The Tartar Khan's Englishman

by Gabriel Ronay

"A splendid biography...it is gripping reading."--Economist. "No writer of historical fiction or Hollywood extravaganza could invent action half as exciting as are the rare adventures and painful peregrinations of this remarkable 13th-century Englishman."--The Times. Out of a 13th-century monastic chronicle came the seed of this incredible biography of the English-born personal envoy, interpreter, and spy in the house of the Tartar Khan. Pieced together by a Transylvanian writer who discovered the existence of this pivotal figure, it is a tale peppered with kings and warriors and mass murderers--and the mysterious man whose actions and diplomacy preceding the Tartar holocaust have left their indelible stamp on the face of Europe.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval History, Biography, Medieval

249 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Richard Newton]

One of those quirky historical stories which link bits of history that otherwise were completely separate in my mind. Telling the story of an Englishman, barred from England and excommunicated for his objection to King John and support for the Magna Carta, who then travelled to the middle east and joined the Knights Templar as a way out. But unfortunately he ends up thrown out of the Knights Templar and in penury gets recruited by the Mongols and goes to the centre of the Mongol empire in Karakorum. So we have King John and the Magna Carta, the crusades and the Knights Templar, and Genghis Khan all in one book. In the Mongol empire he aquires the role of a diplomat seeking countries submission or complete destruction by the Mongols - taking him all the way back to central Europe. A fascinating story.

[L.]

In the spirit of YouTube, I feel compelled to inform you sent me here.

But seriously, it was that one little line mentioning an Englishman was found to have been working for the Mongols during their invasion of Europe that caught my imagination. Weatherford directed me towards this thin book, in which author Gabriel Ronay lays out his belief of just who this well traveled Englishman was. While I can't say I'm 100% convinced Ronay has the right man, I can't say that he's wrong, either.

[Peggy]

I found this book both fascinating and annoying. It’s full of remarkable details and stories about the international intrigues and the Mongol invasions of Europe in the 13th century, but the actual historical details of the main character are few and far between. The shadowy Englishman at the center of the story is admittedly intriguing, but most of the book is speculation, unsubstantiated by much evidence. The author has theories and does refer to documents, but a lot of the text is sprinkled with phrases like “there is reason to believe “ and “it is a reasonable assumption“ etc etc. I wonder what a true historian of medieval history would think of this book.

[Tony]

I didn't find it QUITE as thrilling or exciting as the comments on its cover indicated, but it was still an interesting read . I knew those Tartars/Mongols were a nasty lot, but I didn't know how nasty till I read this book. A pretty good book on an unusual subject.

[Singleton Mosby]

What an incredible story. A must read for everyone interested in the Mongols and their period.