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The Legend of Genghis Khan: Untold Story of the Conqueror
At Genghis Khan’s birth divine signs indicated he would consolidate the scattered Mongol clans into one nation and become the conqueror who ensured that the Empire of Mongolia ruled the world. By 1224, he had founded the Empire of Mongolia, a nation that stretched from the Pacific to Caspian Sea. Genghis Khan’s fearsome reputation of being a ruthless invader preceded him. Yet one of his captives taken from the land of the Indus river holds a mysterious power over the tyrant. What gives her this power? Does she know a secret that compels the formidable emperor to reveal his mortality? Is her magical spell strong enough to make it into a weapon that can bring the Khan to his knees?
251 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 28, 2018
21 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Sutapa Basu
24 books32 followersSutapa Basu is an avid reader and a compulsive bookworm. She is an irrepressible storyteller to children and pens down tales with twists for the adult audience. Her poetry is an evocation of Nature resonating with mystical introspection. A professional career as teacher, editor, and publisher had seen her traipsing across the vast Indian subcontinent with short detours into nearby Nepal and Bhutan and not-so-nearby Dubai and the United States while working with a couple of renowned international publishing houses until she decided to strike out on her own. Today she dabbles in art, training trainers, authoring, and counsels educational and publishing entities.
Resident editor with Readomania.com, Sutapa is an Honours scholar from Tagore’s Visvabharti University, Santiniketan and holds a teaching as well as a masters degree in English Literature.
Resident editor with Readomania.com, Sutapa is an Honours scholar from Tagore’s Visvabharti University, Santiniketan and holds a teaching as well as a masters degree in English Literature.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 5, 2020
This is my first book read on mighty Genghis Khan.
I have seen a movie and I was able to relate the first half with the movie. The part of princess Ankhtuya (sorry if I have misspelled) was new for me.
A nice book.
I have seen a movie and I was able to relate the first half with the movie. The part of princess Ankhtuya (sorry if I have misspelled) was new for me.
A nice book.
November 4, 2018
The Legend of Genghis Khan: Untold Story of the Conqueror By Sutapa Basu
Historical Fiction - a tough genre to crack and make it entertaining too - A tricky marriage of fact and imagination - Sutapa Basu, very lovingly and painstakingly fleshes out staid historical figures, imbibes them with emulating worthy traits and frailties, thereby making them very relatable and utterly reachable. In her new book, she pens the story of Genghis Khan, bringing him back to life.
Genghis Khan, in popular perception, is considered to be an errant tyrant who had wreaked havoc with mass executions, in the lands he had conquered. Is he a savage or a savant? A mystic or a marauder?
As we go through her prolific prose, we realize that Genghis considered himself to be destiny’s child whose call was to unify the nomadic tribes and create a vast Mongol Empire. He practiced meritocracy and encouraged religious tolerance. Women played a great role in molding him and women held important posts in his reign.
A standout aspect of Sutapa Sa’s superlative writing is her superior command over the language. What a pleasure to read her descriptions! She paints verbal pictures with apt words. So much to learn from this erudite writer.
Kudos to Sutapa Sa for making this much-maligned monarch an engaging human. Go pick a copy. You surely wouldn’t be disappointed.
Historical Fiction - a tough genre to crack and make it entertaining too - A tricky marriage of fact and imagination - Sutapa Basu, very lovingly and painstakingly fleshes out staid historical figures, imbibes them with emulating worthy traits and frailties, thereby making them very relatable and utterly reachable. In her new book, she pens the story of Genghis Khan, bringing him back to life.
Genghis Khan, in popular perception, is considered to be an errant tyrant who had wreaked havoc with mass executions, in the lands he had conquered. Is he a savage or a savant? A mystic or a marauder?
As we go through her prolific prose, we realize that Genghis considered himself to be destiny’s child whose call was to unify the nomadic tribes and create a vast Mongol Empire. He practiced meritocracy and encouraged religious tolerance. Women played a great role in molding him and women held important posts in his reign.
A standout aspect of Sutapa Sa’s superlative writing is her superior command over the language. What a pleasure to read her descriptions! She paints verbal pictures with apt words. So much to learn from this erudite writer.
Kudos to Sutapa Sa for making this much-maligned monarch an engaging human. Go pick a copy. You surely wouldn’t be disappointed.
October 26, 2018
If only the history lessons were like this, we’d never have to mug up dates or events again!
February 8, 2019
Before I picked up Genghis Khan by Sutapa Basu all I knew about him was that he was an ancestor of Babur and a very cruel one at that. There have been several great conquerers who have set out to own the world. I find them intriguing. What drives them? Power? Money? What keeps them going in the face of extreme adversity? How do they motivate an entire army of people to believe in their cause, to follow them and their dream, to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks?
For those reasons I found The Legend of Genghis Khan fascinating – the man, the story, the story telling – all of it.
The Story
Born as Temujin to the leader of a Mongol tribe, Genghis Khan is prophesied to be a great man. A shaman interprets the signs at the time of his birth that signal the makings of a conqueror. That’s the thought that little Temujin grows up with. He accepts it and owns it till it becomes a belief firmly rooted in his mind and later, the biggest truth of his life. It is this thought – that he is destined to craft a vast Mongolian empire – that remains his guiding light during the darkest times of despair and through the toughest decisions of his life. He pursues it with awe-inspiring single mindedness.
The Review
No fictional tale could compete with Genghis Khan’s life. He goes from being a clan leader’s pampered son to a fatherless boy, to a leader himself, then a helpless captive in a hostile land until he finally realises his destiny. Khan’s life was a roller coaster.
The book begins with his men plundering a palace, destroying, burning, killing and taking prisoner. Among the prisoners is princess Enkhtuya. When she is brought before the Khan, something about her makes him pause.
Then on the story flits between the present and past with glimpses of the Khan’s childhood, even as he and his men plan and launch attack after attack conquering vast territories.
The introduction of Princess Enkhtuya was a brilliant thought. Her character added a whole new dimension to Genghis Khan. Basu manages to give us a glimpse of his gentler side, without taking away from the image of a ruthless conqueror. For some mysterious reason he has a soft spot for her, yet he remains focussed on his life’s mission and none of her entreaties can persuade him to show mercy to his enemies.
The story flows simply and well as we follow the Khan through dry desert areas with raging sandstorms to freezing ice lands. The writing is evocative and the characters consistent.
It is a storyteller’s delight as well as a challenge. The research must have been mind-boggling. What I loved most is the objectivity with which Basu approaches this story. It is easy, almost natural, to admire/love your protagonist and to go on to justify him/his actions. Sutapa Basu manages to not to do that. She tells the tale like a seasoned chronicler remaining true to the tale and nothing else. She writes without attempting to glorify Genghis Khan – without apologies, without explanations – a little like the man himself. She lets his faults and his achievements speak for themselves.
The Legend of Genghis Khan skilfully treads the line between history and fiction. Read this one for some great story telling.
Last thought: If you’re not a non-fiction reader but are a bit of a history buff this book is for you.
For those reasons I found The Legend of Genghis Khan fascinating – the man, the story, the story telling – all of it.
The Story
Born as Temujin to the leader of a Mongol tribe, Genghis Khan is prophesied to be a great man. A shaman interprets the signs at the time of his birth that signal the makings of a conqueror. That’s the thought that little Temujin grows up with. He accepts it and owns it till it becomes a belief firmly rooted in his mind and later, the biggest truth of his life. It is this thought – that he is destined to craft a vast Mongolian empire – that remains his guiding light during the darkest times of despair and through the toughest decisions of his life. He pursues it with awe-inspiring single mindedness.
The Review
No fictional tale could compete with Genghis Khan’s life. He goes from being a clan leader’s pampered son to a fatherless boy, to a leader himself, then a helpless captive in a hostile land until he finally realises his destiny. Khan’s life was a roller coaster.
The book begins with his men plundering a palace, destroying, burning, killing and taking prisoner. Among the prisoners is princess Enkhtuya. When she is brought before the Khan, something about her makes him pause.
Then on the story flits between the present and past with glimpses of the Khan’s childhood, even as he and his men plan and launch attack after attack conquering vast territories.
The introduction of Princess Enkhtuya was a brilliant thought. Her character added a whole new dimension to Genghis Khan. Basu manages to give us a glimpse of his gentler side, without taking away from the image of a ruthless conqueror. For some mysterious reason he has a soft spot for her, yet he remains focussed on his life’s mission and none of her entreaties can persuade him to show mercy to his enemies.
The story flows simply and well as we follow the Khan through dry desert areas with raging sandstorms to freezing ice lands. The writing is evocative and the characters consistent.
It is a storyteller’s delight as well as a challenge. The research must have been mind-boggling. What I loved most is the objectivity with which Basu approaches this story. It is easy, almost natural, to admire/love your protagonist and to go on to justify him/his actions. Sutapa Basu manages to not to do that. She tells the tale like a seasoned chronicler remaining true to the tale and nothing else. She writes without attempting to glorify Genghis Khan – without apologies, without explanations – a little like the man himself. She lets his faults and his achievements speak for themselves.
The Legend of Genghis Khan skilfully treads the line between history and fiction. Read this one for some great story telling.
Last thought: If you’re not a non-fiction reader but are a bit of a history buff this book is for you.
May 21, 2019
It was a nice short book, and unfortunately although it called "Untold story of the conqueror", almost every thing was known to me.
There is much detailed (and much better IMHO) series called "Conqueror" by Conn Iggulden, to all who loved this book, and wants to know more about Mongol empire.
There is much detailed (and much better IMHO) series called "Conqueror" by Conn Iggulden, to all who loved this book, and wants to know more about Mongol empire.
November 18, 2018
“The Legend of Genghis Khan” is a historical fiction written by Sutapa Basu who was TOI’s Write India Season 1 winner in the genre mythological fiction. This is her third book and second historical fiction after Padmavati. As you can guess from the title, the book is about one of the world’s most feared conqueror, the Mongol leader Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan is a well known conqueror but there is an untold side of him which the author tried to convey though this book. As I read this book, I can say that the author has done an extensive as well as an exhaustive research for this book as we can find many unknown facets of the great Mongol leader in this book. Ofcourse, some parts in the book may have some fictional touches but overall, the author didn’t deviate from the historical conquests of Genghis Khan as well as his indomitable courage, will power and bold actions that went into making Genghis Khan, the man who he was. It provides a deep insight into the life of Genghis Khan in a way we haven’t seen before. The narration is very poignant and it makes you hooked to the book. Genghis Khan is one of the most researched figures in history and the insights which one gains from his story will be of use in various facets as well. In the Bollywood movie, “Saala Khadoos” too Madhavan would have shown how one can defeat their opponents in boxing via Genghis Khan’s military strategy. I believe, not only in boxing, his strategies can be applied in many other situations too which one encounters in their contemporary lives. The description at various places is also too good especially w.r.t. the culture, places, key characters, etc. The story is explained in a simple and clear language without the use of any bombastic words. The author’s command on historical fiction is very much visible in this book and is highly appreciated. The cover of the book is the sketch of the great Mongol leader Genghis Khan majestically riding his horse towards a conquest most probably and he is followed by his army of soldiers. Go and read this book – worth your time. If you are a lover of history, this is a book you definitely cannot miss out. Looking forward to read Sutapa’s next historical fiction book.
May 30, 2019
So this is a historical fiction and should be read as one. A quick browsing through Wikipedia corroborated almost all theories and conjectures mentioned in this book, as one of the many encircling the life of one of the greatest ruler and invader in the world's history. This assured me that I can enjoy this book instead of worrying much about the validity of its plot. This book is purely meant to be enjoyed as fiction and not to be taken as any historical documentary on Genghis Khan.
And yet, I got to learn many new things about him. His early life, his struggles, his rise as the leader of Mongolia and his invasions of Khwarezmia and Xia. Besides this, it also describes the lives of Mongolians, their food, culture, rituals, beliefs, sociopolitical structure etc.
Basically, this book is just a light, fun, fictional subset of Wiki information on Genghis Khan. it is a good introduction for a complete newbie to Genghis Khan and Mongolia.
And yet, I got to learn many new things about him. His early life, his struggles, his rise as the leader of Mongolia and his invasions of Khwarezmia and Xia. Besides this, it also describes the lives of Mongolians, their food, culture, rituals, beliefs, sociopolitical structure etc.
Basically, this book is just a light, fun, fictional subset of Wiki information on Genghis Khan. it is a good introduction for a complete newbie to Genghis Khan and Mongolia.
February 8, 2019
The book takes one through the wonderful journey of Genghis Khans past from childhood till his last few years, alternating between his fateful encounter with Enkhtuya, his own daughter from a love affair, and the travelogue as they ride back to Mongolia.
The book showcases the life on steppes, the natural beauty of Mongolia, many parts of history and connects them together.
The downside of the book is the language used. It could have easily been read like a script or a movie, but with some high end vocabulary and repetitions, you feel like skipping through a few paras here and there.
Overall a book that makes an interesting read!
The book showcases the life on steppes, the natural beauty of Mongolia, many parts of history and connects them together.
The downside of the book is the language used. It could have easily been read like a script or a movie, but with some high end vocabulary and repetitions, you feel like skipping through a few paras here and there.
Overall a book that makes an interesting read!
May 9, 2019
Very poorly written book. The name of the book suggests that it will be about Genghis Khan and what he was known for. He was known for conquering and this book has spent the least amount of time on his conquests. Not that it is required but then the title should be appropriate or these aspects should be skillfully woven into the story. There is some story going on but at places the author talks about the invasions of Genghis Khan in a very dry history text book sort of manner. Which of course breaks the flow of the story. Seemed like the author spent very little time thinking through the plot. To me it looked like she hurried through the book to meet the publishers deadline.
June 15, 2020
Historical fiction is a difficult genre to write. The author spends a lot of pages describing the dress, food, culture etc. But, does not do any justice to the history or story.
The central characters are ill-defined, and even Genghis Khan looks more of a caricature.
In the end, the author pours out the entire sequence of history in a dry fashion.
The description of attacks is not realistic.
In the end, the story can neither justify Genghis nor criticize him.
The central characters are ill-defined, and even Genghis Khan looks more of a caricature.
In the end, the author pours out the entire sequence of history in a dry fashion.
The description of attacks is not realistic.
In the end, the story can neither justify Genghis nor criticize him.
May 5, 2020
A romantic rendering of the great Genghis Khan. Historically the book tries to be accurate, but the effort to make it romantic,,,, sort of dulls the whole thing. Good effort by the author, but i think the subject in question does not do justice.
June 24, 2019
Hmm. This didn’t do it for me at all. Played out like a Bollywood movie without the dancing. Needed spicing up with some of what Khan was famous for, rather than avoiding all of that almost entirely.
January 9, 2022
Very well written. Quite fast placed and love how Sutapa Basu merges the historical parts with the ongoing tale. Very intriguing!
June 17, 2020
As it is understood this is about the Mongolian barbaric leader Ghenghis khan, depicting his not so seen or known facts..
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Well.. I took this book cos it came as a free book in prime reading.. The first task was to locate Mongolia on Google map 😝..I didn't know for a fact that there was a ruler by this name except for its mention in the movie 'iruthi sutru'.. This book solved it's purpose..
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It seems like a work of fiction but hits us with hard facts (conclusion after hours of internet search about Mongolian history)..Loved it when it was a work of fiction intially.. Later when it was all about the history facts it was more like going through a history book.. well indian history might have Hooked me up better than Mongolian..
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But it’s interesting to note how, in a book that is dedicated to a Mongol emperor’s conquests, the female characters of Hoelun, Borte, Gurbechelin and Enkhtuya make their presence felt.
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The Legend of Genghis Khan is exactly a memorable tale that will leave you both charmed and captivated..
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Nevertheless .. A good read..
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Well.. I took this book cos it came as a free book in prime reading.. The first task was to locate Mongolia on Google map 😝..I didn't know for a fact that there was a ruler by this name except for its mention in the movie 'iruthi sutru'.. This book solved it's purpose..
.
.
It seems like a work of fiction but hits us with hard facts (conclusion after hours of internet search about Mongolian history)..Loved it when it was a work of fiction intially.. Later when it was all about the history facts it was more like going through a history book.. well indian history might have Hooked me up better than Mongolian..
.
.
But it’s interesting to note how, in a book that is dedicated to a Mongol emperor’s conquests, the female characters of Hoelun, Borte, Gurbechelin and Enkhtuya make their presence felt.
.
.
The Legend of Genghis Khan is exactly a memorable tale that will leave you both charmed and captivated..
.
.
Nevertheless .. A good read..
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews