Product Description
The classic history of the Mongols, by a highly respected writer and translator Jeremiah Curtin.

The Mongols were the superpower of their day, erupting out of Central Asia in 1206 to conquer an empire stretching from Poland to Korea. Their arrival in the Middle East upset the very tenuous balance between Christendom and Islam, sparking a long-simmering rivalry that has, as we all know, lasted to this day.An absorbing, detailed narrative on the clans, feuds, battles, and conquests of the Mongol era, covering every aspect of Mongol intrigue, logistics, and tactics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Way outdated
One of the sad truisms about historical writings is that they are constantly in a state of flux.New archeological evidence and increased sources make the most recent editions and writings of a history ESSENTIAL to its most accurate understanding.

That being said, this has a foreword by Teddy Roosevelt... I enjoyed this as I was reading it, but as I further researched the Mongols (as I'm obsessed with Ghengis), I came to find that this text was extremely inaccurate.A glaring example is when this text attributes to Ghengis the act of boiling alive over 70 men of his enemy.More recent writings attribute this vile act to Ghengis' ENEMY directed at Ghengis.Kinda important... Please get a more recent text.

Outstanding
This book comes from a past age when Scholars where Scholars!

The books reads like a dream, full of all the facts, and obscure details and character analysis.

Jeremiah spent years researching the book. He could speak all the Mongolian/Chinese dialects, and also lived with Mongoloian Tribes in Mongolia.

Fantastic accounts of the Persian Empire, Sung Empire and the Assassins Commonwealth.

The best commentary on the mongols i have come across by far.

A scholarly and timely account of some old terrorists
And the terrorists are not the Mongols!This book should be required reading for anyone who wants to know the mindset of Al Queda.There is a chapter dealing with the origins of the infamous Assassin sect of Islam and their eventual destruction at the hands of the Mongols.Its all here-suicide killers, twisted sense of honor, et al.Curtin takes you all the way back to the death of Mohammed and chronicles the rift in Islam that continues to this day.Of course, this is only a chapter in the story of Mongol conquest, but its worth the price of admission, by itself.The foreward, by President Theodore Roosevelt, (this book was written in 1908!!) should tell you that this is a work of dedicated sholarship.

An excellent read
I cannot be sure of the historical authenticity of this book, but that is due to my own ignorance, rather than any question of its validity.It is an excellent read and it shows some insight into Temujin's personality (he is strikingly similar to Yoshikawa's Musashi, e.g. the mountain climbing, desire to be the best, etc). This book also goes beyond the history centered around him and into the Golden Horde and post-Temujin Mongols.Overall, it gives some much needed attention to an ethnic group that is oftne ridiculed in today's world.People often forget that the Mongols held more land under their sway than any other civilization at any time in the world. ... Read more

Product Description

"... an imaginative and dispassionate re-examination of the significance of the Mongol Conquest and its aftermath for Russia's historical development." -- Slavic Review

"On all counts Russia and the Golden Horde infuses the subject with fresh insights and interpretations." -- History

"Combining rigorous analysis of the major scholarly findings with his own research, Halperin has produced both a much-needed synthesis and an important original work." -- Library Journal

"Halperin's new book combines sound scholarship and a flair for storytelling that should help publicize this all too unfamiliar tale in the West." -- Virginia Quarterly Review

"It is a seminal work that will be repeatedly cited in the future... " -- The Historian

"... ingenious and highly articulate... " -- Russian Review

Customer Reviews (3)

Poor Introduction to the Subject
What was the impact of the Mongol invasion on Russia? That is the subject of this book. Historians have attempted to answer this question for centuries, and the historiography of the Golden Horde has always been a mixed bag positions. Charles Halperin's belief that an "ideology of silence" limited the impact of the Golden Horde leaves the reader confused as to whether or not Halperin believes that the Mongols had an impact on Russia.

The confusion is a result of Halperin's "defensive" tone throughout the book. Halperin is definitely a revisionist historian whose thesis rubbed off many entrenched Russian historians the wrong way. Halperin's book spends far too much time attempting to discredit previous historical interpretations that have been tested through time. Indeed, the book seems like a long list of historiographical axes to grind.

Furthermore, Halperin's inability to present evidence that suggests that Orthodox Christians had an ideology of silence does not help prove his argument. The lack of primary sources-due to the destruction of limited Mongol writings, as well as the limited written texts of Golden Horde Russia-is not really taken into consideration as to Halperin's argument. Therefore, Halperin's arguments are a variety of "maybe" or "could have" happened events, rather than strong documented interpretations. Halperin himself, despite knowing the limitations of the written record, still encourages readers to "read between the lines" in order to support his argument. However, nowhere does any Russian document state or infer that writers of Russia were in an unified effort of ideological silence. Halperin would want us to assume that each writer of the time was on the same ideological position as the other without ever writing, mentioning or recording it! There is no evidence to support this or Halperin's argument.

Unfortunately, while I don't agree with Halperin's arguments,the book is still used in Universities to introduce students to the Russia and The Golden Horde. In a sense that is the only positive of this book. The historiographical lists throughout the book, and the axes Halperin wants to grind, help provide some knowledge into Mongol Ruled Russia. I would advise that further reading be done to fully appreciate the era, and to make a judgment on Halperin yourselves.

Nice try, but no cigar
There is little here that is not found in more general histories. He thinks that Russian historians have underestimated the Mongol impact on Russia, so specialists may want to check his interpretation. It can be read as a history of the period, but most general histories will work about as well.

Scholarly, detailed, objective
Not a quick read, this book will probably tell you lots more than you wanted to know if you have just a casual interest in the subject.That aside, it covers its subject thoroughly.Analyzing word etymology, documents, and institutions, Halperin shows that the Russians borrowed quite a bit from the Mongols -- and that the 300-year "Tatar Yoke" was far from being a dark age for Russia. One thing that particularly grabbed me: Halperin indicates that pre-conquest Russian scribes attributed nomad raids to punishments from God.So, how did the scribes handle the situation after the conquest, when Christians were under the domination of infidels?By denying the conquest had occurred! ... Read more

Product Description
The Mongol Empire describes the incredible ascent of the Mongol people, which, through the political and military genius of Genghis Khan, overwhelmed and subdued the nations of most of the world. It demonstrates the transformation of barbarous nomads into the most efficient rulers of their time and describes the crumbling of their vast empire and the assumption of its legacy by the formerly subjugated China and Russia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fascinating
Fascinating, if somewhat fictionalized and romanticized account of Jenghiz and the Mongol riders. It is interesting to read of perhaps the `last struggle' of nomads successfully combating a sedentary agrarian-urban population.

The story loses its lustre after the demise of Jenghiz and then Kublai.

Mongol history
Fist book I have read that gives a comprhensive view of the Mongol history. Easy reading. In depth. ... Read more

Product Description
The Mongol queens of the thirteenth century ruled the largest empire the world has ever known. Yet sometime near the end of the century, censors cut a section from The Secret History of the Mongols, leaving a single tantalizing quote from Genghis Khan: “Let us reward our female offspring.” Only this hint of a father’s legacy for his daughters remained of a much larger story. 

The queens of the Silk Route turned their father’s conquests into the world’s first truly international empire, fostering trade, education, and religion throughout their territories and creating an economic system that stretched from the Pacific to the Mediterranean. Outlandish stories of these powerful queens trickled out of the Empire, shocking the citizens of Europe and and the Islamic world.

After Genghis Khan’s death in 1227, conflicts erupted between his daughters and his daughters-in-law; what began as a war between powerful women soon became a war against women in power as brother turned against sister, son against mother. At the end of this epic struggle, the dynasty of the Mongol queens had seemingly been extinguished forever, as even their names were erased from the historical record.. 
           
One of the most unusual and important warrior queens of history arose to avenge the wrongs, rescue the tattered shreds of the Mongol Empire, and restore order to a shattered world. Putting on her quiver and picking up her bow, Queen Mandhuhai led her soldiers through victory after victory. In her thirties she married a seventeen-year-old prince, and she bore eight children in the midst of a career spent fighting the Ming Dynasty of China on one side and a series of Muslim warlords on the other. Her unprecedented success on the battlefield provoked the Chinese into the most frantic and expensive phase of wall building in history. Charging into battle even while pregnant, she fought to reassemble the Mongol Nation of Genghis Khan and to preserve it for her own children to rule in peace.
           
At the conclusion of his magnificently researched and ground-breaking narrative, Weatherford notes that, despite their mystery and the efforts to erase them from our collective memory, the deeds of these Mongol queens inspired great artists from Chaucer and Milton to Goethe and Puccini, and so their stories live on today. With The Secret History of the Mongol Queens, Jack Weatherford restores the queens’ missing chapter to the annals of history.
  ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Informative and super interesting!
I am a fan of Jack Weatherford and after reading his books on Genghis Khan - a fan of him as well. Both of his biographical books on the Genghis Khan's family, values and laws have been inspiring to read.They have radically altered my perception of the Mongol Empire- now I realize how progressive and visionary his rule was. Reading The Secret History of the Mongol Queens is empowering; to know there were such strong women at the helm at the same time when women of Europe were being shut-down and shut-upped! His insight on the thinking of 800years ago +/- is remarkable as was Genghis Khan's insight on the need for female / male balance. A great read,well worth the time!

A part of our unknown World History !
I wholly agree with everythingthe reviewers have already expounded on, it is marvelously written, easy to read and understand.
It is very eye opening how in a span of 300 years Genghis khan's descendants managed to completely obliterate everything he stood for , especially regarding to women's hallowed position of power.
My favorite tidbit is the mention of the old men, from the procession of clans at that very first grand meeting clappingtheir magical rocks together to control the weather, just enough sun and just enough rain for the occasion!

United They Stood. Divided They Fell.
Five years ago, when I read Weatherford's Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern WorldI was struck by the role of women in Genghis Khan's Mongol Empire. I thought it worthy of a book, and, voila! It is!

Weatherford is uniquely qualified to write this book and his knowledge shines through. He writes of tribes, customs, places and events giving enough description to enable westerners to understand the unfamiliar. There is a useful map and several genealogy charts.

Weatherford tells how Genghis Kahn's empowered his four daughters. When he married them into important tribes he gave them governance over them. In word and deed, Weatherford shows that GK supported these women in these roles while men served in the military. It was a workable and practical division of labor. With this system the largest empire the world has known was built.

This golden age for Mongols, both women and men, ended with GK's death in 1227, and one of his alcoholic sons, Ogodei, inherited the leadership. He effectively began a "War on Women" (the title of Chapter 5) which included acts of mass rape and the effective removal of his sisters from power. The 250 years after GK's death are characterized by internal power struggles and land disputes. Weatherford notes some interesting women in the interim period such as Khutulun who rejected suitors (many) who could not beat her in battle; however, in this period, almost everyone loses from the Mongols' disunity. Finally, Queen Manduhai accepts the hand of a 7 year old whom she marries and grooms.She works with and through him to unite the Mongols and secure borders for their grazing lands.

I would like to give this book 5 stars for Weatherford's work in assembling this, but have to hold back this highest honor. I believe that Weatherford's respect for the Mongols and their accomplishments results in his presenting some people and events in a better light than warrented. Some of the brutal acts of both men and women are described in rather mild language. Since I don't know enough about the Mongols to really evaluate how euphemistic this actually is, I would not have held back the fifth star for this alone, but a 5 star book needs a 5 star book design. There is nothing about the cover, the title, the choice of type face or the paper that suggests this is the serious work that it is. It has the look and feel of a work of pop fiction. The only design elements that reflect the quality of the research are the elegant brush paintings (almost like calligraphy) that introduce each part.

I recommend this book for those interested in the history of this period and those interested in women's roles in history. I hope material like this finds a wider audience and a place in world history/civilization curricula.

Layman's History...
I believe the best thing about this book is that it is written in plain english.I've read some history books that put me to sleep before I had gotten even a few pages into a new chapter.I was two-thirds (2/3) of the way finished with this book the first night and done with it the next.

It's also an excellent history about the empowerment of women in ancient times (short-lived though it may be).

Wild Mongolia
The Secret History of the Mongol Queens is an engaging read. The author seems to have a feeling for the land itself and how the nomadic Mongols were able to survive in such harsh environs. My disappointment is that very little description was given to just what was the "Eternal Blue Sky" that inspired Ghenghis Khan to go about his conquering. The word 'Tengri' was mentioned only once and it is my understanding from other reading that these were the collective sky gods. The subject of shamanism was never brought up although to his credit the author does describe some of the respect for nature and prayers and rituals used, especially in portraying the character of Queen Manduhai. ... Read more

Product Description
There has long been a need for a scholarly English edition of the great 13th century historical epic, The Secret History of the Mongols, the only surviving Mongol source about the empire. The book is mainly about the life and the career of Chinggis Khan, his ancestors and his rise to power. Chinggis Khan was a consummate manipulator of the complex system of alliances which existed between diverse tribes, and through a combination of armed force and diplomacy, he managed to merge them into a powerful confederacy which swept across most of Eurasia, starting in 1215. Urgunge Onon's fresh translation brings out the excitement of this epic with its wide-ranging commentaries on military and social conditions, religion and philosophy, while remaining faithful to the original text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Decent translation, but not well-sourced
While I agree with other reviewers that this is a better translation than Cleaves, it is not very well-sourced.Onon makes many assertions based on "I know this because I am a Mongol" which are not, as far as I can tell, supportable.I would recommend Onon for his readability, but the two-volume Igor De Rachewiltz translation has far better annotations and commentary for scholarly purposes.Onon's assertions (especially about Buddhism in the Mongol Empire) should probably be taken with numerous grains of salt.

Neither translation is particularly affordable for the average person, which is why we have interlibrary-loan.

Must have book.
Interested in Mongols' History? Think you know Chinggis khaan (Genghis Khan)? If you haven't read this book gotta have this one then. Without it you don't know a thing about Chinggis khaan. There are lots of translations of "The Secret History of the Mongols." But this. This is the best translation work! Urgunge Onon's translation is incomparable with other translations.

Wonderful translation -- much more accurate than Cleaves
This is an excellent translation of the Mongoliin Nuuts Tovchoo (Secret History of the Mongols).It is much more accurate that the Francis Cleaves edition.Onon fixes Cleaves' mistakes and explains why they are wrong.There are also good explanations of the mistakes of many of the Chinese interlinear notes in the early manuscript.Besides the outrageous price, this book is a "must have!" ... Read more

Product Description
Charles J. Halperin's classic work of medieval Russian history, "The Tatar Yoke," presented for the first time a comprehensive analysis of all major texts of Old Russian literature pertaining to Russo-Tatar relations. Halperin integrated the findings both of textologists and literary specialists about the history and evolution of the monuments and of orientalists about the Golden Horde. From these varied disciplinary perspectives he created a new historical context for interpreting Russian perceptions of the Tatars, the ideology of silence.

The present volume is a corrected reprint of the original 1986 edition, with a new index created to enhance the volume's usability. After nearly two decades out of print, during which time readers have been driven to consulting rare book dealers, the work is once again conveniently available to a new generation of Russian historians. ... Read more

Product Description
This book explores the administration of Iran under Mongol rule through taxation and monetary policy. A consistent development is evident only from abundant numismatic material, from the conquest of Samarqand by Chingiz Khan to the reign of the penultimate ruler, Uljaytu. In many cases, the individuals responsible for initiating and conducting the policies can be identified from the histories or remarks of the mint master. The structure of the empire is clearly demarcated by mint production, coin styles and type of metal. This illuminates many controversial historical points such as the meaning and function of an Il-khan and the establishment of the Toluid dynasty under Hulagu. The Mongols broke the crust of an inflexible and archaic Islamic monetary tradition that had hampered economic development by encouraging extensive trade and the sciences (especially astronomy and higher mathematics) through determined and always pragmatic programmes. ... Read more

Product Description
Reprint of the 1876 edition. Hardbound. Oversized octavo. Book iv, [1] leaf, 233 p., [2] folded leaves of plates ; London : Trübner & Co., 1876. Bretschneider work is an account of the ancient historical and geographical accounts of the Chinese, as far as they treat of nations, countries and events spoken of also by western writers. These observations are in turn compared with the writings of western authors from the middle ages. The narratives are written by travelers to western Asia in the Mongelperiod and were originally written in the 13th century. The paper into various chapters, including the following 1. Writings of eastern and western authors to Mongolia. 2. An account of the Kara-khitai, an interesting nation originating in eastern Asia that in the 12th century dominated over the whole of central Asia. 3. Accounts found in Chinese and Mongol medieval works with respect to the Mohommedans. 4. The Record of military doings of the Mongols in the far west. !5. An explanation of an ancient Chinese map of western and central Asia, dating from the first half of the 14th century. Extremely rare book, only six copies appearing in library holdings in the United States. To our knowledge not previous reprinted. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Reads Like an Ancient Textbook (1876)
If you are a serious student of Mongol history, you will find a wealth of valuable information.If you are not conducting a deep investigation of the subject, this book will kill you.One major challenge with old source material is names, and for some this will prove a problem.Genghis is Chinghiz, Jebe is Chebe, etc, and together with a huge load of footnotes, this book will never be confused with a light read.Mongolian scholarship has come a long way since 1876, however this is still a treasure trove of info, particularly regarding the various tribes in and around Mongolia.In the intro Bretschneider writes, "...it is of great importance to compare the statements of several contemporaneous authors who have written on the same subject".Using what was available at the time, Bretschneider draws heavily on Chinese, Mongol, and Middle Eastern accounts and records.At the time it was written, this must have been one of, if not the, top book on the subject.

In the back of the book are two foldouts, one in English and the other in Chinese, titled "Map from the King Shi Ta Tien, Published in 1331 Representing the Mongol Dominions in Central & Western Asia".The author originally intended to write an investigation into this map, but was compelled to go deeper into the subject.The book is broken down into 6 sections:

Intro p1
1) Bibliographical Notice p4
2) Notice of the Kara Kitai p22
3) Chinese Medieval Notices on the Mohammedans p40
4) Chinghiz Khan's Expedition to Western Asia 1219-1225 p53
5) Expedition of the Mongols to the Countries North of the Caspian Sea & West of the Volga 1235-1242 p72
6) Explanation of a Mongol-Chinese Medieval Map of Central & Western Asia pp96-222
Appendix:
I. The Journey of Haithon, King of Little Armenia, to Mongolia & Back 1254-55, p223
II. The Peregrinations of Ye-lu Hi-liang in Central Asia 1260-1262 pp228-233

Regarding some of the works used for reference, the Yuan Shi or History of the Mongol Dynasty figures prominently, and he references versions dated 1603, 1609, 1623, and 1630, but I believe one of the the 1st versions appeared around 1369.Some of the more recent versions he had access to were published in 1824, and in 1828 in Russian by Father Hyacinth, though the latter only included the 1st 3 out of 4 chapters.Unfortunately, many changes took place among the various versions, including a corruption of virtually every foreign name.

I found this to be a particularly interesting source:

"In 1866 Archimandrite Palladius revealed in his 4th vol of Records of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission at Peking, a Russian translation of Yuan Ch'ao Pi'shi, or Secret History of the Mongol Dynasty, which claims the original document was written in Mongolian (in Uiger letters) in 1240 at the time of the Great Curilitai on the River Kerulun."

Bretschneider also uses considerable references from primary Mohammedan sources, and the result is an exceptionally well researched treaty on the Mongols.If you've hung this far in the review, then I highly recommend this book.I am also looking to get a copy of Bretschneider's "Notes on Chinese Medieval Travelers", which I expect to offer a wealth of information.

For what its worth, there are several versions of this book available at different prices so you may want to check them out.This one is HC and is excellent quality. ... Read more

Product Description

The Mongols had a huge impact on medieval Europe and the Islamic world.

This major new study from the leading historian in the field reassesses relations between the Catholic West and the Mongols from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries.

Customer Reviews (1)

Fascinating Topic
This is a very well written book about the Mongol Empire's interaction with Europe and Islam during the middle ages. Jackson has mined the meager records to portray the violence, politics and religious interplay between the disparate adversaries in eastern Europe and west Asia. He also convinces me that the Christians had no real hope for converting the Mongols, who were basically shamanistic when they left the Mongolian steppe but were very tolerant of all faiths under their dominion. The missionaries, however, showed no such inclination for tolerance and therefore alienated most of the khanate principalities. Their occasional successful "conversion' usually proved an illusory and temporary respite from the Islamization and Buddhization of the Asian invaders. Jackson also discusses the effect that western travelers to the Mongol court had on European perceptions, the most notable being Marco Polo. Surprisingly, Jackson discounts the probablity that these were highly influential in molding minds prone to superstition, myth and fantastic rumor. This book is a must-have for aficionados of medieval history and multicultural geo-politics. ... Read more

Product Description
The first new history of the Mongol Empire for over twenty years. In the space of 200 hundred years, the Mongols built the greatest empire that the world had ever known and then lost it again. At its greatest extent, the lands they held dwarfed those under the control of Rome at its prime whilst the conquests of its founder, Genghis Khan, outshone those of even Alexander the Great. There were few parts of the known world that were not touched by the Mongols in one way or another: China, India, the Middle East, Europe, Egypt. This was truly a world empire. This is a tale of fiercely fought battles and political intrigue, of unrivaled ferocity and burning ambition. It is a tale not just of military campaigns, though these are of course a vital part of the building of the empire, but also of the many other ways that it grew. The Mongols truly believed that it was their destiny to conquer the world and they came mightily close to doing it.

Product Description
First published in 1963.The Secret History (so called merely because it was meant for the Mongols and not for the Chinese,) has been chiefly studied from a learned point of view and its quality as literature and hence its value to the lay reader have been greatly overlooked. The Chinese version has been used, but with constant reference to the Mongol text. The parts selected (founded on story-tellers' tales) date from the middle of the thirteenth century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Probably the Weakest Version
Actually, to be fair, the weakest version is the one Waley praises by Cleaves in his prologue; so, 2nd weakest.This book is a compilation of the poems, articles, and translations of Arthur Waley, a Chinese & Japanese language scholar who also translated The Tale of Genji.Before you buy this book I suggest you Search Inside and check out the table of contents, because Waley's The Secret History (TSH) only involves pages 231-329.Because of this I feel the title of the book "The Secret History of the Mongols: A Saga of Epic Battles, Betrayal, Love, Tyrants, and Prisoners in Ancient China" is poorly chosen, hence my 3-stars.The title implies that TSH is the focus, when in fact the focus is on the works of Mr. Waley, of which TSH was but one.

I personally have little interest in his other work, so my review focuses on the 98-pages (out of 355) dealing with TSH, and I do apologize if you were looking for information on the rest.If you have a basic interest in reading TSH, the version by Paul Kahn is both affordable and more than adequate, and is written in the original poetic.If you are looking for a more in depth study of this subject, then without a doubt I would recommend the 2-vol set by Igor de Rachewiltz as the definitive study.

Aside from all the extraneous works in this version, there is another issue potential buyers should be aware of: it is not the complete TSH, it is only excerpts.It is also not in the "original" form, which was prose, but rather a translated version that only recounts the story-tellers' tales.For some, especially people who just want the gist of the story, Waley's translation will likely be more readable and user-friendly, which was his intention when he wrote it, but for the purist it simply won't do.With regards to this aspect, Waley does a good job as he referenced both the Chinese and Mongolian versions for his translation.

... Read more

Product Description
Until the collapse of the system in Mongolia in 1990 and the consequent decline of the Soviet Union's influence on all areas of Mongolian society, theoretical treatments of Mongolian historiography went along the lines of the prevailing political ideology of socialism. Adopting a fresh approach, this book criticizes the theoretical adaptation of the feudalism concept to nomadic culture. At the same time, it treats the history of Mongolia in view of the structural and developmental particularities of nomadic society. ... Read more

Product Description
Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire presents the untold story of Mongolia and its people, utilizing the latest results of research in archaeology, forensics, history, art, and literature. The book's clear prose, beautiful design, and wide-ranging illustrations will fascinate general readers as well as scholars.

The historical record of the far-flung Mongol dynasty is analyzed by distinguished scholars, including Morris Rossabi, who presents a portrait of Genghis that goes far beyond the stereotype of the barbarian conqueror to reveal the sophisticated administrative structure, religious and economic freedom, and social precepts that were his more lasting legacy. Historians David Morgan and Dan Waugh describe the western expansion of the Mongol empire, which reached the banks of the Danube at about the same time that Khara Khorum, the empire's capital city, was built in 1240.

New information revealed by recent archaeological discoveries is discussed by Hermitage curator Mark Kramarovsky, who describes the Mongol cities and Genghissid burials of the Golden Horde in Russia and Ukraine. Underwater excavations document the remains of Kublai's ill-fated Japanese invasion fleet, which sank in a storm. Excavations at Khara Khorum have uncovered temples and workshops that were lost to history for 500 years. ... Read more

Product Description
The Mongol warriors are one of the great success stories of world military history. Under the leadership of Genghis Khan and his successors the Mongols conquered much of the known world, fighting in territory ranging from the frozen steppes, the wilderness of Palestine, the jungles of Java and the great rivers of China. Through all this they showed a remarkable ability to adopt, adapt and improve a vast range of military techniques and technology, from siege weapons to naval warfare. This book tells the story of this remarkable military organisation, including details of weaponry, tactics, training and beliefs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

OK read on Mongol warriors
The illustrations are the main point of these series of illustrated primer books on niche subjects. If so, the illustrations here are very disappointing, being crudely drawn, when compared to an earlier Osprey book on the Mongols by the same author but illustrated by Angus McBride. The text is merely there to support the illustrations.

Mongol Warriors
This book is probably the best study out there on the life and experiences of the common Mongol warriors, and makes an extremely fascinating read.Wayne Reynolds provides eight excellent color plates for this title that really flesh out the text, as do some photographs of modern Mongol families and their ponies, weapons, and yurts.Some of the information is slightly repetitive from the previous men-at-arms title on the Mongols, but there is enough distinct information in this book to make it worth your money.

Stephen Turnbull is a guarantee of quality
This is a short but excellent and very comprehensive account of the Mongol warriors who terrorized Asia and Europe in the 13th century. Turnbull analyses many topics including weapons, armour, tactics, siege warfare, the Mongol horses and above all the everyday life of those infamous warriors. I think this is the best introduction one can have on the subject and, if he is fascinated by these people and their campaigns, he should go a step further, reading James Chambers' magnificent book "The Devil's Horsemen". ... Read more