Bantam Genghis: Birth of an Empire

L'auteur est un vrai historien qui fait beacoup de recherches avant d'écrire.Pourtant le livre se lit comme un roman. C'est à dire que ce n'est jamais ennuyeux. Nous avons acheté tous les livres de cet auteur.

This book, Wolf of the Plains, is the first in a series of 5 books about Ghengis Khan and the Mongols. I read this book after I had read the next 3 books in the series, Bones of the Hill, Lords of the Bow, and Empire of Silver. There is another book in the series called, Conqueror, which I plan to also read. This historical fiction series is about the Mongols of Asia and the rise and fall of their leader Ghengis Khan. As a fiction Iggulden takes literary freedom to entertain the reader. Most historical narratives, it can be argued, are written through the eyes of the author and present the authors side of the history. At least if it is written as historical fiction, we can accept some variances in actual facts. We can be entertained as we get an education of the rise of Ghengis Khan. Iggulden does a masterful job of piecing this story into an epic read. He goes to great length to describe the harsh life of the plains of north east Asia. When Ghengis' father is killed and his family is ousted from the tribe of wolves, they must eke out a survival under the most dire of conditions. The survival of the family and rise of Ghengis as a uniting force of disparate Mongols to combat common foes is a great read. The brutal life leads to a brutal Ghengis. Expect blood and merciless killing but do not condemn the book or series based on descriptive battles. This was the harsh reality of the times and location. Reading this book out of sequence did not distract from what was revealed in the following books. The reader should read this book first but it is more important to read the remaining books in sequence.

Before reading Genghis by Conn Iggulden, I knew very little about the early life of Genghis Khan. This book was a fantastic introduction. Iggulden turns history into an epic adventure, writing with a pace that keeps the pages turning and battle scenes that are vivid and exhilarating. What I enjoyed most was following Temujin's journey before he became the legendary conqueror. His childhood is marked by unimaginable hardship: hunger, bitter winters, betrayal, and the constant struggle to protect his family. Rather than portraying him as an unstoppable warrior from the beginning, Iggulden shows how these experiences forged his character and shaped his ambition to unite the fractured Mongol tribes into one nation. The battle sequences are another highlight. They are exciting, easy to follow, and brilliantly described, particularly the climactic confrontation with the Tartar army. Iggulden has a gift for making military history feel immediate and cinematic. This book left me wanting to know more about Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire. I'll definitely be picking up the next installment.

I read this book years ago and it’s a great read so I was excited to buy this one to complete my collection of the conqueror series and the delivery was surprisingly fast, but it arrived in a horrible condition. The packaging itself had no visible damage but the book seemingly had some water or moisture damage, and the edges of the cover was bent/broken, in addition the cover seems to be peeling itself apart. Really disappointed of the condition and quality off this supposedly “new” book.

Life on the steppes of northeastern Asia in the 13th Century was tough. On a backdrop of endless frozen tundra traveled by fierce Nomadic tribes, Conn Iggulden winds an entirely engrossing saga of Temujin, the son of a local warlord, who is destined to become the legendary conqueror and scourge of the west, Genghis Khan. Following the death of his father, twelve-year old Temujin, his mother, Hoelun, brothers, and infant sister are cast out by the treacherous new leader of his native Blue Wolf tribe, left on Mongolia's barren plains without food, shelter, or weapons with winter approaching. Through Hoelin's ingenuity and sheer determination, the family survives against all odds, strengthening Temujin's already-iron will and igniting the spark of vengeance in him and his brothers. Iggulden follows up with a swashbuckling drama of cliffhangers and suspense as gripping, and certainly more bloody, than the best pop thrillers. Told at a lively pace without unnecessary baggage as Temujin, now merely eighteen, succeeds in uniting the disparate and warring Mongol tribes to stand down the Tartar raiders from the north. "Genghis: Birth of an Empire", is one of those rare gems of historical fiction that is as entertaining as it is illuminating and educational. The research was exceptional, from Mongol "sky burials", to a uniquely brutal brand of cannibalism, to the life the northern Asian warrior's life on steppes - able to survive for days on end using their ponies not only for transportation, but also by tapping into a vein for sustenance. Since the details of Genghis Khan's childhood are sketchy at best, my initial assumption was that most of the author's content was speculation, heavily embellished to maintain a lively pace and hold reader interest. To my surprise, further checking confirmed the basics of the young khan's early days as depicted here, while not without some well placed poetic license, sticks closely to the facts as recorded, painting a vivid and noble portrait of the young general. In short, authoritative and inspirational, told in light and easy prose; a fun read well worth the time, and a worthy opening to the epic of Genghis Khan that Iggulden will clearly be continuing in subsequent volumes. I'm looking forward to the encore.