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Genghis Khan: Emperor of All Men
Copyright 1927 story of Genghis Khan.
What is the mystery that surrounds Genghis Khan?
More gigantic in historical literature than Alexander, the Caesars, Napoleon, or Hitler... 750 years ago, Genghis Khan, the great Mongolian war lord conquered half the world. A nomad, a hunter and herder of beasts, he outgeneraled the powers of three empires. He was a barbarian who had never seen a city and did not know the use of writing, yet drew up a code of laws for fifty nations which survived for centuries.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations.
What is the mystery that surrounds Genghis Khan?
More gigantic in historical literature than Alexander, the Caesars, Napoleon, or Hitler... 750 years ago, Genghis Khan, the great Mongolian war lord conquered half the world. A nomad, a hunter and herder of beasts, he outgeneraled the powers of three empires. He was a barbarian who had never seen a city and did not know the use of writing, yet drew up a code of laws for fifty nations which survived for centuries.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations.
287 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1927
45 people are currently reading
893 people want to read
About the author
Harold Lamb
134 books161 followersHarold Albert Lamb was an American historian, screenwriter, short story writer, and novelist.
Born in Alpine, New Jersey, he attended Columbia University, where his interest in the peoples and history of Asia began. Lamb built a career with his writing from an early age. He got his start in the pulp magazines, quickly moving to the prestigious Adventure magazine, his primary fiction outlet for nineteen years. In 1927 he wrote a biography of Genghis Khan, and following on its success turned more and more to the writing of non-fiction, penning numerous biographies and popular history books until his death in 1962. The success of Lamb's two volume history of the Crusades led to his discovery by Cecil B. DeMille, who employed Lamb as a technical advisor on a related movie, The Crusades, and used him as a screenwriter on many other DeMille movies thereafter. Lamb spoke French, Latin, Persian, and Arabic, and, by his own account, a smattering of Manchu-Tartar.
From Wikipedia
Born in Alpine, New Jersey, he attended Columbia University, where his interest in the peoples and history of Asia began. Lamb built a career with his writing from an early age. He got his start in the pulp magazines, quickly moving to the prestigious Adventure magazine, his primary fiction outlet for nineteen years. In 1927 he wrote a biography of Genghis Khan, and following on its success turned more and more to the writing of non-fiction, penning numerous biographies and popular history books until his death in 1962. The success of Lamb's two volume history of the Crusades led to his discovery by Cecil B. DeMille, who employed Lamb as a technical advisor on a related movie, The Crusades, and used him as a screenwriter on many other DeMille movies thereafter. Lamb spoke French, Latin, Persian, and Arabic, and, by his own account, a smattering of Manchu-Tartar.
From Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
September 24, 2013
Harold Lamb was fascinated by the people and history of Asia which greatly influenced his fictional short stories, many featuring Cossacks or Mongols as heroes. His fascination just as greatly influenced his string of popular nonfiction histories, of which Genghis Khan was the first, written in 1927. Eventually his skill with nonfiction led to Cecil B. DeMille hiring him as technical advisor and screenwriters on several films.
Lamb's style of writing is easy to read, probably because he began his writing career with his exciting adventure stories. He paints a picture, in this novel at least, of Genghis Khan the man, rather than as simply a leader of Mongolian hordes. The introduction nicely sets him in the context of European history by showing the panic and terror expressed in historical documents of the time. Indeed, one of the chief features which impresses me thus far is that Lamb's sources go back to the very earliest Chinese documents mentioning this particular Khan. The resources list in the back is extremely impressive, as are Lamb's notes about them.
Lamb expressed dismay that modern historians of his time tended to forget that all historical mentions of Genghis Kahn were written by his enemies. Therefore any actual facts had to be teased out of opinions rendered by those who left a written record, which was not a thing the Mongols valued or bothered with. It is also refreshing that Lamb doesn't interject his own opinion or agenda into any of the attitudes or actions of those I have thus read. He simply tells the story of Genghis Khan as best as it can be reconstructed. Would that more of our modern historians would follow this method.
Thus far this is a fascinating book, made all the more so by the hardships and adventures of the great Khan's life and times. Also, of course, it is an easy way to absorb the history of a time and place that are very foreign to us. As I think of the terror of those in Genghis Khan's path, who found his actions and attitudes incomprehensible, it makes me think of the current problems our civilization faces with terrorist threats. History may not literally repeat itself but patterns of behavior do in such a way that we can see connections and this seems to be one of those times.
FINAL
This is a simply amazing history which lets you feel the character of Genghis Khan, the horror of the destruction left in his wake, and amazement at the loyal organization he built which lasted beyond the grave. That Lamb does it in a lean, succinct 220 pages is nothing short of miraculous in these days of thousand-page tomes to cover a president's life.
I was left with a new hero, also, Ye Liu Chutsai. This young Cathayan was captured during a horde attack on China and Genghis Khan grew to trust his counsel. His innate integrity was so respected that he was often able to check the slaughter of untold innocents who fell in the Mongol path. I was also impressed by the two monks, Fra Carpini and Fra Rubruquis who were sent as peace envoys to Genghis Khan by Saint Louis of France. Their integrity helped them keep a whole skin. Their rare good sense and shrewd observations helped the Europeans, though nothing would have saved Europe from being overrun had not Orgotai's death necessitated them returning home (Orgotai was the ruling khan after his father's death).
I encourage anyone reading this to be sure to read the notes which answered several burning questions I had such as who Fra Carpini was and more details about the invasion of Europe after Genghis Khan's death. They are highly illuminating and fascinating in their own right.
Highly, highly recommended.
Lamb's style of writing is easy to read, probably because he began his writing career with his exciting adventure stories. He paints a picture, in this novel at least, of Genghis Khan the man, rather than as simply a leader of Mongolian hordes. The introduction nicely sets him in the context of European history by showing the panic and terror expressed in historical documents of the time. Indeed, one of the chief features which impresses me thus far is that Lamb's sources go back to the very earliest Chinese documents mentioning this particular Khan. The resources list in the back is extremely impressive, as are Lamb's notes about them.
Lamb expressed dismay that modern historians of his time tended to forget that all historical mentions of Genghis Kahn were written by his enemies. Therefore any actual facts had to be teased out of opinions rendered by those who left a written record, which was not a thing the Mongols valued or bothered with. It is also refreshing that Lamb doesn't interject his own opinion or agenda into any of the attitudes or actions of those I have thus read. He simply tells the story of Genghis Khan as best as it can be reconstructed. Would that more of our modern historians would follow this method.
Thus far this is a fascinating book, made all the more so by the hardships and adventures of the great Khan's life and times. Also, of course, it is an easy way to absorb the history of a time and place that are very foreign to us. As I think of the terror of those in Genghis Khan's path, who found his actions and attitudes incomprehensible, it makes me think of the current problems our civilization faces with terrorist threats. History may not literally repeat itself but patterns of behavior do in such a way that we can see connections and this seems to be one of those times.
FINAL
This is a simply amazing history which lets you feel the character of Genghis Khan, the horror of the destruction left in his wake, and amazement at the loyal organization he built which lasted beyond the grave. That Lamb does it in a lean, succinct 220 pages is nothing short of miraculous in these days of thousand-page tomes to cover a president's life.
I was left with a new hero, also, Ye Liu Chutsai. This young Cathayan was captured during a horde attack on China and Genghis Khan grew to trust his counsel. His innate integrity was so respected that he was often able to check the slaughter of untold innocents who fell in the Mongol path. I was also impressed by the two monks, Fra Carpini and Fra Rubruquis who were sent as peace envoys to Genghis Khan by Saint Louis of France. Their integrity helped them keep a whole skin. Their rare good sense and shrewd observations helped the Europeans, though nothing would have saved Europe from being overrun had not Orgotai's death necessitated them returning home (Orgotai was the ruling khan after his father's death).
I encourage anyone reading this to be sure to read the notes which answered several burning questions I had such as who Fra Carpini was and more details about the invasion of Europe after Genghis Khan's death. They are highly illuminating and fascinating in their own right.
Highly, highly recommended.
July 15, 2019
Dehası Shakespeare ile karşılaştırılan, askeri başarıları ise İskender ve Napolyon ile karşılaştırılamayacak kadar büyük olduğu kabul edilen Cengiz Han ve dönemine ilişkin sürükleyici bir kitap.
Büyük bir ilgiyle okudum. Daha önce okumuş olduğum, Plano Carpini’nin Moğolistan Seyahatnamesi, Wilhelm von Rubruk’un Moğolların Büyük Hanı’na Seyahat ve Moğolların Gizli Tarihi isimli kitapların içeriğini kapsayan, daha anlaşılır ve akıcı bir dille yazılmış.
Çok etkileyici bir kişiliğe ilişkin, başarılı bir çalışma.
“… Benim sülalem altınla işlenmiş kumaşlar giyecekler, seçkin yemeklerle beslenecekler ve muhteşem atlara bineceklerdir. Kollarının arasına güzel ve genç kadınları alacaklar ve bu nimetlerin kimin tarafından kendilerine ihsan edildiğini unutacaklardır…”, sf; 193.
Büyük bir ilgiyle okudum. Daha önce okumuş olduğum, Plano Carpini’nin Moğolistan Seyahatnamesi, Wilhelm von Rubruk’un Moğolların Büyük Hanı’na Seyahat ve Moğolların Gizli Tarihi isimli kitapların içeriğini kapsayan, daha anlaşılır ve akıcı bir dille yazılmış.
Çok etkileyici bir kişiliğe ilişkin, başarılı bir çalışma.
“… Benim sülalem altınla işlenmiş kumaşlar giyecekler, seçkin yemeklerle beslenecekler ve muhteşem atlara bineceklerdir. Kollarının arasına güzel ve genç kadınları alacaklar ve bu nimetlerin kimin tarafından kendilerine ihsan edildiğini unutacaklardır…”, sf; 193.
June 12, 2010
4.0 stars. I got this book as part of my Easton Press "Library of Military History" and had only a general knowledge of who Genghis Khan was. I found this story fascinating and well-written and enjoyed the way the author gave a fairly complete, well-rounded description of Genghis from his early years through his creation of one of the most terrifying military forces of ancient history. When I finished the book, I felt I had a much better understanding of this famous military leader which is what you hope for from a book like this. Recommended!!!
May 22, 2016
১০০ পৃষ্ঠার পর আর টানবার পারলাম না। ভালো একটা বইয়ের ভালো একটা অনুবাদ আশা করছিলাম। একটু এডিটিং করলে অনুবাদটা আরেকটু ভালো হইতে পারত। কি আর করা, চেঙ্গিসের কপাল ফাটা। পরে যদি কোন এক সময় ধৈর্য ধরতে পারি তাইলে ব্যাক করুম।
August 31, 2010
The best book written about Genghis Khan I've read thus far.
June 5, 2021
Informative.
February 1, 2016
First he [meaning Ghengis Khan] questioned them closely about their religion, and commented gravely that it was a mistake to make the pilgrimage to Mecca. "For the power of Heaven is not in one place alone, but in every corner of the earth."
This is my first History Book That I've Read Voluntarily. I wouldn’t say that I don't like history nor that I don’t find it interesting but I've always been quite cautious with real history books. That's due to my high school history teacher who traumatized me with the subject – his pop quizzes and tests were one of the hardest I've ever encountered. Not because you had to write essays or think outside the box, oh no. You had to learn the whole textbook and every sentence in it by heart because the wrath of history was upon you if you dared to write one sentence differently.
So history always seemed . . . a bit dull for me. Not something that's creative and exciting but something that's old and dusty and frankly, should be left there to rot. Sooner the better.
But this year, I promised myself to read more books that are out of my comfort zone. Yes, I started "Genghis Khan. The Emperor of All Men" in October last year, so it doesn't really count, right?
But I like that "Genghis Khan. The Emperor of All Men" was a book that showed me that history, too, can be more unconventional. I choose this particular book because I knew next to nothing about the guy himself. Yes, he was a Mongol and probably he went to war a lot because here's a saying that pretty big percentage of the world population is related to Genghis Khan in some way. So the guy must have spread his seed quite a bit. But the why and how were always mysterious for me.
Did I like the book? Yes and no.
Yes, it is a good book. It summarizes things and gives us a brief glimpse on universe of Genghis Khan. It's written pretty decently (at least, the translated edition that I read was) although, some sentences needed more historical background than I managed to look up.
But I found myself yearning a bit more humanity. Because at times, it was like a history textbook, one date and battle following another. I understand that this was pretty much what Genghis Khan's life was. And I understand that there aren't any records written by Mongols that could give us additional perspectives and angles of 13th century Central Asia. It's probably just me, I'm not that technical person. I like a bit of personality, glimpses into human nature and all that. Not what he concurred but why and how.
Also, I really missed maps that could show me when and how countries were concurred, where did the battles take place, how the battle formations succeeded. Yes, there are descriptions. But I think that some maps would've been nice to compliment the descriptions.
Basically, I wished it was written bit more imaginatively. And I wished the edition that I read had footnotes instead of notes at the end of the book. I constantly had to flip back and forward pages because, as I said before, I really don't feel at home in history.
October 5, 2012
This book is very interesting and entertaining. I like Lamb's style because the book reads more like a novel or chronicle than a biography. The accounts of the Mongols' battles are suspenseful and gripping. I mostly enjoyed this book, though, because I didn't know anything about the Mongols and their first leader, Genghis Khan. I enjoyed learning about the ancient Chinese and their great empire as well as the Persians and Turks and other "Eastern" ethnic groups. This short book gave me a general idea of the lifestyle in the Gobi desert and defied my assumptions and expectations about Mongolian culture. I also like the fact that Lamb defends Genghis Khan's seemingly murderous personality by actually explaining it and rejecting the second and third hand accounts of the Khan's enemies. Overall, this is a fascinating read!
June 20, 2013
I know enough about the Great Khan to write my own biography at this point, but as I'm in the process of working on a novel that plays into the Mongol history and ethos, I felt reading this extra biography – a short one I could blow through in no time – would be no extra burden. Also, I'd heard a rumour about the Mongols that I couldn't seem to verify on a quick Google search, one of those by-the-way massacres that's mindboggling in and of itself, but hardly noteworthy as one more massacre amongst the many campaigns, and I hoped that I might stumble across the truth of this particular siege in yet another biography.
The story goes that a particular city (unnamed as the story was related to me) in the Islamic world was besieged by the Mongols, trounced, and every man, woman, child and beast within put to the sword. Moreover, every building was to be demolished, and, moreover still, the Mongols went north and damned and rerouted the river (also unnamed as the story was related to me) as to wipe the city from the face of the Earth forever. Given that this story was told without any sources or names, I found it dubious, but I (morbidly) hoped it were true, as I could definitely use that as lore in the fictional novel I'm working on. So, by sheer luck, Lamb, in his 1927 biography of the conqueror, does cover this episode and goes over the details (albeit in his standard bird's eye overview style). This city was Urgench, in modern Turkmenistan, and it was the Amu River. It wasn't for the purpose of eradicating the city off the face of the Earth, but instead as a final failsafe to ensure they'd killed everyone (nor did they demolish every building). It seems that such a small number of Mongols sometimes missed citizens being led to the slaughter when the task ahead of them was millions. Many of the victims would throw themselves down and lie with the dead in the hopes they'd be passed over. The Mongols experimented with countermeasures to this. One such plan was to behead the dead to ensure their deaths. But since Urgench had a death toll (as projected by Persian historian Juvayni) of 1.2 million, to be carried out by only 50,000 Mongols, they opted for a different tack. They damned the river to flood the suburbs of Urgench, drowning or sending fleeing any fakers.
Astounding massacre. Standard Mongol campaign.
So I enjoyed the book for that, but that was only one small section of one chapter of this book. The rest of it is a standard Genghis biography. Previous to this, I'd read Mr. Lamb's account of Tamerlane[1], which honestly I found to be better than this. Perhaps it's because I know Genghis' story all too well, and knew very little about Tamerlane. Perhaps it's that (as I believe) Lamb went into more detail with the Tartar than the Mongol. In either case, “Tamerlane” was a slightly more enjoyable read.
For the most part, this was a good book, but I have a few nitpicks. First, Lamb completely glosses over the episode with Jamukha. He focuses more heavily on Toghrul (Prester John of Asia), and the split with him rather than his blood brother Jamukha, whose story of betrayal and the rise of meritocracy has always been paramount in Genghis' history. While I needn't another rendition of the Temujin-Jamukha split, I find it somewhat misleading that Lamb only mentions Jamukha as a sort of nefarious rival in the distance, and considering this was written in the '20s, it may have tainted this crucial element of the story in generations past.
Second, Lamb makes numerous observations on Genghis' theology. He claims Genghis was a deist whom ignored the prophesies of his own soothsayers before a battle and strictly not a fatalist, forging his own path. This runs counter to everything else I've read on the conqueror's theology, which paints the man as a devoutly theistic Tengriist who numerous times retreated to the holy Burkhan Khaldun mountain to pray during hardships and took prophesies from shamans as reassurance he was acting in the right way by defying Mongol tradition (meritocracy). Moreover, Genghis – by his own quotations – was of the particularly more fatalistic ilk of Tengriist theology. I'm led to believe that Lamb was making his own inferences and that the ready accessibility of information on Tengriism was probably much more limited than it is today (I've had trouble finding works on it – and Mongolia was a full fledged communist state back then, sealed off religiously and to general Western enquiry).
A good book, but it glosses over a lot. If you're looking for a fresher, more detailed account, see John Man's “Genghis Khan: Life Death and Resurrection” [2]
[1] Review here – http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
[2] Review here – http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
The story goes that a particular city (unnamed as the story was related to me) in the Islamic world was besieged by the Mongols, trounced, and every man, woman, child and beast within put to the sword. Moreover, every building was to be demolished, and, moreover still, the Mongols went north and damned and rerouted the river (also unnamed as the story was related to me) as to wipe the city from the face of the Earth forever. Given that this story was told without any sources or names, I found it dubious, but I (morbidly) hoped it were true, as I could definitely use that as lore in the fictional novel I'm working on. So, by sheer luck, Lamb, in his 1927 biography of the conqueror, does cover this episode and goes over the details (albeit in his standard bird's eye overview style). This city was Urgench, in modern Turkmenistan, and it was the Amu River. It wasn't for the purpose of eradicating the city off the face of the Earth, but instead as a final failsafe to ensure they'd killed everyone (nor did they demolish every building). It seems that such a small number of Mongols sometimes missed citizens being led to the slaughter when the task ahead of them was millions. Many of the victims would throw themselves down and lie with the dead in the hopes they'd be passed over. The Mongols experimented with countermeasures to this. One such plan was to behead the dead to ensure their deaths. But since Urgench had a death toll (as projected by Persian historian Juvayni) of 1.2 million, to be carried out by only 50,000 Mongols, they opted for a different tack. They damned the river to flood the suburbs of Urgench, drowning or sending fleeing any fakers.
Astounding massacre. Standard Mongol campaign.
So I enjoyed the book for that, but that was only one small section of one chapter of this book. The rest of it is a standard Genghis biography. Previous to this, I'd read Mr. Lamb's account of Tamerlane[1], which honestly I found to be better than this. Perhaps it's because I know Genghis' story all too well, and knew very little about Tamerlane. Perhaps it's that (as I believe) Lamb went into more detail with the Tartar than the Mongol. In either case, “Tamerlane” was a slightly more enjoyable read.
For the most part, this was a good book, but I have a few nitpicks. First, Lamb completely glosses over the episode with Jamukha. He focuses more heavily on Toghrul (Prester John of Asia), and the split with him rather than his blood brother Jamukha, whose story of betrayal and the rise of meritocracy has always been paramount in Genghis' history. While I needn't another rendition of the Temujin-Jamukha split, I find it somewhat misleading that Lamb only mentions Jamukha as a sort of nefarious rival in the distance, and considering this was written in the '20s, it may have tainted this crucial element of the story in generations past.
Second, Lamb makes numerous observations on Genghis' theology. He claims Genghis was a deist whom ignored the prophesies of his own soothsayers before a battle and strictly not a fatalist, forging his own path. This runs counter to everything else I've read on the conqueror's theology, which paints the man as a devoutly theistic Tengriist who numerous times retreated to the holy Burkhan Khaldun mountain to pray during hardships and took prophesies from shamans as reassurance he was acting in the right way by defying Mongol tradition (meritocracy). Moreover, Genghis – by his own quotations – was of the particularly more fatalistic ilk of Tengriist theology. I'm led to believe that Lamb was making his own inferences and that the ready accessibility of information on Tengriism was probably much more limited than it is today (I've had trouble finding works on it – and Mongolia was a full fledged communist state back then, sealed off religiously and to general Western enquiry).
A good book, but it glosses over a lot. If you're looking for a fresher, more detailed account, see John Man's “Genghis Khan: Life Death and Resurrection” [2]
[1] Review here – http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
[2] Review here – http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
May 27, 2020
Πρόκειται για ένα ιστορικό βιβλίο που αφηγείται την ιστορία των τρομερών Μογγόλων και του Τζένγκις Χαν! Πώς ένας αγράμματος άγριος ξεπέρασε τον καλύτερο στρατηγό της εποχής του, κατέκτησε τον μισό κόσμο, και θεμελίωσε έναν εξαιρετικά δίκαιο κώδικα νομοθεσίας για πενήντα έθνη?
Η γραφή του συγγραφέα-ιστορικού είναι λίγο ακαδημαϊκή αναγκαστικά, αλλά κάνει φιλότιμη προσπάθεια να την αφηγηθεί όμορφα.
Θεωρώ πως οι 166 σελίδες ήταν ότι έπρεπε για να μη βαρεθείς και στο τέλος να έχεις χορτάσει μια γερή δόση πολύ ενδιαφέρουσας ιστορικής αφήγησης.
Προσωπικά έχω την εντύπωση πως η Μογγολική αυτοκρατορία δεν έχει καταχωρηθεί στο μυαλό μας με τη σημασία που της πρέπει. Μιλάμε για την μεγαλύτερη αυτοκρατορία που έχει δει ποτέ ο κόσμος και τον πιο τρομερό στρατό, που δεν τον σταμάτησε τίποτα. Η τρομερή προσωπικότητα του Τζένγκις Χαν που δημιούργησε όλη αυτή τη δύναμη από το τίποτα πραγματικά (κάποιες νομαδικές φυλές στην έρημο Γκόμπι, ήταν), αξίζει ιδιαίτερης προσοχής.
Αυτό που μου έμεινε ήταν ότι αυτή η φυλή βαρβάρων που κατέκτησαν το μισό (γνωστό) κόσμο κυβέρνησαν με τη "Γιάσσα" ένα σύνολο εξαιρετικά δίκαιων για την εποχή νόμων, που ήταν πολύ πιο προοδευτικό από τον "πολιτισμένο" κόσμο... Όλες οι θρησκείες συνυπήρχαν ελεύθερα στην αυτοκρατορία και με την εμφάνιση των Μογγόλων έληξε το μακρύ κεφάλαιο των Σταυροφοριών.
Πρέπει να αναλογιστούμε την τεράστια σημασία της επίδρασης των Μογγόλων στη ροή της παγκόσμιας ιστορίας. Συνέτριψαν τον πλούσιο και ανερχόμενο ισλαμικό κόσμο, ένωσαν την Κίνα σε μια ενιαία επικράτεια και ένωσαν για πρώτη φορά ουσιαστικά την Ανατολή με τη Δύση.
Ο Τζένγκις Χαν ο καταστροφέας είχε γκρεμίσει τους φραγμούς των Αιώνων του Σκότους, είχε ανοίξει τους δρόμους. Η Ευρώπη ήρθε σε επαφή με τις τέχνες της Κίνας. Οι Κινέζοι με τις επιστήμες του Ισλάμ. Γενική αναθεώρηση ιδεών ακολούθησε το άνοιγμα των δρόμων και μια μόνιμη περιέργεια για την Άπω Ασία συγκλόνισε τους Ευρωπαίους.
Η γραφή του συγγραφέα-ιστορικού είναι λίγο ακαδημαϊκή αναγκαστικά, αλλά κάνει φιλότιμη προσπάθεια να την αφηγηθεί όμορφα.
Θεωρώ πως οι 166 σελίδες ήταν ότι έπρεπε για να μη βαρεθείς και στο τέλος να έχεις χορτάσει μια γερή δόση πολύ ενδιαφέρουσας ιστορικής αφήγησης.
Προσωπικά έχω την εντύπωση πως η Μογγολική αυτοκρατορία δεν έχει καταχωρηθεί στο μυαλό μας με τη σημασία που της πρέπει. Μιλάμε για την μεγαλύτερη αυτοκρατορία που έχει δει ποτέ ο κόσμος και τον πιο τρομερό στρατό, που δεν τον σταμάτησε τίποτα. Η τρομερή προσωπικότητα του Τζένγκις Χαν που δημιούργησε όλη αυτή τη δύναμη από το τίποτα πραγματικά (κάποιες νομαδικές φυλές στην έρημο Γκόμπι, ήταν), αξίζει ιδιαίτερης προσοχής.
Αυτό που μου έμεινε ήταν ότι αυτή η φυλή βαρβάρων που κατέκτησαν το μισό (γνωστό) κόσμο κυβέρνησαν με τη "Γιάσσα" ένα σύνολο εξαιρετικά δίκαιων για την εποχή νόμων, που ήταν πολύ πιο προοδευτικό από τον "πολιτισμένο" κόσμο... Όλες οι θρησκείες συνυπήρχαν ελεύθερα στην αυτοκρατορία και με την εμφάνιση των Μογγόλων έληξε το μακρύ κεφάλαιο των Σταυροφοριών.
Πρέπει να αναλογιστούμε την τεράστια σημασία της επίδρασης των Μογγόλων στη ροή της παγκόσμιας ιστορίας. Συνέτριψαν τον πλούσιο και ανερχόμενο ισλαμικό κόσμο, ένωσαν την Κίνα σε μια ενιαία επικράτεια και ένωσαν για πρώτη φορά ουσιαστικά την Ανατολή με τη Δύση.
Ο Τζένγκις Χαν ο καταστροφέας είχε γκρεμίσει τους φραγμούς των Αιώνων του Σκότους, είχε ανοίξει τους δρόμους. Η Ευρώπη ήρθε σε επαφή με τις τέχνες της Κίνας. Οι Κινέζοι με τις επιστήμες του Ισλάμ. Γενική αναθεώρηση ιδεών ακολούθησε το άνοιγμα των δρόμων και μια μόνιμη περιέργεια για την Άπω Ασία συγκλόνισε τους Ευρωπαίους.
October 10, 2017
যায়নুদ্দীন সানীর দু'শ পৃষ্ঠার এই অনুবাদ(?)এর ব্যক্তিগত রেটিঙ ২।
কথাশিল্পী ও ঐতিহাসিক হ্যারল্ড ল্যাম্বের মূল বইটি কেমন জানিনা। তবে যায়নুদ্দীন সানীর এই অনুবাদ পড়তে গিয়ে বেশ খাটনি গেছে। জনাব অনুবাদকের নিশ্চয়ই ল্যাম্ব সাহেব নতুবা স্বয়ং চেঙ্গিস খানের সাথে বিরাট ঝগড়াঝাটি রয়েছে। নাহলে এহেন অনুবাদ করার কোনো যুক্তি খুঁজে পাচ্ছি না।মূল বইটিও যদি এমন সামঞ্জস্যহীন কাঠখোট্টা হতে পারে।কিন্তু দক্ষ অনুবাদকের গুণে তা পাঠযোগ্য বনে যায়। চেঙ্গিস কে লোকে ঈশ্বরপ্রেরিত অভিশাপ ভাবতো, যায়নুদ্দীন সানীর নির্ঘাত চেঙ্গিসের অনুবাদক ভার্সন। তাঁর অনূদিত এ গ্রন্থ পাঠকের কাছে অভিশাপের চে' কম নয়। কোনো পাঠকের সাথে আপনার আদায়-কাঁচকলায়?তাকে টাইট দিতে চান?সানী সাহেবের এই অনুবাদটি তাঁকে ধরিয়ে দিন।
ইতিহাসবেত্তারা দুই কিসিমের। পয়লা দল প্রচলিত ঘটনাকেই ইতিহাস বলে মানে, স্বীকৃতি দেয়। এঁরা দলে ভারী। দুইনম্বর দলের পন্ডিতেরা ইতিহাসকে উল্টো করে বয়ান করে। যাকে প্রথমদল ঘোষণা করবে শত্তুর, সেই দ্বিতীয়দলে কিঞ্চিত যত্নআত্তি পায়। আমাদের ল্যাম্ব সাহেব দুইনম্বর দলভারী করেন। লোকে চেঙ্গিস কে মরুর রাবণ মানলেও তিনি, তার নেতা হবার গুণা, সুশাসকের ভূমিকাকে বেশি দাম দিয়েছেন। সাথে খোঁচা দিতেও ভোলেন নাই পয়লা নম্বরের ঐতিহাসিকদের। যেই দলে ইউরোপ আর মুসলমান পন্ডিতগণ আশ্রয় নিয়েছেন।
যাযাবর গোষ্ঠীপ্রধানের ছেলে কিশোর তিমুজিনের পিতার শত্রুর হাতে নিহত হয়। জীবনসংকটে পড়ে কিশোর তিমুজিন। পালিয়ে বেড়াতে থাকে। কিন্তু দেয়ালে পিঠ ঠেকে যায় তিমুজিনের। তার বিয়ে করা বউকে অন্যদল তুলে নিয়ে যায়। সে বাস্তুচ্যুত। এমন সময় প্রিস্টার জনসহ আরো কিছু গোষ্ঠীর সহায়তায় " ডু অর ডাই " ম্যাচে নামে যুবক তিমুজিন। হ্যা, এবার শত্রুকে পরাজিত করে হারানো ভূমি উদ্ধার করে,বউও ফেরত পায়
এই শুরু হল তিমুজিনের জয়যাত্রা।
ক্যাথি জয় করার পর গোত্রনেতারা ভাবলেন তিমুজিনই হবে তাদের নেতা। নেতার দরকার যোগ্য উপাধি। আর সেই থেকে তিমুজিন হল চেঙ্গিস খান। ক্যথির পর মোঙ্গল নেতৃত্বকে ঢেলে সাজান চেঙ্গিস। বিরাট এলাকা পাড়ি দিয়ে মুসলমান সুলতানকে তার রাজ্যসহ ধ্বংস করে দেন। যে সুলতান তার শক্তিকে হেয় জ্ঞান করেছিল। এই দুই বিজয়ের পর মহাপরাক্রমশালী শাসকজাত হবার পথে আরো এগিয়ে যায় মোঙ্গলরা।তার ভাই,ছেলে আর সাহসী খানদের (সেনাপতি অর্থে) দুঃসাহস আর নিষ্ঠুরতা তাকে অর্ধপৃথিবীর শাসক শাসক বানিয়ে দেয়। আর এখানেই অনুবাদের গলদটা।ঘটনাগুলো এতবেশি দুর্বোধ্য আর পরম্পরাহীনভাবে লেখা যে বোঝাই দায় কী ঘটেছে।
কীভাবে একেরপর এক রাজ্যজয় করত এই মরুর যাযাবররা? কেমন করে একেরপর এক সমৃদ্ধ দেশে ঘুঘু চড়াতো মোঙ্গলরা? তার ইঙ্গিত মেলে শত্রুনিধনের এই কৌশলে,
" মানুষ খুঁজে বের করার যত ধরনের চালাকি বুদ্ধি ব্যবহার করা যায়, তারা তা করত। একবার এক এলাকার ধ্বংসাবশেষে এক মুয়াজ্জিনকে বাধ্য করা হয়েছিল, এক মিনার থেকে আজান দিতে। মুসলমানেরা ভাবলো হয়তো আক্রমণকারীরা চলে গেছে। এই ভেবে তারা তাদের লুকানো জায়গা থেকে বেরিয়ে এলো। তাদেরকে শেষ করে ফেলা হলো। "
আবার, খ্রিস্টান সেনাদের বিভ্রান্ত করতে তারা তাদের পতাকায় ক্রুশের মতো চিহ্ন ব্যবহার করত।
চেঙ্গিসের কবর এখনও খুঁজে পাওয়া যায় নি। তার মৃত্যুর পর দীর্ঘকাল তার পুত্র ও নাতিরা শাসন করেছিল। এদের মাঝে নাতি কুবলাই খান ছোট থেকেই ছিল চেঙ্গিসের প্রিয়। "হালাগু" ( আমি বলি নাই, যায়নুদ্দীন সানী লিখেছে) খানও চেঙ্গিসের নিকটতম বংশধর।
চেঙ্গিস এক আতঙ্কের নাম ছিল মধ্যযুগে। স্বীয় নেতৃত্ব আর নিষ্ঠুরতাবলে সে যাযাবর মোঙ্গল জাতিকে অর্ধেক দুনিয়া উপহার দিয়েছিল।
কথাশিল্পী ও ঐতিহাসিক হ্যারল্ড ল্যাম্বের মূল বইটি কেমন জানিনা। তবে যায়নুদ্দীন সানীর এই অনুবাদ পড়তে গিয়ে বেশ খাটনি গেছে। জনাব অনুবাদকের নিশ্চয়ই ল্যাম্ব সাহেব নতুবা স্বয়ং চেঙ্গিস খানের সাথে বিরাট ঝগড়াঝাটি রয়েছে। নাহলে এহেন অনুবাদ করার কোনো যুক্তি খুঁজে পাচ্ছি না।মূল বইটিও যদি এমন সামঞ্জস্যহীন কাঠখোট্টা হতে পারে।কিন্তু দক্ষ অনুবাদকের গুণে তা পাঠযোগ্য বনে যায়। চেঙ্গিস কে লোকে ঈশ্বরপ্রেরিত অভিশাপ ভাবতো, যায়নুদ্দীন সানীর নির্ঘাত চেঙ্গিসের অনুবাদক ভার্সন। তাঁর অনূদিত এ গ্রন্থ পাঠকের কাছে অভিশাপের চে' কম নয়। কোনো পাঠকের সাথে আপনার আদায়-কাঁচকলায়?তাকে টাইট দিতে চান?সানী সাহেবের এই অনুবাদটি তাঁকে ধরিয়ে দিন।
ইতিহাসবেত্তারা দুই কিসিমের। পয়লা দল প্রচলিত ঘটনাকেই ইতিহাস বলে মানে, স্বীকৃতি দেয়। এঁরা দলে ভারী। দুইনম্বর দলের পন্ডিতেরা ইতিহাসকে উল্টো করে বয়ান করে। যাকে প্রথমদল ঘোষণা করবে শত্তুর, সেই দ্বিতীয়দলে কিঞ্চিত যত্নআত্তি পায়। আমাদের ল্যাম্ব সাহেব দুইনম্বর দলভারী করেন। লোকে চেঙ্গিস কে মরুর রাবণ মানলেও তিনি, তার নেতা হবার গুণা, সুশাসকের ভূমিকাকে বেশি দাম দিয়েছেন। সাথে খোঁচা দিতেও ভোলেন নাই পয়লা নম্বরের ঐতিহাসিকদের। যেই দলে ইউরোপ আর মুসলমান পন্ডিতগণ আশ্রয় নিয়েছেন।
যাযাবর গোষ্ঠীপ্রধানের ছেলে কিশোর তিমুজিনের পিতার শত্রুর হাতে নিহত হয়। জীবনসংকটে পড়ে কিশোর তিমুজিন। পালিয়ে বেড়াতে থাকে। কিন্তু দেয়ালে পিঠ ঠেকে যায় তিমুজিনের। তার বিয়ে করা বউকে অন্যদল তুলে নিয়ে যায়। সে বাস্তুচ্যুত। এমন সময় প্রিস্টার জনসহ আরো কিছু গোষ্ঠীর সহায়তায় " ডু অর ডাই " ম্যাচে নামে যুবক তিমুজিন। হ্যা, এবার শত্রুকে পরাজিত করে হারানো ভূমি উদ্ধার করে,বউও ফেরত পায়
এই শুরু হল তিমুজিনের জয়যাত্রা।
ক্যাথি জয় করার পর গোত্রনেতারা ভাবলেন তিমুজিনই হবে তাদের নেতা। নেতার দরকার যোগ্য উপাধি। আর সেই থেকে তিমুজিন হল চেঙ্গিস খান। ক্যথির পর মোঙ্গল নেতৃত্বকে ঢেলে সাজান চেঙ্গিস। বিরাট এলাকা পাড়ি দিয়ে মুসলমান সুলতানকে তার রাজ্যসহ ধ্বংস করে দেন। যে সুলতান তার শক্তিকে হেয় জ্ঞান করেছিল। এই দুই বিজয়ের পর মহাপরাক্রমশালী শাসকজাত হবার পথে আরো এগিয়ে যায় মোঙ্গলরা।তার ভাই,ছেলে আর সাহসী খানদের (সেনাপতি অর্থে) দুঃসাহস আর নিষ্ঠুরতা তাকে অর্ধপৃথিবীর শাসক শাসক বানিয়ে দেয়। আর এখানেই অনুবাদের গলদটা।ঘটনাগুলো এতবেশি দুর্বোধ্য আর পরম্পরাহীনভাবে লেখা যে বোঝাই দায় কী ঘটেছে।
কীভাবে একেরপর এক রাজ্যজয় করত এই মরুর যাযাবররা? কেমন করে একেরপর এক সমৃদ্ধ দেশে ঘুঘু চড়াতো মোঙ্গলরা? তার ইঙ্গিত মেলে শত্রুনিধনের এই কৌশলে,
" মানুষ খুঁজে বের করার যত ধরনের চালাকি বুদ্ধি ব্যবহার করা যায়, তারা তা করত। একবার এক এলাকার ধ্বংসাবশেষে এক মুয়াজ্জিনকে বাধ্য করা হয়েছিল, এক মিনার থেকে আজান দিতে। মুসলমানেরা ভাবলো হয়তো আক্রমণকারীরা চলে গেছে। এই ভেবে তারা তাদের লুকানো জায়গা থেকে বেরিয়ে এলো। তাদেরকে শেষ করে ফেলা হলো। "
আবার, খ্রিস্টান সেনাদের বিভ্রান্ত করতে তারা তাদের পতাকায় ক্রুশের মতো চিহ্ন ব্যবহার করত।
চেঙ্গিসের কবর এখনও খুঁজে পাওয়া যায় নি। তার মৃত্যুর পর দীর্ঘকাল তার পুত্র ও নাতিরা শাসন করেছিল। এদের মাঝে নাতি কুবলাই খান ছোট থেকেই ছিল চেঙ্গিসের প্রিয়। "হালাগু" ( আমি বলি নাই, যায়নুদ্দীন সানী লিখেছে) খানও চেঙ্গিসের নিকটতম বংশধর।
চেঙ্গিস এক আতঙ্কের নাম ছিল মধ্যযুগে। স্বীয় নেতৃত্ব আর নিষ্ঠুরতাবলে সে যাযাবর মোঙ্গল জাতিকে অর্ধেক দুনিয়া উপহার দিয়েছিল।
October 19, 2011
I give this book a 5 because it was the first bookI ever read about Genghis Khan and Central Asia when I was 11. It was written in 1927 and is a "Histography" book based on The Secret History. But, for me it is a great book.
July 26, 2008
This is a very short and easy read on the warlord. It is not very scholarly and perhaps has some errors; but the basic storyline is accurate.
February 17, 2013
Harold Lamb, konar-göçer hayatı güzel aktarıyor. Ayrıca diğer kitaplarındaki gibi burada da biyografik tasvirlerde başarılı..
May 29, 2022
Harold Lamb titled his first book on history Genghis Khan: Emperor of All Men. Well if you think “emperor of all men” is too big an accolade to give to Genghis Khan, it would be an even bigger mistake to say that Harold Lamb was the king of all writers. He wasn’t. Not even close. But he does do a good enough job of telling the Mongolian conqueror’s story to make it a one-time worthwhile read.
The story of Genghis Khan and his army of Mongolian invaders is not easy to tell. The Mongols had no written language and not much of a desire to create anything anyways. That is not necessarily their fault. They lived in a harsh climate where scavenging for food and fighting off marauding tribes were as common to them as working a 9 to 5 job is for us. Actually as the 21st century progresses, the 9 to 5 workweek seems to be disappearing so we might end up reverting to barbarism to survive in the future. The Mongols had to fight off armies of thugs while we, on the other hand have to learn how to avoid being mowed down any time a psychopath with an assault rifle has a bad day and decides to start slaughtering random people in public. So it goes, Kurt Vonnegut would say. The Mongols in the 14th century had not reached a stage where they had disposable time and wealth to pursue creative projects; therefore what we know about them was written by their enemies, mostly people who were conquered by them in war. And those writings are not heavy with detail.
This is where the author Harold Lamb comes in. Any biography of Genghis Khan will, by necessity, be slim. So Harold Lamb fills in some empty spaces with dialogue and description. He tried to write this history as if it were a novel which proved to be a big mistake. One problem is the dialog; it is one thing to invent imaginary conversations to make a history book more accessible, but it is another thing altogether to write those dialogues in archaic language. The conversations between Genghis Khan and his men are written using vocabulary straight out of the King James Old Testament. Hearing 14th century Mongols speak using words like “thee”, “thou”, “thine”, “ye”, and “rideth” is pretentious and annoying. Fortunately, as the story goes on, there is more conquering and less speaking so you don’t have to put up with too much of it.
Another big irritant is the long descriptions of landscapes. In one passage, the Mongols show up for a battle and the natural scenery gets described to the point where it just becomes obvious that the author is trying to fill up space. Maybe, like Dickens, he was getting paid by the word to and juiced the publisher for as much as he could. On top of all that, Lamb has a tendency to shift between writing this book like a novel and writing like it is more traditional historical writing which makes the flow and pacing sloppy and uneven.
But this book does tell the story of Genghis Khan. We learn about his rough childhood with a nomadic tribe that lost most of the skirmishes they got into. Motivated by desperation for survival and a desire for revenge, they began conquering the tribes that oppressed them. After breaching the Great Wall, they conquered the Chin Dynasty. Yes, those border walls throughout history have never been anything but a waste of money, so put that in your pipe and smoke it, you MAGA idiots. When that wasn’t enough, they conquered everybody in Central Asia, Asia Minor, the Middle East, the Russian steppes, and Eastern Europe. The Mongols literally started with nothing and ended with an empire. Part of their success was due to them using guerilla tactics of warfare against conventional armies, the promotion of soldiers to leadership ranks based on merit rather than wealth, a delusional belief that they were invincible, and a life that guaranteed death when they did not win. Genghis Khan and his Mongols were the ultimate do or die survivors. Kill or be killed until you defeat all and then die of illness anyways like Genghis Khan did.
Harold Lamb does make two significant points about the importance of the Mongols. One is that they set up a pony express-like postal service stretching from Eastern Europe to Asia; this was the precursor of the Silk Road that facilitated commerce and travel across Eurasia. This sped up economic progress and caused so-called civilization to develop at a rate that has never stopped increasing. The other point is that every culture that the Mongols laid to waste, rebuilt themselves, making them more powerful, stable, and cultivated. The Mongols were like a tidal wave of destruction that cleared out the old world, making it possible to build a new world in its place. Soon after came the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and modernity. Now in the 21st century, a handful of autocratic politicians and their dimwitted followers want to halt progress and take us back to the time of the barbarian hordes. Yes, Trump, Putin, Bolsonaro, Modi, Jinping, Johnson, I’m talking about you.
Harold Lamb later went on to be a writer of pulp historical novels. He became known for heavily researching his subject matter and portraying cultures outside the USA in a fair and dignified manner. By today’s standards, he would be considered politically correct. But Genghis Khan is not a great book. If you find a cheap copy in a thrift store or garage sale, by all means buy it and read it. If you’re looking for an informative and well-written book, this would not be your best option. At least the illustration on the dust jacket looks good.
The story of Genghis Khan and his army of Mongolian invaders is not easy to tell. The Mongols had no written language and not much of a desire to create anything anyways. That is not necessarily their fault. They lived in a harsh climate where scavenging for food and fighting off marauding tribes were as common to them as working a 9 to 5 job is for us. Actually as the 21st century progresses, the 9 to 5 workweek seems to be disappearing so we might end up reverting to barbarism to survive in the future. The Mongols had to fight off armies of thugs while we, on the other hand have to learn how to avoid being mowed down any time a psychopath with an assault rifle has a bad day and decides to start slaughtering random people in public. So it goes, Kurt Vonnegut would say. The Mongols in the 14th century had not reached a stage where they had disposable time and wealth to pursue creative projects; therefore what we know about them was written by their enemies, mostly people who were conquered by them in war. And those writings are not heavy with detail.
This is where the author Harold Lamb comes in. Any biography of Genghis Khan will, by necessity, be slim. So Harold Lamb fills in some empty spaces with dialogue and description. He tried to write this history as if it were a novel which proved to be a big mistake. One problem is the dialog; it is one thing to invent imaginary conversations to make a history book more accessible, but it is another thing altogether to write those dialogues in archaic language. The conversations between Genghis Khan and his men are written using vocabulary straight out of the King James Old Testament. Hearing 14th century Mongols speak using words like “thee”, “thou”, “thine”, “ye”, and “rideth” is pretentious and annoying. Fortunately, as the story goes on, there is more conquering and less speaking so you don’t have to put up with too much of it.
Another big irritant is the long descriptions of landscapes. In one passage, the Mongols show up for a battle and the natural scenery gets described to the point where it just becomes obvious that the author is trying to fill up space. Maybe, like Dickens, he was getting paid by the word to and juiced the publisher for as much as he could. On top of all that, Lamb has a tendency to shift between writing this book like a novel and writing like it is more traditional historical writing which makes the flow and pacing sloppy and uneven.
But this book does tell the story of Genghis Khan. We learn about his rough childhood with a nomadic tribe that lost most of the skirmishes they got into. Motivated by desperation for survival and a desire for revenge, they began conquering the tribes that oppressed them. After breaching the Great Wall, they conquered the Chin Dynasty. Yes, those border walls throughout history have never been anything but a waste of money, so put that in your pipe and smoke it, you MAGA idiots. When that wasn’t enough, they conquered everybody in Central Asia, Asia Minor, the Middle East, the Russian steppes, and Eastern Europe. The Mongols literally started with nothing and ended with an empire. Part of their success was due to them using guerilla tactics of warfare against conventional armies, the promotion of soldiers to leadership ranks based on merit rather than wealth, a delusional belief that they were invincible, and a life that guaranteed death when they did not win. Genghis Khan and his Mongols were the ultimate do or die survivors. Kill or be killed until you defeat all and then die of illness anyways like Genghis Khan did.
Harold Lamb does make two significant points about the importance of the Mongols. One is that they set up a pony express-like postal service stretching from Eastern Europe to Asia; this was the precursor of the Silk Road that facilitated commerce and travel across Eurasia. This sped up economic progress and caused so-called civilization to develop at a rate that has never stopped increasing. The other point is that every culture that the Mongols laid to waste, rebuilt themselves, making them more powerful, stable, and cultivated. The Mongols were like a tidal wave of destruction that cleared out the old world, making it possible to build a new world in its place. Soon after came the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and modernity. Now in the 21st century, a handful of autocratic politicians and their dimwitted followers want to halt progress and take us back to the time of the barbarian hordes. Yes, Trump, Putin, Bolsonaro, Modi, Jinping, Johnson, I’m talking about you.
Harold Lamb later went on to be a writer of pulp historical novels. He became known for heavily researching his subject matter and portraying cultures outside the USA in a fair and dignified manner. By today’s standards, he would be considered politically correct. But Genghis Khan is not a great book. If you find a cheap copy in a thrift store or garage sale, by all means buy it and read it. If you’re looking for an informative and well-written book, this would not be your best option. At least the illustration on the dust jacket looks good.
April 11, 2019
هرچند که سلسله ی ایلخانیان برای من معادل کلی اثر هنری زیبا و بی بدیله که نورچشمیم محراب اولجایتو هم جزوشونه! ولی
واژه ی مغول و حمله ی مغولها، با کلی کلمه ی منفی توی ذهن من، و به طور کل ما ایرانیها هم خانواده ست. کافیه فقط کمی تاریخ یا تاریخ هنر خونده باشی تا مغولان برات مترادف کلی جرم و جنایت وحشتناک و قتل و غارت های بی حساب باشن!
با این همه، گوش دادن به اپیزود هشتم از #پادکست_بی_پلاس در مورد چنگیزخان اونقدر پر از نکات جالب بود که تصمیم بگیرم در مورد مغولها بیشتر بخونم.. شاید برای شروع یه مطالعه ی متمرکز سراغ اولین کتاب دم دست رفتن انتخاب خیلی خوبی نباشه! راستش از این کتاب هیچ لذتی نبردم... خوندنش رو هم به هیچ کس توصیه نمیکنم. فکر کنم اولین کتابی باشه که از این نویسنده می خونم، ولی مطمئنم آخریش خواهد بود....
مرسی از #علی_بندری و پادکست های خوبش که همیشه انگیزه ی مطالعه ی بیشتر ایجاد میکنه
واژه ی مغول و حمله ی مغولها، با کلی کلمه ی منفی توی ذهن من، و به طور کل ما ایرانیها هم خانواده ست. کافیه فقط کمی تاریخ یا تاریخ هنر خونده باشی تا مغولان برات مترادف کلی جرم و جنایت وحشتناک و قتل و غارت های بی حساب باشن!
با این همه، گوش دادن به اپیزود هشتم از #پادکست_بی_پلاس در مورد چنگیزخان اونقدر پر از نکات جالب بود که تصمیم بگیرم در مورد مغولها بیشتر بخونم.. شاید برای شروع یه مطالعه ی متمرکز سراغ اولین کتاب دم دست رفتن انتخاب خیلی خوبی نباشه! راستش از این کتاب هیچ لذتی نبردم... خوندنش رو هم به هیچ کس توصیه نمیکنم. فکر کنم اولین کتابی باشه که از این نویسنده می خونم، ولی مطمئنم آخریش خواهد بود....
مرسی از #علی_بندری و پادکست های خوبش که همیشه انگیزه ی مطالعه ی بیشتر ایجاد میکنه
September 28, 2023
চালিয়ে যেতে পারলাম না। অনেক চেষ্টা করছি। এতো বাজে অনুবাদ পড়তে গিয়ে মনে হচ্ছিলো অন্য কোনো ভাষা পড়তেছি এইটা বাংলা না। মনে হচ্ছিলো গুগল ট্রান্সেটরের দিয়ে ট্রান্সলেট করলেও এতো বাজে হওয়ার কথা না।
November 26, 2025
Bought this book for $1 at a thrift store so didn’t have high expectations going in. This book was informative without being too long winded. The language is easy to follow in spite of it being an old book. Good choice for anyone that wants to learn about Gengis Khan and his empire without feeling overwhelmed by the minutiae.
August 15, 2018
Este libro trata sobre como Genghis Khan llegó al poder y expandio su imperio hasta conventirlo en el mas grande de todos los tiempos, si bien no se narra de forma muy detallada y cruda las guerras (como muchos han de esperar) si habla sobre las tácticas que utilizó y todo lo que tuvo que atravesar para lograr el gran emperador que fue.
Realmente fue un libro que me gusto bastante, desde la secundaria que no leía sobre el tema y la verdad aprendí bastante.
Realmente fue un libro que me gusto bastante, desde la secundaria que no leía sobre el tema y la verdad aprendí bastante.
April 2, 2009
There isn't much that is written about this man; a legend in his own right. This book expressed a pretty wealthy load of interesting information, for a short one, about The Great Khan and his legacy in the making; passing through his children and etc...
October 28, 2014
history in story, I like Lamb's well written and attractive style, Genghis Khan was soft for his people & rigid or we may say ruthless for other people, Lamb expressed his childhood habit to his old age actions and starting Mongol kingdom
Read
June 24, 2024Pulp History
"Seven hundred years ago a man almost conquered the earth."
Harold Lamb specialized in novelized biographies of colorful figures of the distant past: Hannibal, Theodora, Cyrus the Great, among many others. Genghis Khan: Emperor of All Men was, I believe, his first effort in this vein, a reader-friendly account of the tribesman of the Asiatic steppes who rose up from utter obscurity to unsettle the foundations of Eurasian civilization and write his name on the pages of history in blood.
Despite its sensationalism, Genghis Khan and the Mongol Horde remains admirably accurate in historical detail. To be sure, Lamb wrote to entertain. Yet for all that was a genuine scholar, passionate about the history of central Asia. Here as elsewhere, Lamb's eye for evocative detail, his instinct for the well-chosen anecdote, and the authenticity of his first hand experience combine to create a most compelling narrative. Yelu Chucai, the Taoist/Confucian scholar who served as the Great Khan's advisor, is enlisted as a kind point of view character. He serves to intermediate between the reader and the almost otherworldly figure of Genghis Khan. I found it an effective literary device, helping to deliver a nuanced portrayal of Genghis, not as a simple bloodthirsty tyrant, but as an introspective man of moral and emotional complexity.
Genghis Khan and the Mongol Horde is the kind of old book perhaps some would consign to the dust bin for reflecting the inevitable cultural insensitivity of its era. But I think you could still do a lot worse for a general introduction to this fascinating subject. I credit this classic with helping to ignite my own lifelong obsession with central Asian history. That seems reason enough to be grateful to it.
(Also published as Genghis Khan and the Mongol Horde)
"Seven hundred years ago a man almost conquered the earth."
Harold Lamb specialized in novelized biographies of colorful figures of the distant past: Hannibal, Theodora, Cyrus the Great, among many others. Genghis Khan: Emperor of All Men was, I believe, his first effort in this vein, a reader-friendly account of the tribesman of the Asiatic steppes who rose up from utter obscurity to unsettle the foundations of Eurasian civilization and write his name on the pages of history in blood.
Despite its sensationalism, Genghis Khan and the Mongol Horde remains admirably accurate in historical detail. To be sure, Lamb wrote to entertain. Yet for all that was a genuine scholar, passionate about the history of central Asia. Here as elsewhere, Lamb's eye for evocative detail, his instinct for the well-chosen anecdote, and the authenticity of his first hand experience combine to create a most compelling narrative. Yelu Chucai, the Taoist/Confucian scholar who served as the Great Khan's advisor, is enlisted as a kind point of view character. He serves to intermediate between the reader and the almost otherworldly figure of Genghis Khan. I found it an effective literary device, helping to deliver a nuanced portrayal of Genghis, not as a simple bloodthirsty tyrant, but as an introspective man of moral and emotional complexity.
Genghis Khan and the Mongol Horde is the kind of old book perhaps some would consign to the dust bin for reflecting the inevitable cultural insensitivity of its era. But I think you could still do a lot worse for a general introduction to this fascinating subject. I credit this classic with helping to ignite my own lifelong obsession with central Asian history. That seems reason enough to be grateful to it.
(Also published as Genghis Khan and the Mongol Horde)
June 23, 2016
I've been helping a friend, president of a condo association, clean out a five-car, two-storey garage recently obtained. Among the piles of stuff (inclusive of a 1908 edition of Chicago's Daily News headlined with the 'discovery' of the North Pole) were many books, mostly bestsellers of the past or self-help books--few of any interest to me. This, however, was an exception. I've never read of the Khan before, except from the perspective of those he fought.
Written in the twenties by a novelist-historian, the style is a bit floridly reminiscent of Edgar Rice Burroughs. The Mongols, not known for their literacy, left no written materials, so author Lamb makes do with external sources, coming up with a plausible, but unconvincing, biography. Archaeological data apparently played no part in his research.
Although only a 1927 copyright date is given, one reference to World War II within the text indicates that this edition was a revised text.
Written in the twenties by a novelist-historian, the style is a bit floridly reminiscent of Edgar Rice Burroughs. The Mongols, not known for their literacy, left no written materials, so author Lamb makes do with external sources, coming up with a plausible, but unconvincing, biography. Archaeological data apparently played no part in his research.
Although only a 1927 copyright date is given, one reference to World War II within the text indicates that this edition was a revised text.
August 10, 2009
though no real written records of Genghis Khan was ever made, just notes from observors from foreign lands. the story of the khan is an amazing story of a man wanting to unify all his people. his compassion, insite, determination and fortitude is astounding and his short comings as well. this one is an amazing book.
January 3, 2018
Yazarın, kendi yaratıcılığını fazlasıyla ortaya koyması, okuyucuyu Cengiz Han'ın bir hayal kahramanı olduğu fikrine sürüklüyor. Diğer yandan olay örgüsü hatasız ve okumu kolay. Basit de diyebilirim. Özetle, Cengiz Han'a ilgisi olanların, diğer inceleme kitaplarıyla birlikte, her ne olursa olsun bir güzel okuyabileceği bir kitap.
October 20, 2012
I did enjoy this book for its informative value. Though it was not as impartial as I would have preferred in a historical account it was worth the time if one cares to know more of this enigmatic figure...
November 9, 2014
A fascinating read of a much maligned ruler, a man far superior to his European contemporaries, a man who shook the world in his passing and created a peoples hitherto fragmented into warring tribes. An easy read (for those with a grasp of history) and a fulfilling one to all others.
May 26, 2016
Having so little knowledge of Genghis Khan I enjoyed learning about his life, society, and escapades. But I was somehow left wanting more, I think because the author freely admitted he glossed over or omitted details covered elsewhere.
October 23, 2016
Although this edition is likely quite dated, it was extremely well written and enjoyable to read. It is not loaded with cumbersome details and makes for a good beginner book on the subject. More recent books, however, would likely give a better list of sources for those looking for more detail.
July 22, 2017
A good historical story about Ghengis Khan without getting lost in the weeds. I had finished Dan Carlin's Hardcore History podcast about the Khan's (highly recommended if you like history BTW) which was more in depth and filled in some of the background goings on. I enjoyed this book.
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