“Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World” by Jack Weatherford
I read Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford for one of my book groups. One of the members voiced annoyance after we read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. She’d wanted us to read non-fiction for a long time, but didn’t love the Lacks book, which had jumped the queue ahead of some of her suggestions. So she got the next pick, and chose Genghis Khan over other biographies of Marco Polo, Magellan and Einstein.
For me this is a great book group book. It’s not one I ever would have picked, it’s by a local author (he’s a professor at Macalester College), and it’s world history, which I am sadly deficient in. It was interesting and accessibly written, though not a quick read. It’s based on the translation of a Chinese document detailing the secret history of Genghis Khan, then follows his descendants and their influence over the centuries. Genghis (a title, not a name) was a warrior intent on gathering all tribes together under the “Banner of the Great Blue Sky,” his animistic faith. Interestingly, religious and cultural freedom, like retaining language and customs, were not only allowed, but encouraged as long as the group submitted to Genghis Khan’s rule and contributed goods to the growing empire.
Genghis Khan’s ability to manipulate people and technology represented the experienced knowledge of more than four decades of nearly constant warfare. At no single, crucial moment in his life did he suddenly acquire his genius at warfare, his ability to inspire the loyalty of his followers, or his unprecedented skill for organizing on a global scale. These derived not from epiphanic enlightenment or formal schooling but from a persistent cycle of pragmatic learning, experimental adaptation, and constant revision driven by his uniquely disciplined mind and focused will. (9)
Weatherford’s main point is well documented and taken–that Genghis Khan was not the monster history has portrayed. But reviews, from National Review and H-Net point out some historical inaccuracies and misreadings in the text. But as an incitement to read more history, or learn more about Genghis Khan, this book is an excellent place to begin.
May 26th, 2011 at 7:53 pm
I can’t speak to the accuracy of this book, but I can say that it is an entertaining read. I know very little about Genghis Khan except what I read in this book. I found it at a bookstore, but I can see how it would make an excellent book club choice. He certainly had an interesting and controversial life.
June 3rd, 2011 at 7:18 am
Jack Weatherford and his wife are my good friends, but I’m slightly ashamed to admit that I have never read one of his books. He knows it and doesn’t hold it against me. My dad, however, is a huge fan and has read everything, including the early, out-of-print, impossible-to-find books. Jack has spent a lot of time in Mongolia researching this book and The Secret History of the Mongol Queens, almost needless to say except that it has become a second home for him.
Thanks for your review…I’m bumping this up my tbr list!