Genghis Khan - Life Death and Resurrection

John Man

Summary

“A thrilling account” of the brilliant, ruthless founder of the Mongol Empire (The Guardian).

Genghis Khan is one of history’s immortals, alive in memory as a scourge, hero, military genius and demigod. To Muslims, Russians, and westerners, he is a murderer of millions, a brutal oppressor. Yet in his homeland of Mongolia he is the revered father of the nation, and the Chinese honor him as the founder of a dynasty. In his so-called Mausoleum in Inner Mongolia, worshippers seek the blessing of his spirit. In a supreme paradox, the world’s most ruthless conqueror has become a force for peace and reconciliation.

As a teenager, Genghis was a fugitive, hiding from enemies on a remote mountainside. Yet he went on to found the world’s greatest land empire and change the course of world history. Brilliant and original as well as ruthless, he ruled an empire twice the size of Rome’s until his death in 1227 placed all at risk. To secure his conquests and then extend them, his heirs kept his death a secret—and secrecy has surrounded him ever since. His undiscovered grave, with its imagined treasures, remains the subject of intrigue and speculation.

This is more than just a gripping account of Genghis’ rise and conquests. John Man uses firsthand experiences in China and Mongolia to reveal the khan’s enduring influence. He has traveled the length of the empire, and he spotlights the tension between Mongols and Chinese, who both claim Genghis’ spirit. He is the first writer to explore the hidden valley where Genghis is believed to have died, and one of the few westerners to climb the mountain where he was likely buried.

This stunning narrative paints a vivid picture of the man himself, the places where he lived and fought, and the passions that surround him still. For in legend, ritual, and intense controversy, Genghis lives on.

“[An] engrossing book.” —Booklist

“A rattling good read.” —The Independent

Available since: 12/31/2013.

Print length: 401 pages.

Other books that might interest you

Life's Short Talk Fast - Fifteen...

Ann Hood

Fifteen leading writers explore what Gilmore Girls means to them in this delightful celebration of a contemporary TV classic. 
 
 
 
Fast-talking, warm-hearted, and endlessly rewatchable, Gilmore Girls has bonded real-life mothers and daughters since 2000, when its iconic pilot introduced us to Lorelai, Rory, and their idyllic Connecticut town of Stars Hollow. More than twenty years later, it has become one of the most-streamed TV shows, ever. 
 
 
 
In an anthology as intimate and quick-witted as Gilmore Girls itself, bestselling author Ann Hood invites fifteen writers to investigate their personal relationships to the show. ("It's a show? It's a lifestyle. It's a religion.") Joanna Rakoff considers how Emily Gilmore helped her understand her own mother; Sanjena Sathian sees herself—and Asian American defiance—in Lane Kim; Freya North connects with her son through the show; Francesco Sedita discovers an antidote to pandemic loneliness; Nina de Gramont offers a comic ode to the unreality of Stars Hollow. For anyone who identifies as Team Logan, Team Jess, or even Team Dean, Life's Short, Talk Fast reveals what Gilmore Girls tells us about ourselves—and why it matters.

Show book

The Ancient Shore - Dispatches...

Shirley Hazzard, Francis...

Born in Australia, Shirley Hazzard first moved to Naples as a young woman in the 1950s to take up a job with the United Nations. It was the beginning of a long love affair with the city. The Ancient Shore collects the best of Hazzard’s writings on Naples, along with a classic New Yorker essay by her late husband, Francis Steegmuller. For the pair, both insatiable readers, the Naples of Pliny, Gibbon, and Auden is constantly alive to them in the present.With Hazzard as our guide, we encounter Henry James, Oscar Wilde, and of course Goethe, but Hazzard’s concern is primarily with the Naples of our own time—often violently unforgiving to innocent tourists, but able to transport the visitor who attends patiently to its rhythms and history. A town shadowed by both the symbol and the reality of Vesuvius can never fail to acknowledge the essential precariousness of life—nor, as the lover of Naples discovers, the human compassion, generosity, and friendship that are necessary to sustain it.Beautifully illustrated by photographs from such masters as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Herbert List, The Ancient Shore is a lyrical letter to a lifelong love: honest and clear-eyed, yet still fervently, endlessly enchanted.“Much larger than all its parts, this book does full justice to a place, and a time, where ‘nothing was pristine, except the light.’”—Bookforum“Deep in the spell of Italy, Hazzard parses the difference between visiting and living and working in a foreign country. She writes with enormous eloquence and passion of the beauty of getting lost in a place.”—Susan Slater Reynolds, Los Angeles Times“The two voices join in exquisite harmony. . . . A lovely book.”—Booklist, starred review

Show book

The Emperor's Edge - Unveiling...

John Harpoon

Napoleon Bonaparte's journey from a modest Corsican background to one of history's greatest military leaders is nothing short of remarkable. Born on August 15, 1769, in Ajaccio, Corsica, a French territory that had only recently been acquired from the Genoese, Napoleon’s early years were shaped by the turbulent political climate of his homeland. Corsica, a fiercely independent island, had a long history of resistance to foreign rule, and Napoleon’s family, though of noble descent, was not wealthy. His father, Carlo Bonaparte, was a lawyer and political leader who supported French rule, a decision that ultimately benefitted his son’s future. The Bonaparte family’s political connections allowed Napoleon to receive an education in mainland France, beginning at a military academy in Brienne-le-Château at the age of nine.
Despite his alienation due to his Corsican accent and outsider status, Napoleon excelled in his studies. He was particularly gifted in mathematics, which would later serve him well in military strategy and artillery. His time at the École Militaire in Paris further honed his military skills, and by the age of 16, he had graduated and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the French artillery. The early years of his military career were marked by the turbulence of the French Revolution, which had begun in 1789, when Napoleon was just 20 years old. The Revolution provided opportunities for ambitious and talented individuals like Napoleon to rise through the ranks, as the French military underwent significant reform.
During the Revolution, Napoleon’s loyalty to the revolutionary ideals of equality and fraternity became evident. In 1793, he gained recognition for his role in the Siege of Toulon, where he played a pivotal part in expelling the British from the French port city. His brilliance in artillery tactics and his ability to inspire his troops did not go unnoticed.

Show book

Courageous Women of the Bible -...

Arcelio Hernández Mussio

The Bible often remembers and celebrates the names of great men of God. People like Abraham, Moses, David, Paul, Isaiah, and Elijah are well-known for their important roles in the story of God's people. These men are honored for their faith, leadership, and the key parts they played in God's plan.
However, as we delve into the Scriptures, we often overlook the equally significant contributions of women of God. The Bible, while rich with the stories of these men, also holds accounts of extraordinary women whose strength, wisdom, and faithfulness were crucial to the unfolding of God's narrative. For instance, Sarah's faith in God's promise of a son, Ruth's loyalty to her mother-in-law, and Mary's acceptance of her role in God's plan. Yet, these women often remain in the background, their stories less frequently told, their virtues less regularly celebrated.
This book is a necessary contribution to Christian literature, as it celebrates the strength and wisdom of prominent women in the Bible. In the pages you are about to read, you will get a glimpse into the lives of these extraordinary women. Their faith and actions were significant and played pivotal roles in shaping the Biblical narrative. The book is organized chronologically, starting with the Old Testament and moving through to the New Testament, to provide a comprehensive view of these women's contributions.
This book celebrates these 30 women, each embodying unique qualities and virtues that can guide and inspire us in our modern lives. Their stories offer timeless lessons on resilience, faith, leadership, and profound love, demonstrating that the challenges and virtues they faced are just as relevant and applicable in our lives today. Whether it is Hannah's unwavering faith, Abigail's strategic wisdom, or Ruth's selfless loyalty, these women provide powerful examples of how to live with purpose and integrity in our contemporary world.

Show book

American Familia - A Memoir of...

David A. Morales

Dream Big. Become More.Told as a conversation between David and his two sons, American Familia is David’s story of growing up in rural poverty in Puerto Rico and urban poverty in the United States, detailing hopeful and transformative life-lessons along the way.This is also his family’s story: one of faith, grit, and empowerment. Part memoir and part rallying cry, this book encourages discounted youth with a vision of hope that they, too, can transcend their environment and situation—and achieve more, be more, and become more. David’s story provides guidance on how to overcome challenges in the face of great pressure and gives direction on how to develop purpose and embrace opportunities with courage and personal responsibility.

Show book

Our Daily Bread: From Argos to...

Father Alex Frost, Alastair...

A warmly funny, intensely moving and startlingly personal account of the lives of an urban parish priest and his parishioners.
Father Alex Frost was not always a man of the cloth. He found his calling while running an Argos store in his native Burnley, moonlighting as a stand-up comedian and die-hard fan of The Clarets and Depeche Mode.
But having achieved his profession, Fr Alex quickly recognised the 17,000 inhabitants of his new parish were in dire need of help. Burnley is typical of many towns across Britain: a place of run-down council estates, severe poverty litter, crime and drugs, but also a place where the sacred sits alongside the secular in an intimate and personal way. And so it was that he found himself running a food bank from a car park, helping the desperate amid his flock as the pandemic raged.
Fr Alex’s down-to-earth style of ministry struck a chord with people of all faiths, cultures and class at a time when the divide between rich and poor is widening cataclysmically. But amid the tragedy, addiction, appalling loss, illness and neglect, there also lies hope, joy and moments of comedy. Our Daily Bread is as much the story of the rich cast of characters that cross the threshold of any church as it is our vicar’s. Through them it shows the continued relevance of the church for those in peril: the poor and the marginalised.
This heartfelt and moving book seeks to give a voice to the voiceless, charting the tragedy and pain, humour and hope which are ever-present in his community. It is ultimately about modern poverty – and how we all can, and should, espouse Christian virtues of love, kindness, tolerance.
In Our Daily Bread, Father Alex Frost provides a raw and unfiltered look into the lives of those living on the fringes of society, their struggles with homelessness, and the power of volunteer work in alleviating their suffering. His spiritual journey, from managing an Argos store to becoming a beacon of hope for his parishioners, is a testament to the transformative power of faith and religion.
For fans of Richard Coles (Bringing in the Sheaves), Paula Gooder (Women and Men in Scripture and the Church), Rowan Williams (Passions of the Soul), Stephen Cottrell (Praying by Heart), and Colin Heber-Percy (Tales of a Country Parish).
HarperCollins 2022

Show book