although this isn't relevant at all, a humorous moment was when Kono-Michiari, a samurai, was so eager for battle that he pitched his tent on the wrong side of the defensive wall, and he was in full view of the enemy Mongols. When he witnessed a heron pick up a falling arrow and proceed to drop it on one of the largest ships, he took it was a message from the gods, and decided to lead a suicidal assault on the Mongol flagship. This was so obviously insane that none of the captains of the Mongol boats thought that this one samurai could be attacking, and interpreted it as an approach to surrender. I really like this Kono-Michiari guy, man. Sometimes I also make insane decisions based on what a seagull tells me. And I believe, that he lived to survive that encounter and wrote a poem about it afterwards.
Another interesting thing was when the Mongols, unfamiliar with the coastal waters, became constantly on edge over seeing 'shadows of hills in the water', and the 'smell of sulphur'. Apparently, they had begun to suspect that there were dragons in the water. A while after that, the hurricane arrived and decimated their fleet- so, dragons are confirmed to be real?
Clements' voice made the brief book more interesting, despite the story being so rushed and all over the place. I would have liked to see more focus on Khubilai- and see the soul behind the man. Overall, I took a lot from this book. It's a solid 3.5.
July 20, 2012
This is indeed a "brief" history of one of the most famous/infamous rulers of the world. Clements tries to condense the complicated reign of Khubilai and the nature of the Mongol Empire into about 200 pages, not an easy task. However, he does an admirable job of synthesizing many different sources to relate the ruling style of the great Kahn. It is not a true biography because there does not appear to be enough extant sources to truly investigate what type of man Khubilai truly was.
Clements often relies on Marco Polo's famous account to give the details of the Khan's life and rule. This is of course the most famous and accessible source for us Westerners. However, the author also does a good job of double checking Polo's facts with Japanese, Chinese, Mongolian, and even Arab sources. The book definitely gives you a feel for how determined and brutal the Mongols were to conquer China and the kingdoms on the edge of their ever expanding empire. It gives you the sense the Kubilai represneted the heighth of the Mongol empire. They had conquered all the could and the different segments of this huge empire started to assimilate into the cultures they had conquer. Thus, Khubilai becomes both the apex and decline of the largest empire on the face of the earth.
This account makes you want to read more about the Mongols and how they created this empire (and there are plently of books out there about that), but it also makes you want to read what Marco Polo actually had to say about his twenty year visit with the Great Kahn.
Clements often relies on Marco Polo's famous account to give the details of the Khan's life and rule. This is of course the most famous and accessible source for us Westerners. However, the author also does a good job of double checking Polo's facts with Japanese, Chinese, Mongolian, and even Arab sources. The book definitely gives you a feel for how determined and brutal the Mongols were to conquer China and the kingdoms on the edge of their ever expanding empire. It gives you the sense the Kubilai represneted the heighth of the Mongol empire. They had conquered all the could and the different segments of this huge empire started to assimilate into the cultures they had conquer. Thus, Khubilai becomes both the apex and decline of the largest empire on the face of the earth.
This account makes you want to read more about the Mongols and how they created this empire (and there are plently of books out there about that), but it also makes you want to read what Marco Polo actually had to say about his twenty year visit with the Great Kahn.
April 12, 2015
I enjoyed this overview of Khubilai Khan (I knew him as Cublay Can but I learned in this book about many spellings). I knew little of this story and this was a great introduction, easy to read and well annotated if you want to discover more. Probably not good for people who are well versed in these histories but fabulous for someone like me trying to understand a bit more about an era that shaped Asian history and established China as a unified empire once again (and including Tibet) in the 13th century. I read it while traveling in Myanmar and saw the temples of the Pagan empire which was destabilized by Khubilai, so far from Mongolia!
July 17, 2021
What stops a Mongol conquest?
Hot weather or a tempest.
Hot weather or a tempest.
Read
January 13, 2020I was surprised how well this book read. Thought it would be interesting, with some facts I didn't know, but otherwise rather boring. It wasn't.
Over the years I've read a number of books about the Mongols, but this easily is the best. It explains their rise and fall well - their conquest of China and how it influenced them. Khubilai Khan was easily - to my tastes - the most interesting of the Mongol leaders - caught between the Mongol ethnic of the Mongolian steppes and that great already rich Chinese culture. He tired to integrate both... but ultimately failed. Along the way Marco Polo enters the scene. There is a Netflix series on Polo - which while interesting historically is too filled with blood and sex for my tastes. Yes there was plenty of blood and sex but it is overdone.
Anyhow, Clements' little volume is far better and more interesting than the Netflix series.
Khubilai Khan is the precursor to other of modern history's (since 1000 ad) great but brutal modernizers in the tradition of Peter The Great - Throw in there Cromwell, Teddy Roosevelt, the Meiju Japanese reformers of the late 19th, early 20th centuries.. They were all trying to do more or less the same thing and in the same way. The author, Clements' captures Khubulai Khan's attempt as well as anyone.
Over the years I've read a number of books about the Mongols, but this easily is the best. It explains their rise and fall well - their conquest of China and how it influenced them. Khubilai Khan was easily - to my tastes - the most interesting of the Mongol leaders - caught between the Mongol ethnic of the Mongolian steppes and that great already rich Chinese culture. He tired to integrate both... but ultimately failed. Along the way Marco Polo enters the scene. There is a Netflix series on Polo - which while interesting historically is too filled with blood and sex for my tastes. Yes there was plenty of blood and sex but it is overdone.
Anyhow, Clements' little volume is far better and more interesting than the Netflix series.
Khubilai Khan is the precursor to other of modern history's (since 1000 ad) great but brutal modernizers in the tradition of Peter The Great - Throw in there Cromwell, Teddy Roosevelt, the Meiju Japanese reformers of the late 19th, early 20th centuries.. They were all trying to do more or less the same thing and in the same way. The author, Clements' captures Khubulai Khan's attempt as well as anyone.
February 2, 2025
a brief history of legend Khubilai Khan and his life from early age advanced education to the successful ruler of a massive territory. this is a huge kingdom which many of us will encounter similar names, we realized history connected and the world was different in the past. we also surprised about how Khubilai applied the advanced technology and set up a crossed cultures governing system. what he did is many years ahead of his time. not only successes but also see his failures in Japan and Anam, Java, Burma.
As Asian, I feel the book is fascinating and it was written in neutral tone which gives reader free zone to have opinions about one of the most iconic historical figures.
As Asian, I feel the book is fascinating and it was written in neutral tone which gives reader free zone to have opinions about one of the most iconic historical figures.
May 18, 2023
Khubilai Khan is the grandson of Genghis Khan. He lived in a more diverse society them his forebears. The author guides the reader through what life was a like back then, even what actions were reasonable for that time. I enjoyed seeing the connections: how the samurai hindered his invading into Japan, how he invaded Korea and combined China with the Mongol empire, and why Bejing is the capital. Quite informative.
April 18, 2022
For someone who knows nothing on Chinese History and just started to get interested in it, I consider "A Brief History of Khubilai Khan" an amazing reference for a short period on the matter but nevertheless, an interesting epoch that helps us to understand a more protectionist China in the following foreign matters.
October 27, 2024
I found it interesting that as much as I knew about Genghis Khan (which admittedly isn't much), I knew even less about his grandson who some could argue that he far surpassed the legacy of his grandfather in terms of the Mongol Empire. But this book changed a lot of that, and kudos to the author for his writing style. I can see now why he's such a highly respected scholar in Asian history.
March 4, 2025
A Brief History of Khubilai Khan
Antara buku yang bagus bagi melihat secara permukaan mengenai hayat Khubilai Khan sejak baginda muda, dewasa dan akhirnya menjadi pengasas bagi maharaja Dinasti Yuan.
Ia juga menceritakan penaklukan yang dibuat semasa hayatnya. Buku ini juga menyelitkan peta bagi memudahkan pembaca untuk faham di mana lokasi yang telah disebut di dalam buku.
Antara buku yang bagus bagi melihat secara permukaan mengenai hayat Khubilai Khan sejak baginda muda, dewasa dan akhirnya menjadi pengasas bagi maharaja Dinasti Yuan.
Ia juga menceritakan penaklukan yang dibuat semasa hayatnya. Buku ini juga menyelitkan peta bagi memudahkan pembaca untuk faham di mana lokasi yang telah disebut di dalam buku.
March 17, 2020
This was a different read for me. Although I enjoy historical books, I prefer ones with more of a story and flow. This book read more like a history book. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed reading about Khubilai Khan and learnt many things.
April 27, 2022
Coincidently, I came to this book just after I finished the book of Genghis Khan, and Kublai, who was his grandson always intrigued me. Was he a Mongol, or was he a Chionese?
The book answered this question and much more.
The book answered this question and much more.
December 31, 2017
A surprisingly detailed biography of one of the most famed Mongol rulers and a fairly unique figure in Chinese imperial history. A perfect introduction for those unfamiliar with the Yuan dynasty.
November 27, 2019
Although a brief history indeed, the Yuan Dynasty is nicely encompassed throughout this book, very informative and interesting in painting the pictures of how the Mongols lived then.
I particularly like the discussion on the ‘palace on wheels’, and the input and tales of Marco Polo makes it even more intriguing.
I particularly like the discussion on the ‘palace on wheels’, and the input and tales of Marco Polo makes it even more intriguing.
February 9, 2020
Maybe a bit short. But full of easy understandable info.
December 24, 2021
Another excellent offering from the “Brief history of…” series. Easily digestible but deep and rich enough to give a real feel for the man and the times.
August 29, 2025
Very nicely flowing, detail-fulled yet concise account of Khubilai, his reign and the peoples and cultures which were affected by him.
August 11, 2024
Excellent summary of the life of the great Yuan emperor. Needs slightly better editing but really covers ground on the subject.
January 16, 2012
I’ve always been curious and didn’t have any real knowledge of Khubilai Khan apart from a Rush song called Xanadu written by Neil Peart (1977) about a fragmented poem written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1797) when Coleridge was on opium after he read Samuel Purchas’s (1625) tweaked version of Marco Polo’s ‘The Romance of the World’ which is his account (1278) of Khubilai Khans city and “pleasure dome” in Shangdu AKA Xanadu meaning in Chinese “Northern Capital”.
I enjoyed this book but it was a history book and therefore could be a little dry if you’re not that keen on reading about history. It was pieced together chronologically using heavy research from all pre-existing documents and books (referenced in the back) on The Great Khan and his empire. In other words, this is a simplified story about Mongolian history between 1145 and 1368. I can imagine books like this get history professionals in a huff because they think its lacking in some details or putting opinionated ideas on historic matters, but that’s for the history geeks to fight about. It does say at the top of the book “A Brief History of”. I think Clements remained as neutral as he could in telling this story.
I was personally hoping for more about Xanadu itself due to reason mentioned above, but at the end of the day there are only a handful of actual accounts of the place so you work with what you’re given. I did learn a lot about Chinese History, at least the Yuan dynasty, and this book definitely added some knowledge and insight into my brain parts. I don’t know what parts; I’ll have to read a book about that to find out and post a review to let you know about those parts.
I’m glad I read this, but unless someone has an interest in Khubilai, who was the first emperor to unite North and South China, then I’d pass on it and continue reading Tom Clansy or Running with Scissors, or whatever it is you enjoy.
I enjoyed this book but it was a history book and therefore could be a little dry if you’re not that keen on reading about history. It was pieced together chronologically using heavy research from all pre-existing documents and books (referenced in the back) on The Great Khan and his empire. In other words, this is a simplified story about Mongolian history between 1145 and 1368. I can imagine books like this get history professionals in a huff because they think its lacking in some details or putting opinionated ideas on historic matters, but that’s for the history geeks to fight about. It does say at the top of the book “A Brief History of”. I think Clements remained as neutral as he could in telling this story.
I was personally hoping for more about Xanadu itself due to reason mentioned above, but at the end of the day there are only a handful of actual accounts of the place so you work with what you’re given. I did learn a lot about Chinese History, at least the Yuan dynasty, and this book definitely added some knowledge and insight into my brain parts. I don’t know what parts; I’ll have to read a book about that to find out and post a review to let you know about those parts.
I’m glad I read this, but unless someone has an interest in Khubilai, who was the first emperor to unite North and South China, then I’d pass on it and continue reading Tom Clansy or Running with Scissors, or whatever it is you enjoy.
October 31, 2012
This is a wonderful little book on a very interesting historical figure. Khubilai built on many of Genghis Khan's best ideas and added additional moderation. In some ways, he was the finest Mongol Ruler because of how he expanded the empire and balanced religious freedom like very few countries/empires had. What really captured my imagination were some of the minor characters like Bayan the "Clarifier of Meanings," quite possibly the best name meaning for a general in history. Or the moment where Khubilai through crafty diplomacy sent scholars to look for a monument in modern day Vietnam that marked Chinese domination over them only for the Vietnamese to respond that the monument was so old that it is gone and forgotten now. These type of moments really make history come alive. The author's clear, easy to read prose, and often witty commentary also really help. If you're at all interested in Khubilai, Chinese history, or (better yet) the Mongols, this book is well worth it. It is a breezy and entertaining read.
March 5, 2014
A very brief history on Khubilai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan (Temujin) who founded the Yuan Dynasty (3rd last dynasty of ancient China). It was a short rule (about 70 years) and the first dynasty ruled by an ethnic minority group in Chinese history. From the author's comments, nothing really impressive was achieved (or so that's how I read it). Marco Polo lived during this period. Inflation, royal infighting and various religious clashes contributed to the downfall of the Yuan dynasty.
October 2, 2018
This was an excellent introduction to the historical Khubilai, his world, and his accomplishments. It was very readable and well suited to the casual learner or someone looking for an entry point into the history of this era in this part of the world. Clements has a narrative style that holds the reader’s interest without sacrificing details on the sources of this information nor any discussion of whether those sources should be fully trusted or not.
May 3, 2016
A page-turner and a good read because the author was objective about the events in Kubhilai's era. I find it a balanced account or at least what I would have expected as a historical account of the first Yuan emperor. Simple and easy to read. Events not related to Khubilai are lightly mentioned without too much detail. I am already looking into other books by Clements.
December 11, 2012
A good tale, one that cuts through the myths and legends spun around this great prince and his mystical Xanadu to produce a level headed account of the tumult in the far east during the middle ages. As magical as it is factual.
March 21, 2015
Easy reading, kublai is portrayed not as great as I'd always imagined him to be, very much less impressive compared to his predecessor. This book paints a good picture of the political affairs during the yuan dynasty and def discredit Marco Polo, which I find them amusing
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews