Product Description
Iranian philosophy or Persian philosophy can be traced back as far as to Old Iranian philosophical traditions and thoughts which originated in ancient Indo-Iranian roots and were considerably influenced by Zarathustra's teachings. According to Oxford dictionary of philosophy (page 409), the choronology of the subject and science of philosophy starts with the Indo-Iranians. Oxford dictionary dates this event to 1500 BC. Oxford dictionary also states, "Zarathushtra's philosophy entered to influence western tradition through Judaism, and therefore on Middle Platonism." Throughout Iranian history and due to remarkable political and social changes such as the Arab and Mongol invasions of Persia, a wide spectrum of schools of thoughts showed a variety of views on philosophical questions extending from Old Iranian and mainly Zoroastrianism-related traditions, to schools appearing in the late pre-Islamic era such as Manicheism and Mazdakism as well as various post-Islamic schools. Iranian philosophy after Arab invasion of Persia, is characterized by different interactions with the Old Iranian philosophy, the Greek philosophy and with the development of Islamic philosophy. ... Read more

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Profiles the life of the Mongolian leader known for his ruthless conquering of other lands. ... Read more

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Why, oh why the mainstream historians do not gratify prominent mathematician Doctor Fomenko with laurels, but call the riot police? For example, the English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. As te sign of recognition of the special role of the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben. The Russian historians brand it all as pseudoscience: because Dr Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by over two centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called 'Tartars and Mongols' were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a trilingual state with Arabic and Turkic spoken as freely as Russian. The ancient Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities and the hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called 'blood tax'). Their 'invasions' were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion. Dr Fomenko proves that official Russian history is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scholars brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs. Their ascension to the throne was the result of conspiracy, so they charged these German imports historians with the noble mission of making Romanovs reign look legitimate. Dr Fomenko proves Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. These rulers represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate Godounovs and the ambitious Romanov upstarts. The European historians fume because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History. Per Dr Fomenko all medieval European Kings and Princes were but breakaway vice-regents and vassals of the Global Empire who badly needed glorious and very ancient past in order to legitimize their independence from the Empire. Dr Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one: the Ancient Rome: the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the 14th century A. D., the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, the Ancient Egypt: the pyramids of Giza become dated to the 11th to 14th century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global Empire, no less. The civilization of the Ancient Egypt is irrefutably dated to the 11th to 15th century A. D. following the breakthrough in decoding of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone. Arabic historians may find some consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th - 17th century. The trouble is that this empire was initially a proto-Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, but built in 1550-1557 A.D. by Sultan Suleiman according to Fomenko! The Divinity excommunicates Dr Fomenko because the history of religions according to Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the 11th century and Jesus Christ ), Bacchic Christianity (11th to 12th century, before and after Jesus Christ), Jesus Christ Christianity (12th to 14th century) and its subsequent mutations (15th to 17th cy) into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on..and The Old Testament written after the New Testament in xiv-xvi cy A.D.! Saint Augustine was quite prescient when he said: 'be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth.' ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

a must read!
Interesting, especially map comparison. Russian armor with Arabic writing...... the only problem is, this book is expensivI'm glad I bought it though.

A must read book
This is a must read book that should be studied seriously, and data -- verified. Can modern historians reject and/or find support based on data and evidence? So far, as I have seen, there have been no evidence-based works that show Fomenko wrong. I am sure reconstructing history would create errors, but if studying history is agreed to be a necessary societal endeavor, I think we should investigate all Fomenko's claims; perhaps even re-thinking and re-evaluating what is a myth and what is closer to reality is not a bad endeavor and investment. Clearly, a thought-provoking and potentially dangerous set of works!

Nationalist?
Dr Fomenko started his research back in 1973, was badly mauled as ANTISOVIET and ANTIRUSSIAN. Nowadays the same crowd of Russian (formerly soviet) historians attack him on his Russian nationalism. Dirt cheap. There wasn't a single academic valid refutation of his theory. Forget about c14, the poor Nobel Libby must be turning in his grave after `calibration' of his method. By `calibration' on statistically non-significant number of wood samples from Egypt with ARBITRARELY suggested age of 3100 B.C. the Arizona university radiocarbon team simply smuggled the consensual chronology into c14 method of dating. Dr Libby honestly earned his Nobel by developing a valid dating method, too bad that this method became very un-precise because unknown tonnages of c14 isotope were dumped into atmosphere in the course of US-USSR-France-UK nuclear tests in the fifties, moreover it was turned later into a sheer fallacy by `calibration'. The dendro-chronology was ordered to expand its scale over 12 500 years, which is another fallacy as the number of ancient samples is truly non-significant.Just try to submit to any c14 lab a sample of organic matter and ask them to date it. The lab will ask your idea of the age of the sample, then it fiddles with the knobs (`fine-tuning') and gives you the result you've `expected'. True, Dr Fomenko's ideas find sympathy with nationalistic crowd, this sympathy evaporates as soon as they find out that in Fomenko's book ancient Russians are not Nordic Arians, but Turks and Tartars, that 1100 years of noble Russia are simply not there.

An unfortunate modern phenomenon
Fomenko is nothing more than a product of the Russian intelligentsia's insecurity about Russia's place in the world following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The underlying theme in all his works is to establish Russia as the most important civilization in world history and to suggest that the Russians are the legitimate rulers of the world.

All of his number-crunching, all of his smaller theories are developed in support of this overarching conviction, which becomes more and more transparent in successive volumes of his work.

I have been to Russia as recently as this past February, having been born there and a constant visitor, and I saw first-hand the out-of-control frenzy among the people and the media to rewrite history and economics in Russia's favor. Meanwhile, the actual living conditions in Russia, especially outside of Moscow, fail to keep with this conviction of Russian economic and intellectual superiority.

This is simply a cyclical manifestation of racism during hard economic times, and writers like Fomenko emerge as an opiate for the public. This fascination with race and nationality as defining economic thought and prosperity is certainly a modern Russian phenomenon.
The Russian intelligentsia are always trying to fight "the Americans' and the British's convictions of Anglo-Saxon economic and intellectual superiority," but the Americans and British themselves hold no such convictions in modern times (in the past some, like Winston Churchill, certainly did).
It's a particular cyclical current of racism in this particular era in Russia that leads to the manifestation of works such as Fomenko's.

Fantastic book! Extremely interesting, very thought-provoking.
Despite the efforts of critics, skeptics and "debunkers" this book is gaining popular acceptance very fast. Everyone i know who is interested in history is stunned by the ideas the Fomenko Group present. The idea that Ghengis Khan was the Turkic/Eastern name of a Russian prince is breathtaking in it's implications. Or, the case for "Mongolia" to have been a corruption of the Greek "Megalion"(or Great) representing a "Horde"(or "orde/order", the Russian name of it's Medieval professional horse-soldiers) as the historicists distortion of the Mongol Hordes as being of Far Eastern origin instead of being Russian Cossacks(Khazaks).

This book is so filled with shocking and exciting ideas about how history has been obfuscated, hidden, and changed to suit the local needs of political factions that it has completely altered my perspective on current worl events and the "how" and "why" of Central European and Middle Eastern politics! Many modern "historians" rail against Fomenko's theories because they are both obviouly, intuitively accurate and totally opposite established thinking that most history books would have to be completely re-written. And no one who spent ten years getting his doctorate in convential history wants to admit that everything he thinks he "knows" is just plain wrong! I know it upset me at first, but the long, long list of explanations, "coincidences", facts and inconsistencies listed by Fomenko et al can't help but change your perspective.

These books are not the usual poorly-written, poorly-researched imaginative tripe provided by most "historical revisionists".This is the work of one of the world's leading mathmeticians and other highly-educated scholars. In fact, there is so much raw data in this series that even i, who reads constantly, have a hard time moving through it. But the subject matter shakes the very foundations of so many assumptions of modern history that it's worth every bit of effort.

Don't let the convcentional history proponents convince you these are false- read them for yourself. If you can read the whole series and STILL think the history of the world is what you've been taught then you might be right, and i might be wrong. But i don't think i am: Fomenko is a pioneer, a radical, a free-thinker and revolutionary in the field of scientific historical anhalysis! ... Read more

Product Description
The history of the Mongol conquests is a catalogue of superlatives. No army in the world has ever conquered so much territory, and few armies have provoked such terror as the Mongol hordes. So vast was the extent of the Mongol Empire that the samurai of Japan and the Teutonic Knights of Prussia had each fought the same enemy while being unaware of each other's existence. This book provides a concise yet thorough account of the Mongol conquests, including the rise of Genghis Khan and the unification of the tribes with up to date information on campaign logistics, tactics and horse breeding. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Good Succinct Overview of the Topic
This book, like so many in the Osprey series "Essential Histories" provides a very good and succinct overview of its topic despite its relatively short length of 94 pages (a good third of which are illustrations). Unlike even lengthier books on the subject it covers not only the Mongol's major campaigns in Russia, Europe, Middle East and China but their peripheral campaigns in Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia and even Java.It does an excellent job at discussing these campaigns and showing what the key attribute to the Mongols success was - incredible flexibility and adaptability, phenomenal ruthlessness and great mobility. There is also a discussion of the equipment used by them and their major opponents.

Unfortunately the book does have a few weaknesses that justify not granting it a five star, as opposed to only four star, rating. This includes a lack of any analysis or discussion of who Genghis Khan himself or his immediate successors were and how they were able to unite the historically divided Mongol tribes. After all, if this would not have been done the very campaigns and military success discussed in the book would never have been possible. Considering the fact these tribes were bitter rivals and never united in their history, either before or since, was quite a feat in and by itself. Another weakness, albeit minor compared to the one just cited, is a lack of illustrations regarding what the Mongol warriors and their major opponents looked like (although there are pictures of contemporaneous statues).

All and all, for anyone desiring an introduction that only touches on this topic (as opposed to examining it in depth) with only about an hour to an hour and a half to spare, this is the book to read.

First off I'll admit...
I didn't read this book from cover to cover, but mainly dipped into the latter part, from which I learned about events such as the Mongol invasion of Java of which I was unaware, as well as learning more about the Mongol invasion of Japan than I had known before.I am not particularly a student of Genghis Khan and the Mongal conquests, but do feel reasonably well informed on events up to 1260.Thus the material concerning events after 1260 was what I was interested in, and I feel the book did a fine, informative job on that.So for me the book was excellent, and I give it 5 stars on that basis.

Genghis Khan, huh....Sure.............
Genghis Khan & the Mongol Conquests is a book from a series called "Essential Histories."From what I have seen from this book, this series shows the essentially detailed and not the basics, which is often times much more useful.This book is titled Genghis Khan & the Mongol Conquests, yet there is barely anything at all of the great Khan's life.This is what the book says about Genghis Khan's childhood:"The nomad world he entered was a fierce and unforgiving one of rivalry and survival skills.Like all Mongol children, Temuchin learned to ride with great skill and to handle a bow and arrows."That's it.Any given internet site would give more information than that!In fact, for his life story, I often had to turn to web sites.The battles and campaigns were described in great detail.However, even with its immense wealth of knowledge about campaigns, I found the book unfulfilling.Half of the campaigns were Kublai Khan's, and whenever Genghis Khan's death was mentioned, it was no more than a paragraph.DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK IF YOU WANT A GENGHIS KHAN REFERENCE!!!

Not Turnbull's Best Effort
Although I am a fan of Stephen Turnbull's earlier works on the Japanese Samurai and the Teutonic Knights, there is something basically wrong with his latest volume for Osprey's Essential Histories on the Mongols.First, Genghis Khan himself is only the discussed in about 10% of the volume and Turnbull certainly provides no fresh insights on this famed leader.Indeed, basic questions such as whether or not Genghis Khan should be considered as one of the great captains of history are never raised.Second, Turnbull bounces around chronologically too much; he is continually discussing one campaign, then reverting to discuss an earlier campaign in another area.Third, Turnbull focuses strictly on the military aspects of the Mongol Conquests (virtually ignoring the economic, social and political aspects), then actually tells us very little about the actual military aspects.Fourth, the actual period of Mongol conquests was in 1206-1294, not 1190-1400, and the bulk of the narrative actually focuses on a 60-year period.Finally, Turnbull's entire overly simplistic hypothesis is that the Mongol's success was due to their amazing ability to adapt to new circumstances and learn new military techniques.However, Turnbull concludes that the Mongol conquests ended because of their failures to adapt to the harsh theater of war in Southeast Asia and their gradual conversion from steppe nomads to urban dwellers.Huh?They won because they were adaptable, but they eventually lost because they adapted in the cities but not the jungles.A look at the barren bibliography, with only four non-Turnbull sources, clearly indicates a half-hearted effort on the author's part.

Genghis Khan & the Mongol Conquests 1190-1400 begins with a short introduction and chronology, followed by a brief section on the rise of the Mongols.The three-page section on the Mongols and their adversaries is totally inadequate, although Turnbull strives to make the point that the Mongol armies were not immune to logistical constraints.The outbreak of war section covers the Khwarazm campaign in 1219-1221and the Afghan War, but then this is followed by the fighting in China in 1211-1234, making this narrative difficult to follow chronologically.Turnbull's 44-page narrative on the main Mongols campaigns of 1211-1281 is the best part of the volume, particularly the campaigns in Korea/Japan and the Mideast.Portrait of a soldier showcases the Mongol general Subadai, but also includes more campaign detail.The section on how the war ended focuses on the jungle campaigns in Burma, Vietnam and Java where the Mongol advance finally petered out.There are eight maps supporting the narrative: the Mongol Empire 1190-1400; the conquest of the Khwarazm Empire; Mongol conquests in Korea and China; the Mongol invasion of Europe; the Battle of Mohi 1241; Mongol campaigns in the Mideast; the Mongol invasions of Japan; and the Mongol campaigns in Southeast Asia.

There are a number of interesting episodes in the long Mongol wars that Turnbull highlights, such as the five-year long siege of Xiangyang in China and the odd situation of Crusaders, Mamluks and Mongols facing each other in the Mideast in 1260.Turnbull is particularly adept in demonstrating how the steppe-born Mongols quickly learned siege warfare techniques and naval expeditionary warfare.Yet while Turnbull succeeds in praising Mongol tactical adaptability, he fails on the larger issues, such as explaining the Mongol drive for conquest.How did an obscure steppe people, never great in numbers, conquer the greatest land empire in history?Why were the Mongol enemies so unable to offer effective resistance - why couldn't they learn or adapt?Due to the operational-level focus of Turnbull's summary, this volume will not be useful for readers asking questions on the macro-level of geo-politics.Furthermore, the "adaptability" thesis presented for Mongol successes by Turnbull does not really answer the question of why this whirlwind phenomenon was able to arise out of nowhere and conquer the bulk of Eurasia in a lifetime.While the "adaptability" hypothesis is certainly better than the old "Mongol horde" claptrap, it probably only addresses the Mongol side of the equation (just as suggesting superior armored warfare doctrine explains German success in 1940, but it does not explain French collapse).

Confusing and flawed
I recently bought this new book about the mongols - Genghis Khan & the Mongol Conquests 1190-1400 by the medieval historian Stephen Turnbull. This new book from Osprey was a bit disappointing; Turnbull often tends to be very careless with facts (like he confuses Subotai Bah'adur with Sükhbataar from the 20th century!) and he writes about the mongols solely from the eyes of their eastern asian adversaries, like the japanese and koreans. He also focus on mongol defeats, and fails to explain why they were able to expand so fast. Turnbull is a reknown expert on samurai and medieval japanese armies, and he claims that the Samurais were superior to the mongols, which I don't believe in. So this book is full of examples of heroic feats by the mongols' adversaries, but is confusing when it comes to describing the mongol armies themselves. Nevetheless, it was interesting to read about the korean and southeastern campaigns of the mongols, of which not that much is written.

/DK M ... Read more

Product Description
During the 13th century, the Persian-speaking lands were devastated by a series of Mongol invasions resulting in the death and displacement of countless Muslims of the region. Contrary to beliefs, a small number of Ismailis survived the Mongol onslaught, together with the basic infrastructure of their religious organization, the "da'wa". Here, the author explores, by examining the 13th-century writings of the poet Nizari Quhistani, how the Persian Ismailis maintained their religious identity and community. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Informative Read
I read this book last summer and found it to be quite detailed and informative.The reader will begin to understand life as it was during that period through Nizårí Quhiståní's writings.

I was pleasantly surprised and reassured to know that the word "wine" was commonly used metaphorically during that time in poetry.The author makes a clear distinction that "wine" was used inNizårí Quhiståní's writings as a literary term and not a literal one.

For those that are interested in the Mongolian period, especially Central Asians and Chinese Muslims, this gives additional background as to how Islam spread in those areas. ... Read more

Product Description
Paul Ratchnevsky, one of the foremost historians of the Mongol period, draws upon Mongol, Chinese, Persian and European sources to provide a penetrating, balanced and highly readable account of the life of one of the greatest conquerors in world history. He begins with Genghis Khan's youth in the harsh environment of the twelfth-century steppe, and describes his rise to power as a young nomad warrior. The author shows how, although Genghis was at times as merciless as his reputation suggests, he could also be magnanimous and just. He promoted his followers on merit alone and was even-handed in his distribution of favors. The author considers Mongol administration, military organization, legislation and religious policy. The book ends with an assessment of the legacy and achievements of this extraordinary historical figure, who turned a small, poor and backward nation into the conqueror of the most powerful and civilized states in Asia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Concise and informative
This book is perhaps one of the best sources of information on Genghis Khan.Ratchnevsky uses the little infomation thats available and tries to piece together Genghis' life and does a great job of doing that.With that said this book needs more detail and could easily be twice this length.Great book for research on Genghis Khan but stay away if you are looking for a weekend read.

Beware Temujin is coming to life
I've read over 20 books on Genghis Khan's life and legacy. Without any doubt Ratchevsky's book is a stand out. Book itself is 213 pages, 85 pages is devoted to notes. Considering that Ratchevsky translation of Secret History became an Outstanding Academic Title in 2005 rest assure you're reading a right book on the subject. If you get to read just one book or 20 + you can't miss this book. Besides his major work on Secret History Rachevsky made Un Code des Yuan a three volume work. In my eyes no other western writer has better grip on the subject and vivid understanding of the culture. Highly addictive!

Fine biography
Westerners are often shocked to hear that in Mongolia today, Genghis is revered as a national hero and the father of the country.Indeed, even in China - a victim of the Mongols - Genghis is regarded as a great man.Not China's great man, of course, but a great man nevertheless.I know, speaking as an ethnic Chinese myself.By contrast, Europeans know Genghis as something like a cross between a medieval Hitler and Anti-Christ.

This book is indeed a little confusing, given all those proper names.Despite its conciseness, it is not written for the casual reader.I confess I have trouble understanding it.I advise those of us who are not experts in Asian history to read the relevant chapters in Frederick Mote's "Imperial China," which I think is very instructive on the Mongol period, and has a good deal to say about Timujin (Genghis) himself, from his ancestry and birth on.

Superb Reference
Those who want an exciting and romantically embelished account of Temujin's (Genghis Khan) life should stick with Harold Lamb. His account is certainly more fun, but also laced with poetic license that at times becomes outright misleading. Lamb is an introduction to the story of the emperor of all men.

But Ratchnevsky is the top of the line reference to Temujin and his amzing life. He weighs the evidence and directs the reader to the lesser known aspects of Temujin's life.

Nowhere else will you find mentioned that Temujin probably had disappeared for ten years to China before his comeback in the late 1190ies.

Few point out that Temujin was not the most daring of men, more of a planner than a fighter and not above saving himself first.

Rachnevskies book paints a less glorious, but much more realistic and human picture of the man who changed the world forever. Temujin's actions have been accounted for in many sources, but few allow us to understand his motives.

Instead of inventing awe inspiring moments, as Lamb does, and putting words into the mouth of the man, Rachnevsky presents the different sources and versions diligently; and strangely, this allows a better understanding who this great Mongol was than all the literary fancy of Lamb or the sycophantic impropabilities of Malik Juvayni.

Lamb and Malik Juvayni have their own merits, and are a must have for all who want to explore this amazing part of history, but without Rachnevskies scholarly integrity, true understanding would elude most.

Not for the casual reader, but Temujin deserves on less than full attention.

Disappointing...........
There isn't a plethora of books devoted to Genghis Khan out there and this may stem from a lack of historical information.No doubt, a large part of accepted knowledge is lore or estimation.Having an avid interest in asian history as a whole, I eagerly started this book.I was soon keenly looking forward to the kernels of interesting narrative that dot the book throughout.However, the uninspiring space between those kernels is daunting and requires determination.It may also require a tally board as one attempts to keep up with the family, allies, liaisons, enemies, followers, and friends of this Mongol warlord.Read it for the knowledge gained, but don't waste a rainy day, La-Z-Boy, fireside opportunity on the effort. ... Read more

Product Description
The Manchus are descended from a branch of certain wild Tungusic nomads, who were known in the ninth century as the Nü-chêns, a name which has been said to mean "west of the sea." The cradle of their race lay at the base of the Ever-White Mountains, due north of Korea, and was fertilised by the head waters of the Yalu River.
... Read more

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Drawing upon the ideas and opinions of the historian Haydon White and structuralist/narrativist literary theories, this work interprets the contradictions surrounding the various "stories" of Attila's death which circulated in the late classical and early medieval world. ... Read more

Product Description
This lavishly illustrated companion to the television series of the same title chronicles the amazing rise to power of Ghengis Khan, the unification of the Mongol tribes under his leadership, and their unprecedented military success as they conquered all before them, from Asia to Eastern Europe. In the middle of the thirteenth century, while Europe was still a patchwork of feudal states, there emerged from the East a vast empire that eventually spanned the breadth of Asia. Before Ghengis Khan, no Mongol nation could be said to exist. Under the banner of one greatest generals in history, the forces of a relatively small and decidedly young nation out-maneuvered and out-thought the armies of Asia and Europe to establish the Mongol Empire. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The Book's Title is Self Explanatory
This is a great history book on the great Mongol Empire.It clears up a lot misunderstandings and superstitions about the supposedly horrible Mongol barbarians and gives a reliable account of their rule in this time period.It covers Temujin's (aka Genghis Khan) beginnings to the end of his forebears rule.It has pictures from the past and of re-enactments of Mongol cavalry - you will rarely find this elsewhere.The Mongol Empire was a militaristic nation, so this book lacks on the military strategy and warfare of the Mongols.Only the basics are covered.

One to remember
I love the occasional suprises in life; you know the very unexpected which enriches you forever.
When I bought this book I really wasn't interested in Ghengis Khan but I thought maybe I could find out more about the group.Well, the book ws written beautifully which madefollowing the sory and timeline very easy.
I found the author had a scholastic approach to the subject which is what I sought and had the ability to incorporate mady other aspects tpo the Khans which gave me the unusual perspective that I always desire.You know the knowledge that lets you lord over others who happen to feel they are experts and expect that noone else knows.Thats my kind of fun.
Anyway, the book incorporates the necessary maps and some beautiful artwork that really enhances the book.Unfortunately, I mark up all of my good book with underlines, exclamation points and many many stars for futile future reference
The only criticism I can offer is that beside his references to many of the major cities that he invaded and then re-constructed there was no mention of the modern names of these places which requers me to search them out on the internet.
If you are a history lover and want a dry but fascinating look at this period, BUY THIS BOOK!
I fmr: Marshall reads this- well thank you for writing this book you have given me the power of knowledge.

For those who can't get the video...
This is a great overview of the part of Mongolian history that most intrigues westerners, the years of the great Khans.It is a very accessible book that doesn't require any prior knowledge on the part of the reader, and hopefully inspires them to look deeper into the people and the nation of Mongolia.

In the west we've all heard of Ghengis Khan, and we have our preconceptions of "barbarian" cultures or the terrible hordes of Mongol warriors; the reality behind the myths and legends is well worth knowing.I first encountered the "Storm from the East" video series on TLC and it has since re-played {but rarely} on THC.The film or video is only on offer to educational institutions at a very high price, so the most a layman can hope for is a quality tape from TV -or- this book.

The book follows the video script almost verbatum, with many of the same maps, diagrams and stills from the live footage shot in Mongolia.It's a wonderful substitute, and an easy to digest history lesson.

The relationship of the medieval Mongolian nation to China and the western European nations is fascinating, and thanks to "Storm from the East" it is easily understood.The book is written with a gentle sense of humor, but does not belittle nor aggrandize the Mongolian people or the historical Khans.

An excellent introduction to the Mongols
This book is based on a BBC documentary of the same name. The book is written so that any history freak can read and enjoy it. Many, Many pictures and maps make it more understandable. Some of the pictures areeven re-enactments and are very interesting to look at.

A riveting read
An excellent book for all interested in the rise and fall of the Mongol Empire. Written in an exciting and lively way, the reader is left thirsty for more, even though the book itself is factually complete withoutinundating the interested layman with boring, left-alone facts and dates. ... Read more

Product Description
The world is now too busy to read voluminous history. The interminable details of battles, and the petty intrigues of courtiers and mistresses, have lost their interest. In this volume it has been our object to trace perspicuously the path which Russia has trod from earliest infancy to the present hour. The career of this empire has been so wild and wonderful that the historian can have no occasion to call in the aid of fancy for the embellishment of his narrative. ... Read more

Product Description

This book tells the story of Subotai the Valiant, one of the greatest generals in military history, surely the equal of Hannibal and Scipio in tactical brilliance and ranking right along with both Alexander and Caesar as a strategist. Subotai commanded armies whose size, scale, and scope of operations surpassed all of the commanders of the ancient world. Under his direction and command, Mongol armies moved faster, over greater distances, and with a greater scope of maneuver than any army had ever done before. His legacy lives to the present day, for much of the theory and practice of modern military operations was first used by Subotai. The modern emphasis on speed, maneuver, surprise, envelopment, the rear battle, the deep battle, concentration of firepower, and the battle of annihilation all emerged as tactical skills first practiced by this great Mongol general.

Subotai died at age 73, by which time he had conquered 32 nations and won 65 pitched battles, as the Muslim historians tell us. For 60 of those years, Subotai lived as Mongol soldier, first as a lowly private who kept the tent door of Genghis himself, rising to be the most brilliant and trusted of Genghis Khan's generals. When Genghis died, Subotai continued to be the moving force of the Mongol army under his successors. It was Subotai who planned and participated in the Mongol victories against Korea, China, Persia, and Russia. It was Subotai's conquest of Hungary that destroyed every major army between the Mongols and the threshold of Europe. Had the great Khan not died, it is likely that Subotai would have destroyed Europe itself.

Customer Reviews (9)

Genghis Khan's Greatest General
In my opinion Richard Gabriel is a master at making historical treatise easy AND enjoyable reading. His depth of research clearly shows through. I look forward to reading any and all of his works.

More Campaign Than Subotai
I have to say I really enjoyed this book, but I love reading about Mongolian military campaigns so I am easy to please.There is a very finite amount of information available on Subotai the man, so Gabriel needs to be cut a little slack if he filled the book with a lot of other information.

The author is absolutely correct that not enough attention is paid by military historians regarding the incredibly talented field staff that commanded the forces of Genghis Khan.Perhaps a better book would rather have covered all the main staff figures instead of just Subotai.Arguments can be made of the greatness of Jochi, Mugali, Jebe and others, and whether Subotai was more brilliant is hard to know.

Even though I have read considerable Mongol history, I found some very useful information and really did enjoy reading the book.For example the description on p120 regarding the Battle of Liegnitz, "...The Hungarians had been steppe dwelling horse archers before settling in the Danube basin less than 2 centuries earlier.They were well led and accustomed to the tactics of mobile warfare as practiced by the Mongols.Its an interesting question to investigate: at what distance were the Mongol's neighbors aware of their style and capabilities.Not an easy question to answer.

In the Sajo River campaign section he also adds, "...Bella's army was perhaps 100,000 strong, and outnumbered the Mongols. Comprising numerous contingents of armored knights, the major part of this army of former Magyar nomads was horse archers thoroughly familiar with Mongol tactics."

I think everything I read specifically concerning Subotai I had already read and reread via other sources, but that is not surprising.The book is well illustrated with maps and diagrams and various images of Mongols and their gear.The end of the book includes a good bibliography, though it is far from complete.If you're a Mongol fan, than I highly recommend the book.

Handle with care
This book is poorly researched. Instead of taking the time to understand the key sources, the author makes use of low quality secondary sources combined with guess work and speculation. Sube'etei can be associated with more than 20 campaigns and more than 35 battles. The author deals only with a few of these and not even able to reconstruct these correctly. This book should be classed as fiction.

Not too bad
Purchased for father. He said he read it front to back and for a man that doesn't read a whole lot of books, that probably says something!

A strictly military history
An interesting, readable and fairly unique book. There are a number of books discuss the Mongol military history, but Gabriel makes point that although Mongol military history is covered in books on that particular subject, it is neglected in general military history, and one of his purposes in writing this book is the urge a rectification of the omission. I don't know of any other books on the Mongols that focus on one of the generals -- generally biographies are strictly about Chinghis Khan and Kublai Khan. This is a great pity: even a book of short biographies of other personalities could add enormously to one's understanding of the period. Gabriel here sticks pretty closely to Subotai military career, except in discussing the beginning and end of his life. Personally, if there is more information, I wish it was included, because the biographies of characters who are poorly documented or less important can be the vehicle for a general exploration of a typical life of that class and era. That of course is a personal opinion, and I don't fault the book on that account. Recommended to people interested in Asian and military history. ... Read more

Product Description
Nomadic Empires sheds new light on 2,000 years of military history and geopolitics. The Mongol Empire of Genghis-Khan and his heirs was the greatest empire in world history. For 2,000 years, from the fifth century B.C. to the fifteenth century A.D., the steppe areas of Asia, from the borders of Manchuria to the Black Sea, were a one of turbulence, threatening settled peoples from China to Russia and Hungary, including Iran, India, the Byantine empire, and even Syria. It was a true world stage that was affected by these destructive nomads variously called Indo-Europeans, Turkic peoples, or Mongols. Now in paperback, this cogent, well-written volume examines these nomadic people, ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Central Asians Get Their Historical Due
It is incredibly refreshing when a Western historian acknowledges that not all history revolves around Western Europe or North America; it is doubly so when a French historian does this and then adds anecdotally that the Byzantine defeat of the Arab Fleets in the Mediterranean was much more important than Charles Martel's victory in Poitiers over "a detachment of Arabs."
Monsieur Chaliand in "Nomadic Empires" acknowledges the central and pivotal role that Central Asian nomadic groups played in the development of world history. The central idea in this short but great introduction to the great nomadic movements is the ripple effect they caused.
For two thousand years empires and khanates hinged their foreign policies, military strategies and survival on how they would deal with the frequently marauding nomadic invaders. For the Westerners of today, to whom World War Two may already be ancient history, it may take a little bit of imagination to understand that for centuries--centuries, meaning decade after decade after decade--China's main foreign policy element was how best to secure its northern frontiers against one invading nomadic people after another. One can loosely draw that this is where China learned to think strategically, as its rulers sought out ways and political or military means with which to keep these marauders at bay.
The Mongols' invasion of Russia changed it forever. With the subjugation of Kievan Rus, Novgorod, Riazan and other city-states, the Genghiskhanid nomads forever ruined any ability of the proto-Russians or Russians engage in even the semi-democratic politics they'd experienced before. It was the Mongols who installed Russia's ruling families, bequeathing its vanquished peoples native overlords who, after they pushed the Mongols out, remained in power with an even-tighter authoritarian grip. The occupation also left Russia with a sizeable population of Central Asian nomads, ensuring that this land would forever now be no longer exclusively European, but Eurasian. Thus, the ripple effect.
Ripple effect again: encroaching nomads pushed Ertughrul's tribe out of modern-day Turkmenistan, which led him to seek land under the Seljuk Turks. He then gave birth to one Osman, who would raise an Islamic empire whose military methods were largely drawn from its Central Asian predecessors.
The author keeps it short and still manages to pack this thin tome with rich details of the coming and goings of so many nomadic tribes: the Tu-chueh, the Avars, the Bulgars, the Alans, Oghuz, Genghiskhanid Mongols, the Turkic-speaking peoples who eventually became the Ottomans and today's Turks. Using modern-day geopolitical and military terminology Chaliand greatly enhances the reader's ability to see the various offensives and counter-attacks waged between nomads and the sedentary peoples that sought to raid, ravage or ruin. "Nomadic Empires" is a great and interesting introduction to a lost world of vast steppes, galloping horses, mounted archers, the rise and fall of countless nomad states and the ever-present struggle of man against man.

Fresh Treatment of a Little Known Time
The Asian steppes from Turkey to China from about 800 BC to the mid 1700's produced a series of peoples that developed a culture that was dramatically different from that in the rest of the world. While the rest of the world was settling down into farming and building cities, these nomadic tribes flowed over the steppes living a life of slaughter and plunder before moving on.

This book traces the history of these peoples and the empires that they built. In a surprisingly small volume Mr. Chaliand is able to bring a greatly increased understanding of how these nomads accomplished these feats. He discusses their culture, their strategic and tactical military techniques and even manages to make sense out of the merging and splitting of the tribes as leaders died, new leaders took thair place, or they were themselves conquered by others.

A very well done history of a little known time in our conventional history.

Skillfully surveys the two thousand year military history
Nomadic Empires: From Mongolia To The Danube by French academician Gerard Chaliand (Director, The European Center for the Study of Conflicts - Paris) skillfully surveys the two thousand year military history and geopolitical phenomena that was the reality and legacy of the Mongol Empire of Genghis-Khan and his heirs (5th Century BCE to 15th Century CE) which spread out over Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. A wealth of carefully researched dates, descriptive interplay of sweeping forces, and close dissection of the organizational, strategic, and psychological military techniques employed in conquest that changed history are combined in an informed and informative text. Nomadic Empires is a strongly commended addition to academic library reference collections and inherently fascinating reading for any non-specialist general reader with an interest in world history. ... Read more

Product Description
'William of Rubruck was a Franciscan friar who wrote the first great travel book about Asia. In 1253-55 he made the journey from the Holy Land to the court of the Great Khan Mongke at Qaraqorum in Mongolia and back again ...William was interested in all that he saw ...His account is particularly vivid because he related to the individual people he met. This is the first annotated translation to be made from the definitive Latin text published by A Van den Wyngaert in 1929, and Peter Jackson and David Morgan are to be congratulated on producing an exemplary edition. The historical introduction is comprehensive and succinct, the translation excellent and idiomatic, while the notes clarify the text and explain why important variant readings have been chosen' - Bernard Hamilton, "Times Literary Supplement". ... Read more

Product Description
The word khan is not a name, but a title. It means chieftain or king. It is a word used in various forms by the different tribes and nations that from time immemorial have inhabited Central Asia, and has been applied to a great number of potentates and rulers that have from time to time arisen among them. Genghis Khan was the greatest of these princes. He was, in fact, one of the most renowned conquerors whose exploits history records.


As in all other cases occurring in the series of histories to which this work belongs, where the events narrated took place at such a period or in such a part of the world that positively reliable and authentic information in respect to them can now no longer be obtained, the author is not responsible for the actual truth of the narrative which he offers, but only for the honesty and fidelity with which he has compiled it from the best sources of information now within reach. ... Read more

Product Description
Always cast in a supporting role in the many books about Marco Polo, the great Kubla Khan now takes center stage in a splendid picture-book biography. He is a wonderful subjectÑa man who liked to live large, building the imperial city of Beijing from scratch, siring a hundred children, throwing birthday bashes for 40,000 guests. He ruled over the greatest empire of the time, one that was lightyears ahead of Western civilization in terms of the arts, sciences, and technology. With astonishingly beautiful and detailed illustrations by Robert Byrd and a clever text by Kathleen Krull, this portrait finally gives Kubla Khan his due. ... Read more