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Riding Through History
In Search of Genghis Khan
`Written with all the wit and assurance we have come to expect from this remarkable author, In Search of Genghis Khan is...a delight' - Daily Mail
In the month of the Horse, in the Year of the White Horse, Tim Severin along with six Mongol companions and photographer Paul set out on an extraordinary journey.
Intent on following the paths trodden by the soldiers of Genghis Khan in the thirteenth century, they ventured to cross some of the most remote and inhospitable territory of Mongolia, the Dead Heart, of Asia.
Many surprises awaited them as they found their way through the barren terrain: the August snows, the Black Death that still breaks out every year among the horse herders, the ancient lamas who had hidden among the common people during the great anti-religious purges, and the toothless shaman woman.
But perhaps the greatest surprise was that after years of Communist repression, the Mongols are once again reviving the cult of Genghis Khan, worshipping a man whom they regard as Father of their Nation, their greatest leader and lawgiver.
For fans of William Dalrymple, Simon Sebag Montefiore and Colin Thubron.
`Severin...is there for the ride and he writes about it well. His sense of humour, his eye for landscape, his nose for character — not to mention his stomach for boiled sheep's guts have combined to dish up a juicy tale' - Financial Times
Tim Severin is an explorer, film-maker and lecturer, who has made many expeditions, from crossing the Atlantic in a medieval leather boat to going out in search of Moby Dick and Robinson Crusoe. He has won the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award, the Book of the Sea Award, a Christopher Prize, and the literary medal of the Academie de la Marine. He books include ‘Crusader’, ‘The Sindbad Voyage’, ‘The Brendan Voyage’, ‘The Jason Voyage’ and ‘The Ulysses Voyage’.
Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.
In the month of the Horse, in the Year of the White Horse, Tim Severin along with six Mongol companions and photographer Paul set out on an extraordinary journey.
Intent on following the paths trodden by the soldiers of Genghis Khan in the thirteenth century, they ventured to cross some of the most remote and inhospitable territory of Mongolia, the Dead Heart, of Asia.
Many surprises awaited them as they found their way through the barren terrain: the August snows, the Black Death that still breaks out every year among the horse herders, the ancient lamas who had hidden among the common people during the great anti-religious purges, and the toothless shaman woman.
But perhaps the greatest surprise was that after years of Communist repression, the Mongols are once again reviving the cult of Genghis Khan, worshipping a man whom they regard as Father of their Nation, their greatest leader and lawgiver.
For fans of William Dalrymple, Simon Sebag Montefiore and Colin Thubron.
`Severin...is there for the ride and he writes about it well. His sense of humour, his eye for landscape, his nose for character — not to mention his stomach for boiled sheep's guts have combined to dish up a juicy tale' - Financial Times
Tim Severin is an explorer, film-maker and lecturer, who has made many expeditions, from crossing the Atlantic in a medieval leather boat to going out in search of Moby Dick and Robinson Crusoe. He has won the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award, the Book of the Sea Award, a Christopher Prize, and the literary medal of the Academie de la Marine. He books include ‘Crusader’, ‘The Sindbad Voyage’, ‘The Brendan Voyage’, ‘The Jason Voyage’ and ‘The Ulysses Voyage’.
Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1991
49 people are currently reading
416 people want to read
About the author
Tim Severin
46 books266 followersTim Severin was a British explorer, historian and writer. Severin is noted for his work in retracing the legendary journeys of historical figures. Severin was awarded both the Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society and the Livingstone Medal of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. He received the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award for his 1982 book The Sindbad Voyage.
He was born Timothy Severin in Assam, India in 1940. Severin attended Tonbridge School and studied geography and history at Keble College, Oxford.
Severin has also written historical fiction along with non fiction. The Viking Series, first published in 2005, concerns a young Viking adventurer who travels the world. In 2007 he published The Adventures of Hector Lynch series set in the late 17th century about a 17-year-old Corsair.
He was born Timothy Severin in Assam, India in 1940. Severin attended Tonbridge School and studied geography and history at Keble College, Oxford.
Severin has also written historical fiction along with non fiction. The Viking Series, first published in 2005, concerns a young Viking adventurer who travels the world. In 2007 he published The Adventures of Hector Lynch series set in the late 17th century about a 17-year-old Corsair.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 4, 2022
This is not a standard Tim Severin book. Normally a sea voyage, where a third of the book is his research and preparation, often the construction of a boat using historic means.
In this book, Severin has tried to plan a horseback journey in Mongolia, but has received no response, and by chance is invited to Ulan Batuur as a guest lecturer, where he takes up the opportunity to seek further information on his planned journey. Instead he is invited to join an ambitious expedition to ride from Erenzu to the borders of Europe.
A trial ride is undertaken and then the journey begins. There is little explanation of the planning - largely because it was not undertaken by Severin, and he was in the dark about most of the detail. The trial ride was very successful, due to the personnel they travelled with. Most of these people were unavailable for the actual journey, and some conflicts with the main organiser, who was using the journey for his own political gains, mean that Severin and his companion, along with a local doctor who was in the group left early.
From that point on, the three undertake their own travel, visiting remote Kazahk tribesmen, those who still hunt with eagles, and tracks down a shamaness.
Severin does well with a background of Mongolian history, obviously centralised around Genghis Khan, where he intersperses this with the journey. He also draws from several documented expeditions by Europeans - John of Plan Carpini 1245-47, William of Roebuck 1253-55, and Beatrix Bulstrode in 1913, as the journey of Ch'ang Ch'un, the medieval Chinese sage who, as the request of Genghis Khan made a long journey in his old age to visit.
Interesting, and a very easy read, but not in the same detail as his other books.
between three and four stars for me, but at the higher end.
In this book, Severin has tried to plan a horseback journey in Mongolia, but has received no response, and by chance is invited to Ulan Batuur as a guest lecturer, where he takes up the opportunity to seek further information on his planned journey. Instead he is invited to join an ambitious expedition to ride from Erenzu to the borders of Europe.
A trial ride is undertaken and then the journey begins. There is little explanation of the planning - largely because it was not undertaken by Severin, and he was in the dark about most of the detail. The trial ride was very successful, due to the personnel they travelled with. Most of these people were unavailable for the actual journey, and some conflicts with the main organiser, who was using the journey for his own political gains, mean that Severin and his companion, along with a local doctor who was in the group left early.
From that point on, the three undertake their own travel, visiting remote Kazahk tribesmen, those who still hunt with eagles, and tracks down a shamaness.
Severin does well with a background of Mongolian history, obviously centralised around Genghis Khan, where he intersperses this with the journey. He also draws from several documented expeditions by Europeans - John of Plan Carpini 1245-47, William of Roebuck 1253-55, and Beatrix Bulstrode in 1913, as the journey of Ch'ang Ch'un, the medieval Chinese sage who, as the request of Genghis Khan made a long journey in his old age to visit.
Interesting, and a very easy read, but not in the same detail as his other books.
between three and four stars for me, but at the higher end.
September 7, 2021
Sep 6, 10am ~~ Review asap.
Sep 7, 145pm ~~ This book killed two challenge birds with one stone. It is part of my personal challenge list of books set in or about Mongolia, and since Tim Severin's birthdate is in September, he was my choice for the Literary Birthday challenge I am doing this year.
I have read this book at least twice before GR, but it's been long enough since the last reading for it to feel fresh and new, and of course I loved the pictures.
Like many other books about Mongolia in my library, this one was written just after the breakup of the Soviet Union, when Mongolia was coming out from under the yoke of Soviet influence. The author got involved with UNESCO and its plan to study the historic routes of the Silk Road, with expeditions crossing Asia. Severin proposed his plan to follow a side-branch of the silk road in order to recreate the journey of a Chinese sage who had been summoned by Genghis Khan himself.
But by one of those wonderful twists of fate, the author was asked to be the replacement lecturer for a tour group traveling from London to Siberia, Mongolia, and China. So while he was in Mongolia, he went to ask about the project he had submitted for approval from the Mongolian UNESCO committee. And that is when he learned that he would have the opportunity to travel much more extensively in the country than he had expected.
Ariunbold, who called himself the 'Secretary to the Mongolian National Committee for the UNESCO Silk Roads Project', had basically stolen Severin's proposal, changing only a few details: now instead of following the Chinese sage to the Hindu Kush, the expedition would have a team of Mongolian horsemen following the courier road from the center of the country all the way to France.
But Ariunbold admitted that they needed some expert help, and would Severin be interested in riding along with them? TS of course jumped at the idea, feeling that
"If Ariumbold and his companions could demonstrate to me on their ride inside Mongolia that they had the ability, diplomacy and tenacity to continue right through to France, then my advice might help them achieve that huge ambition. meanwhile I would ride along with them, and be glad to assist them in any way I could."
But what happens when a man like Severin, with vast experience in international trekking, is not able to make important decisions along the way? What if those decisions are left in the hands of an incompetent braggart out for personal glory to use as a stepping stone for a political career? The result is what the reader witnesses as we ride along through Mongolia.
Mixed with chapters about the country's history, the story of this trip was interesting and quite readable. I appreciated the respect the author had for the people and their beliefs. I never had that feeling that some travel writers give of feeling themselves superior to the people around them. He was upset many times at the bungling of the team leader, but that was towards one foolish man, not towards the Mongolian people as a whole.
One of the most poignant episodes for me was in one of the final chapters, where TS was able to meet one of the few remaining practicing shamans left in a certain area of the country. She was an old woman and TS admitted he was not sure what to expect, but he also did not go into the meeting with the intention of proving or disproving anything. He was there to observe and report on what he saw.
And at the end of the session, his photographer Paul asked a question: What advice would the shaman give the younger generation? The answer, given without hesitation from an 86 year old back in 1990, is fitting advice (or an appropriate warning) for all of humanity.
"I would tell them, Respect nature which is all about you! Look after the rivers and streams because they supply the water you drink! Look after the sky and the air which gives you heat! And take care of the land because it feeds you!"
Sep 7, 145pm ~~ This book killed two challenge birds with one stone. It is part of my personal challenge list of books set in or about Mongolia, and since Tim Severin's birthdate is in September, he was my choice for the Literary Birthday challenge I am doing this year.
I have read this book at least twice before GR, but it's been long enough since the last reading for it to feel fresh and new, and of course I loved the pictures.
Like many other books about Mongolia in my library, this one was written just after the breakup of the Soviet Union, when Mongolia was coming out from under the yoke of Soviet influence. The author got involved with UNESCO and its plan to study the historic routes of the Silk Road, with expeditions crossing Asia. Severin proposed his plan to follow a side-branch of the silk road in order to recreate the journey of a Chinese sage who had been summoned by Genghis Khan himself.
But by one of those wonderful twists of fate, the author was asked to be the replacement lecturer for a tour group traveling from London to Siberia, Mongolia, and China. So while he was in Mongolia, he went to ask about the project he had submitted for approval from the Mongolian UNESCO committee. And that is when he learned that he would have the opportunity to travel much more extensively in the country than he had expected.
Ariunbold, who called himself the 'Secretary to the Mongolian National Committee for the UNESCO Silk Roads Project', had basically stolen Severin's proposal, changing only a few details: now instead of following the Chinese sage to the Hindu Kush, the expedition would have a team of Mongolian horsemen following the courier road from the center of the country all the way to France.
But Ariunbold admitted that they needed some expert help, and would Severin be interested in riding along with them? TS of course jumped at the idea, feeling that
"If Ariumbold and his companions could demonstrate to me on their ride inside Mongolia that they had the ability, diplomacy and tenacity to continue right through to France, then my advice might help them achieve that huge ambition. meanwhile I would ride along with them, and be glad to assist them in any way I could."
But what happens when a man like Severin, with vast experience in international trekking, is not able to make important decisions along the way? What if those decisions are left in the hands of an incompetent braggart out for personal glory to use as a stepping stone for a political career? The result is what the reader witnesses as we ride along through Mongolia.
Mixed with chapters about the country's history, the story of this trip was interesting and quite readable. I appreciated the respect the author had for the people and their beliefs. I never had that feeling that some travel writers give of feeling themselves superior to the people around them. He was upset many times at the bungling of the team leader, but that was towards one foolish man, not towards the Mongolian people as a whole.
One of the most poignant episodes for me was in one of the final chapters, where TS was able to meet one of the few remaining practicing shamans left in a certain area of the country. She was an old woman and TS admitted he was not sure what to expect, but he also did not go into the meeting with the intention of proving or disproving anything. He was there to observe and report on what he saw.
And at the end of the session, his photographer Paul asked a question: What advice would the shaman give the younger generation? The answer, given without hesitation from an 86 year old back in 1990, is fitting advice (or an appropriate warning) for all of humanity.
"I would tell them, Respect nature which is all about you! Look after the rivers and streams because they supply the water you drink! Look after the sky and the air which gives you heat! And take care of the land because it feeds you!"
November 29, 2018
‘In the Middle Ages Mongol riders on their wiry horses had carried dispatches and escorted foreign ambassadors along paths that spanned two-thirds of the known world. These leathery horsemen had travelled astonishing distances at high speed, using routes that extended from the banks of the Danube to the shores of the Yellow Sea. Even more notable was that they rode across lands that these same supreme horsemen had conquered while they established the largest continuous land empire the world has ever seen…Ariunbold (a journalist) and his friends had told the Mongolian public that they would emulate their forebears and ride from Mongolia to France in their tracks. The scheme was breathtakingly ambitious. It was the equivalent of riding from Hong Kong to London, and they had asked me to help’.
Severin is not in-charge of this expedition and he is only going to be taking part in the Mongolia section although it does appear that he did have the original idea. He is not at all happy with the way the expedition is being organized. ‘I said nothing because I did not feel it was my place to intervene in what was still a Mongol-organized venture inside Mongolia’. His fears were realised. ‘It was impossible to imagine a worse-organized first day’. The leader was called Ariunbold and Severin does not hold back. ‘Ariunbold was becoming a bore and an embarrassment…He was one of those unhappy people who have been promoted to a precarious position beyond the scope of their intelligence or their training’. Ouch. They had not even reached the Soviet border by this point.
This is my second Severin book. The first being Crusader. In both he has issues with horses. The Mongolian part-wild horses do not sound comfortable horses to ride. He actually says that the Mongolian herdsmen will stand in the stirrups all the time instead of sitting on them.
There is a pre-expedition trip when he goes over a lot of the Mongolian history and tradition plus, of course, that of Genghis Khan. The actual expedition begins 40% through the book. It appears to be an interesting time to be in Mongolia with Communism deflating and the more traditional culture coming back including the reverence of Genghis Khan.
Severin brings a lyrical description to his surrounding landscape, ‘There were young animals everywhere - foals, calves, lambs, and the wild Siberian cranes which scurried out of our path like oversize guinea fowl, followed by their young broods. When we splashed across a small stream, wild ducklings were ushered clear by their alarmed parents’. You do get a real sense of the terrain and the people. What a journey as well.
OK, so this trip, ultimately, does not really turn out as expected but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I do like Severin’s travel writing and the heaps of historical information he adds. He says, ‘My main purpose in coming to Mongolia had been to see how much of the traditional way of life survived, and I had not been disappointed’. Nor had I.
Severin is not in-charge of this expedition and he is only going to be taking part in the Mongolia section although it does appear that he did have the original idea. He is not at all happy with the way the expedition is being organized. ‘I said nothing because I did not feel it was my place to intervene in what was still a Mongol-organized venture inside Mongolia’. His fears were realised. ‘It was impossible to imagine a worse-organized first day’. The leader was called Ariunbold and Severin does not hold back. ‘Ariunbold was becoming a bore and an embarrassment…He was one of those unhappy people who have been promoted to a precarious position beyond the scope of their intelligence or their training’. Ouch. They had not even reached the Soviet border by this point.
This is my second Severin book. The first being Crusader. In both he has issues with horses. The Mongolian part-wild horses do not sound comfortable horses to ride. He actually says that the Mongolian herdsmen will stand in the stirrups all the time instead of sitting on them.
There is a pre-expedition trip when he goes over a lot of the Mongolian history and tradition plus, of course, that of Genghis Khan. The actual expedition begins 40% through the book. It appears to be an interesting time to be in Mongolia with Communism deflating and the more traditional culture coming back including the reverence of Genghis Khan.
Severin brings a lyrical description to his surrounding landscape, ‘There were young animals everywhere - foals, calves, lambs, and the wild Siberian cranes which scurried out of our path like oversize guinea fowl, followed by their young broods. When we splashed across a small stream, wild ducklings were ushered clear by their alarmed parents’. You do get a real sense of the terrain and the people. What a journey as well.
OK, so this trip, ultimately, does not really turn out as expected but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I do like Severin’s travel writing and the heaps of historical information he adds. He says, ‘My main purpose in coming to Mongolia had been to see how much of the traditional way of life survived, and I had not been disappointed’. Nor had I.
July 28, 2016
Looking for some insight on Genghis Khan & Mongolia as I prepared to travel to Mongolia for the annual Naadam Festival and then spend an additional 8 days exploring the landscapes beyond the capital of Ulaanbaatar, I grabbed In Search of Genghis Khan: An Exhilarating Journey on Horseback Across the Steppes of Mongolia from a travel-related shelf at my local library & slipped it into my duffel. I was very impressed with the list of books author Tim Severin has authored, detailing various adventures he has made around the world and eagerly looked forward to reading Severin's travel tale when I reached Mongolia. Alas, while there were many facets to admire about the book, I ultimately found that it did not fulfill my expectations.
In fact, In Search of Genghis Khan seemed very disjointed at times, failing to come close to what I sensed was the author's mission, in spite of Severin's considerable reputation and his record of having turned out many other well-regarded books with a travel theme, The Brendan Voyage and Tracking Marco Polo among them. My suspicion is that the author had to complete the book on a schedule and when his initial plan failed to generate the desired result, he was forced to graft other chapters onto the declared search for Genghis Khan. These are not without interest, especially the ones dealing with "The Black Death" and also "The Shamaness" but they seemed rather like an afterthought rather than integral to the declared expedition story.
It would seem that there are two reasons for the this lack of cohesion, the first being that the would-be foreman of the grand scheme, a Mongolian journalist named Ariunbold, failed to deliver the needed level or organization & follow-through at almost every step of the journey and ultimately seemed to disappear into the mists of greater Mongolia, having frustrated guides, horsemen, benefactors and everyone with whom he came into contact. Apparently, this was the first of Tim Severin's many adventures or expeditions that he failed to completely direct himself but he felt that due to the countless rigors of local bureaucracy & terrain, it was necessary to enlist a Mongolian who it was thought had deep connections to those who could smooth many of the difficult paths along the way. However, throughout the book, the carping about Ariunbold's many well-documented deficiencies is at times almost incessant and very distracting.
Beyond that, In Search of Genghis Khan was written just as the former Soviet Union was in the process of dissolution. This not only complicated the planned travel itinerary but it rendered the book a kind of relic of an era that would be drastically changed as Mongolia forged a very new & different identity for itself just a year or so after Severin's tale came into print. Lastly, in my opinion, given the stated mission of the book, there are far too many passages lifted from much earlier commentary about Mongolia, including The Secret History of the Mongols.
The chapters I most enjoyed deal with day-to-day trekking by horse, meals that represented a steady diet of sheep entrails, interactions with a variety of Mongolians living in yurts who were encountered along the way and attempting to adjust to extremes of weather & shortages of needed supplies & fresh horses. Genghis Khan, it is explained was someone whose name was not permitted to be mentioned during the 70 years of Soviet domination of Mongolia but with the collapse of the USSR, Genghis Khan has become anew an important part of Mongolian identity, occasioning not just intense nostalgia but becoming a kind of icon or "rock star" within the country.
Beyond the renovation of the legendary Genghis Khan, Erdenzu, the Lamastic Buddhist Center at Karakorum, the former capital of Mongolia until it was vacated by Kubla Khan, grandson of Genghis and a religious site largely destroyed with the Stalinist purges of the late 1930s, is now again an important shrine and a working monastery. There had been 10,000 lamas and 60 temples at the site before the purges of 1937 caused most of the monks to be either killed or sent to various gulags, most never to be seen again. And yet, with perestroika and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, many erstwhile monks, now rather aged, seemed to spring forth from the many undercover lives they had secretly filled for half a century. Erdenzu is a place well worth visiting & is once again thriving as a religious center. And yet, the author takes pains to note that Karakorum under the various lamas was a very corrupt & bloated place where many were tortured, some were killed & all were forced to pay taxes to support the lavish lifestyle of the head monks, with one designated a "supreme leader", someone who took a vow of chastity but who suffered from syphilis, all in all, a horrid & abusive environment.
In spite of the perceived flaws, I enjoyed reading Severin's book, though I would guess that others of his may represent expedition tales told at an enhanced level. And, should anyone read this review with a keen interest in Genghis Khan and Mongolia, I would like to especially recommend another book, In the Empire of Genghis Khan: An Amazing Odyssey Through the Lands of the Most Feared Conquerors in History by Stanley Stewart. Eventually, I may well draft a review of Stewart's book at this site, as I much preferred reading it to Severin's.
There are many black & white and color photos by Paul Harris, who accompanied Tim Severin on the expedition in search of Genghis Khan.
In fact, In Search of Genghis Khan seemed very disjointed at times, failing to come close to what I sensed was the author's mission, in spite of Severin's considerable reputation and his record of having turned out many other well-regarded books with a travel theme, The Brendan Voyage and Tracking Marco Polo among them. My suspicion is that the author had to complete the book on a schedule and when his initial plan failed to generate the desired result, he was forced to graft other chapters onto the declared search for Genghis Khan. These are not without interest, especially the ones dealing with "The Black Death" and also "The Shamaness" but they seemed rather like an afterthought rather than integral to the declared expedition story.
It would seem that there are two reasons for the this lack of cohesion, the first being that the would-be foreman of the grand scheme, a Mongolian journalist named Ariunbold, failed to deliver the needed level or organization & follow-through at almost every step of the journey and ultimately seemed to disappear into the mists of greater Mongolia, having frustrated guides, horsemen, benefactors and everyone with whom he came into contact. Apparently, this was the first of Tim Severin's many adventures or expeditions that he failed to completely direct himself but he felt that due to the countless rigors of local bureaucracy & terrain, it was necessary to enlist a Mongolian who it was thought had deep connections to those who could smooth many of the difficult paths along the way. However, throughout the book, the carping about Ariunbold's many well-documented deficiencies is at times almost incessant and very distracting.
Beyond that, In Search of Genghis Khan was written just as the former Soviet Union was in the process of dissolution. This not only complicated the planned travel itinerary but it rendered the book a kind of relic of an era that would be drastically changed as Mongolia forged a very new & different identity for itself just a year or so after Severin's tale came into print. Lastly, in my opinion, given the stated mission of the book, there are far too many passages lifted from much earlier commentary about Mongolia, including The Secret History of the Mongols.
The chapters I most enjoyed deal with day-to-day trekking by horse, meals that represented a steady diet of sheep entrails, interactions with a variety of Mongolians living in yurts who were encountered along the way and attempting to adjust to extremes of weather & shortages of needed supplies & fresh horses. Genghis Khan, it is explained was someone whose name was not permitted to be mentioned during the 70 years of Soviet domination of Mongolia but with the collapse of the USSR, Genghis Khan has become anew an important part of Mongolian identity, occasioning not just intense nostalgia but becoming a kind of icon or "rock star" within the country.
Beyond the renovation of the legendary Genghis Khan, Erdenzu, the Lamastic Buddhist Center at Karakorum, the former capital of Mongolia until it was vacated by Kubla Khan, grandson of Genghis and a religious site largely destroyed with the Stalinist purges of the late 1930s, is now again an important shrine and a working monastery. There had been 10,000 lamas and 60 temples at the site before the purges of 1937 caused most of the monks to be either killed or sent to various gulags, most never to be seen again. And yet, with perestroika and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, many erstwhile monks, now rather aged, seemed to spring forth from the many undercover lives they had secretly filled for half a century. Erdenzu is a place well worth visiting & is once again thriving as a religious center. And yet, the author takes pains to note that Karakorum under the various lamas was a very corrupt & bloated place where many were tortured, some were killed & all were forced to pay taxes to support the lavish lifestyle of the head monks, with one designated a "supreme leader", someone who took a vow of chastity but who suffered from syphilis, all in all, a horrid & abusive environment.
In spite of the perceived flaws, I enjoyed reading Severin's book, though I would guess that others of his may represent expedition tales told at an enhanced level. And, should anyone read this review with a keen interest in Genghis Khan and Mongolia, I would like to especially recommend another book, In the Empire of Genghis Khan: An Amazing Odyssey Through the Lands of the Most Feared Conquerors in History by Stanley Stewart. Eventually, I may well draft a review of Stewart's book at this site, as I much preferred reading it to Severin's.
There are many black & white and color photos by Paul Harris, who accompanied Tim Severin on the expedition in search of Genghis Khan.
August 28, 2014
This is good. A travelogue of Severin's journey as part of a trip to commemorate Ghengis Khan in Mongolia in the early 1990s, just after the fall of the USSR. This must have been one of the earliest travel books to appear on the back of this, and already will be as much historical as travel. He writes well on the pieces of history (mainly Ghengis Khan and his legacy) with some good sketches of people and places. As well as the frustrations of post-communist bureaucracy. Difficult to find anything wrong, but at times for some reason it wasn't quite as gripping to the reader as I'd thought it may be - but I can't put my finger on quite why. Still - this is well worth reading if you have any interest in any of the subject matter.
And on the what would you do if you met him in the pub, he comes across well, wearing his learning lightly, and very keen to reflect those he meets much more than his own views (A-good-thing. The meeting with the Shameness is particularly well done). I'd get him a pint and a packet of crisps.
And on the what would you do if you met him in the pub, he comes across well, wearing his learning lightly, and very keen to reflect those he meets much more than his own views (A-good-thing. The meeting with the Shameness is particularly well done). I'd get him a pint and a packet of crisps.
July 14, 2020
A treat for the senses
August 17, 2008
After reading Iggulden's novels and seeing the film, Mongol, I finally read Severin's 16 year old book. His travels in Mongolia are fascinating, and now I need to learn what has happened in Mongolia more recently.
March 27, 2016
Such a disappointment. This is a fascinating subject uncovered during an exciting expedition in Mongolia but it the book is marred by a lack of structure. If you have trouble sleeping then this might just help.
November 13, 2024
Mongolia: dope in the summer, bleak in the winter. This book: kind of funny, kind of peters out about 2/3 of the way through.
September 28, 2025
A fascinating read, I learned so much!!
August 11, 2024
Easy reading witty memoir of sorts.
Mental note: no need to go to Mongolia for the food.
Mental note: no need to go to Mongolia for the food.
June 7, 2013
Earlier I said I'd be posting about road books: at the time I was thinking of novels of quest and self-discovery. But in the last few weeks I've also read three entertaining, informative (and in one case extremely thought-provoking) books about road trips.
The first is relatively recent: Taras Grescoe's Straphanger. Published in 2012, its subtitle might seem in conflict with the idea of a road book: "Saving our cities and ourselves from the automobile." But Grescoe roamed the world to look at the way cities are organized in terms of transporation. His reflections on how that organization affects the everyday lives of millions--to say nothing of the future of the planet--suggest a road map for what we ought to do. His adventures in Shanghai, Moscow, Tokyo, Bogotá and places in between are great fun to read about, and enough to set you to planning your own trip around the world to ride subways, bikes and buses.
The second road book is much older: In Search of Genghis Khan by Tim Severin. In 1990, just as the Soviet bloc was beginning to crumble, he went to Mongolia to ride with the descendants of Genghis Khan. The idea, inspired by Severin's graduate work in history, at first was to go from the capital Ulaan Baator to Europe, retracing the conquests of the great Khan. Not surprisingly Severin got only about 500 miles, but the picture he paints of the Mongolian countryside and people is fascinating. It is also a record of a time lost, since the country has since been transformed by, among other things, the automobile. For a more recent look, check out Graeme Lachance's blog "The Skies We Share", written while he taught recently in UB. For one thing, the great blue skies have been replaced by a pall of pollution, it seems.
The third was written a few years ago, but has as its background travel and expeditions even older than the Mongol invastions of Europe. It's Pagan Holiday: On the Trail of Ancient Roman Tourists by Tony Perrotttet. The Australian travel writer and his American wife decided to follow the trail of Romans travelling for pleasure as a last adventure before becoming parents. "Minimal squalor," she insisted, and mostly that's what the found. They followed the counsel of Roman and Greek writers, gleaned from the 30 pounds of books they carried with them. The result is a delightful account of a journey taking place simultaneously in the far distant past and in the 21st century present.
The first is relatively recent: Taras Grescoe's Straphanger. Published in 2012, its subtitle might seem in conflict with the idea of a road book: "Saving our cities and ourselves from the automobile." But Grescoe roamed the world to look at the way cities are organized in terms of transporation. His reflections on how that organization affects the everyday lives of millions--to say nothing of the future of the planet--suggest a road map for what we ought to do. His adventures in Shanghai, Moscow, Tokyo, Bogotá and places in between are great fun to read about, and enough to set you to planning your own trip around the world to ride subways, bikes and buses.
The second road book is much older: In Search of Genghis Khan by Tim Severin. In 1990, just as the Soviet bloc was beginning to crumble, he went to Mongolia to ride with the descendants of Genghis Khan. The idea, inspired by Severin's graduate work in history, at first was to go from the capital Ulaan Baator to Europe, retracing the conquests of the great Khan. Not surprisingly Severin got only about 500 miles, but the picture he paints of the Mongolian countryside and people is fascinating. It is also a record of a time lost, since the country has since been transformed by, among other things, the automobile. For a more recent look, check out Graeme Lachance's blog "The Skies We Share", written while he taught recently in UB. For one thing, the great blue skies have been replaced by a pall of pollution, it seems.
The third was written a few years ago, but has as its background travel and expeditions even older than the Mongol invastions of Europe. It's Pagan Holiday: On the Trail of Ancient Roman Tourists by Tony Perrotttet. The Australian travel writer and his American wife decided to follow the trail of Romans travelling for pleasure as a last adventure before becoming parents. "Minimal squalor," she insisted, and mostly that's what the found. They followed the counsel of Roman and Greek writers, gleaned from the 30 pounds of books they carried with them. The result is a delightful account of a journey taking place simultaneously in the far distant past and in the 21st century present.
March 12, 2012
An amazing book. Tim Severin not only re-traced Genghis Khan's route from Mongolia his conquests, but searched for vestiges of Genghis in contemporary Mongolia. He found the spirit of Genghis alive and well. Despite decades of Soviet domination, Mongolians are recovering their sense of national identity and reviving their culture. Genghis is once again being honored and remembered as the force that united "those who live in felt tents".
November 26, 2012
This is a fascinating book if you're interested in the author's 1990 journey across Mongolia in search of connections to Genghis Khan. However, I should have taken the title more seriously--"In Search of . . ."--since I wanted a thorough biography of Genghis Khan. This book is more about Mongolia after the fall of the Iron Curtain and, fascinating as that may be, it can't substitute for a biography.
January 26, 2016
Severin's writing is great as always, but it was disappointing that he wasn't in charge of the planning of this particular trip as the preparations are always some of my favorite bits, though the reasons why are understandable given the situation. Really enjoyed the latter parts of this book the most once they had struck out on their own.
March 25, 2011
I liked this book. Not very dense, but a nice read and enough Mongolian history with Genghis Kahn to enlighten me. I learned their strike tactics were all about speed, horses were small, and no quarter was given. Enough details to paint a good picture.
October 12, 2012
It's decent. Fair amount of information/description. Nothing wrong with it.
June 3, 2017
Tim Severin writes a compelling tale set around his travels across Mongolia in the footsteps of the Great Khan. Educational, definitely, but also very enjoyable as a straightforward read.
April 4, 2017
Genghis Khan Leader of the Mongols
Very interesting and well written account of finding information about Genghis Khan! Of interest to me was the Chinese writings about Khan, the writings of the western priest, and the visit to the Shamaness! Great book!
Very interesting and well written account of finding information about Genghis Khan! Of interest to me was the Chinese writings about Khan, the writings of the western priest, and the visit to the Shamaness! Great book!
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