The Mongolian Chronicles

by Allen Smutylo

Longlisted, RBC Taylor Prize In the shadows of the Altai Mountains live the Kazakh nomads of western Mongolia. These hard-living nomads survive on windswept steppes, grazing their herds and keeping an ancient practice hunting not with traps or guns, but on horseback with golden eagles. The Mongolian Chronicles recounts a story of this untamed world, seen through the eyes of artist, writer, and traveller Allen Smutylo. Smutylo lived with seven eagle hunters and their families for several weeks over two years, affording him rare insight into a disappearing culture. His extraordinary narrative is set within the context of Mongolia's turbulent past — the long shadow cast by the empire of Genghis Khan, the deprivations of early twentieth century warlords-cum-mystics — and its protean present, where ancient customs and shamanistic beliefs exist among an increasingly urbanized people. Smutylo's vivid prose and powerful artwork portray a Mongolia of contradictions and extremes. Readers will encounter a country with a vast wilderness that nonetheless has one of the most polluted capitals on earth; a modern economy in which tent-dwelling nomads still rely on their animals for survival; a people unchanged for millennia, yet recognizing that their way of life may disappear with their generation.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

270 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Christa (haines) Sheridan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm glad to have read the book. It was very interesting. I was hoping for more Mongolian history, but probably if I had read more about the book than just the title, I would have been more aware. It did help me answer one question on Jeopardy just the other day, so that makes this a win in my list of books.
One of the most poignant ideas was about where the future might be for the nomadic eagle hunters. It's so hard to imagine this lifestyle is still a viable option in Mongolia. The author hints that it is likely on the decline and the Mongolian society might be coming to a rough patch as the lifestyle changes.

[Martha☀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Combining his stunning paintings with his experiences of travelling through Mongolia, Smutylo captures the hidden beauty of a vast land. This is his second trip to the western edge of Mongolia and this time he visits in winter so that he can take in every aspect of the eagle hunter livelihood. From hunting the eagles to using them to hunt, you get a window into this shrinking culture and its long history.
This well-documented Mongolian history, partnered with Smutylo's modern day exploration, was the perfect pre-read to my own epic adventure in the same region. Fascinating!

[Clivemichael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and provocative.