He studied German and French at Keble College, Oxford, before doing two postgraduate courses, a diploma in the History and Philosophy of Science at Oxford and Mongolian at the School of Oriental and African Studies, completing the latter in 1968. He takes particular pleasure in combining historical narrative with personal experience. His special interests are China, Mongolia and the history of written communication. John Anthony Garnet Man is a British historian and travel writer. For in legend, ritual and intense controversy, Genghis lives on. 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. 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. He spotlights the tension between Mongols and Chinese, who both claim Genghis' spirit. He has traveled the length of the empire. John Man uses first-hand experiences in China and Mongolia to reveal the khan's enduring influence. This is more than just a gripping account of Genghis' rise and conquests. His undiscovered grave, with its imagined treasures, remains the subject of intrigue and speculation. To secure his conquests and then extend them, his heirs kept his death a secret, and secrecy has surrounded him ever since. 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. Yet he went on to found the world's greatest land empire and change the course of world history. In a supreme paradox, the world's most ruthless conqueror has become a force for peace and reconciliation.Īs a teenager, Genghis was a fugitive, hiding from enemies on a remote mountainside.
In his so-called Mausoleum in Inner Mongolia, worshippers seek the blessing of his spirit. 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. To Muslims, Russians and westerners, he is a murderer of millions, a brutal oppressor. Genghis Khan is one of history's immortals, alive in memory as a scourge, hero, military genius and demi-god.
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