The first of a trilogy, Genghis: Birth of an Empire is a wonderful piece of historical fiction. When I learn about history, I personally prefer to have some sort of human element or story to wrap the facts and occurrences around, and this book is a perfect example. Authored by the same man who wrote The Dangerous Book for Boys, as well as the Emperor series, this trilogy represents another entry into the collection of sweeping historical epics for which he has become known.
With a heavy dose of action, this book chronicles the early years of the greatest warrior and warlord the world has ever known. While the series may gloss over some of the nastier bits of his rise to power, this book doesn’t really have to; it focuses largely on the very personal tale of the experiences that would shape him into the man he would become. Historically speaking, the book is very accurate. Unlike most people of the time, we actually know a great deal about Genghis Khan, or at least the version of his life he wanted told. As Genghis conquered countries with scribes and written language, he decided to have a team of scholars chronicle his life, as well as the progression of his campaign, so in large part, the facts are as he presented them. Certain pronunciations and spellings have been changed, the reasoning for which Iggulden explains in his after word; apart from those, this is the Khan’s story as he told it.
The story starts with Genghis as a young boy, just about to enter his teens. It follows the family and struggle of a boy named Temujin, and continues to the early beginnings of his mission to unite the disparate Mongol tribes, long thrown into disarray and infighting by their Chin neighbors. This book is not full of the huge sweeping battles covered in the second two books, but offers a more grounded and personal aspect of one of the most powerful and complicated individuals in the history of the world. The book is great fun, and you end up learning a great deal about Mongol culture and the ancient world by the end, and everyone can use a little escapism these days. If you like history or Genghis Khan, check it out!
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