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    Genghis: Birth of an Empire
    Genghis: Birth of an Empire
    Genghis: Birth of an Empire
    Audiobook16 hours

    Genghis: Birth of an Empire

    Written by Conn Iggulden

    Narrated by Richard Ferrone

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    From the author of the bestselling The Dangerous Book for Boys Genghis Khan was born Temujin, the son of a khan, raised in a clan of hunters migrating across the rugged steppe. Shaped by abandonment and betrayal, Temujin endured, driven by a singular fury: to survive in the face of death, to kill before being killed, and to conquer enemies who could come without warning from beyond the horizon. Through a series of courageous raids, Temujin's legend grew until he was chasing a vision: to unite many tribes into one, to make the earth tremble under the hoofbeats of a thousand warhorses, to subject all nations and empires to his will.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJan 25, 2019
    ISBN9781980034926
    Genghis: Birth of an Empire
    Author

    Conn Iggulden

    Born in London, Conn Iggulden read English at London University and worked as a teacher for seven years before becoming a full-time writer. He lives in Hertfordshire with his wife and their children.

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    Reviews for Genghis

    4/5

    549 ratings32 reviews

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    • 4/5
      fascinating book
    • 5/5
      The undisputed King of historical fiction on fine form. Brilliant. 'Nuff said.
    • 5/5
      I was fortunate enough to pick up the Kindle version of this for $1.59. Even if I had paid full price for it, it would have been well worth it. This is one of those few books I simply couldn't put down. I've now bought the next two books and look forward to reading them.

      What Bernard Cornwell has done for Vikings [The Last Kingdom (2004), The Pale Horseman (2005), The Lords of the North (2006), Sword Song (2007), The Burning Land (2009), Death of Kings (2012)], Conn Iggulden has done for the Mongols. Very enjoyable and highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      I have to give Iggulden some credit here. The author takes a historical figure that has limited documentation and makes him shine. Too often Hollywood will give us a horrendously illiterate account of Genghis Khan. It could very well be true, we just don't know. But what the author does...and he does it very effectively is structure a life and give this intriguing figure a face and personality to guide us. By taking and blowing up possible events in Temujin's life we get a sense of what possibly shaped and molded him into the stone cold tactician and warrior that history tells us he was. This book focuses on his early life and the lives of those around him. The story is quickly paced and downright savage in many areas...as to be expected. The campfire scene will stay with me for a while. Kind of hard to unsee that. His attitude towards his mother's home tribe and the decision he makes regarding them....they can't say he was not pushed toward that action. He had more than one reason to lash out at them. This is the first of Iggulden's books I have read. I bought his entire catalogue at once. That was risky and so far it seems to have paid off. Two thumbs up on this work. I feel it can only get better as I launch off into the second book.
    • 5/5
      A great "historical" telling of how Temujin the young man perservered and became one of the great leaders of human history. Definitely recommended!
    • 4/5
      Generally well paced appropriately detailed version of the early life and first significant victories of Genghis Khan. I felt the absence of any mention of remounts or trading caravans, both of which I understood to be significant elements of the life and motivations of the period.
    • 4/5
      The Genghis series was so good. The entire series is like 4.5/5. If you like historical fiction this is a must-read.
    • 4/5
      c. 1162 AD Born the second son to the Khan of the Wolves, abandoned to die with his mother and 7 siblings following the Khan's death, he: survived, became the khan of wandering men then of established tribes - unprecedentedly uniting them - and his eyes turn east. Historical fiction series, but with more basis than I would have guessed. Major badass. Also, kind of want to be a mongol warrior:"The Mongolian double-curved bow is as I have described it, with a draw strength greater than the English longbow that was so successful two centuries later against armor. The key to its strength is the laminate form, with layers of boiled horn and sinew to augment the wood. The layer of horn is on the inner face, as horn resits compression. The layer of sinew is on the outer face, as it resists expansion. These layers, as thick as a finger, add power to the weapon, until heaving back on it is the equivalent of lifting two men into the air by two fingers - at full gallop. The arrows are made of birch."
    • 5/5
      An excellent historical fiction novel. I've immediately plunged into the second in the series. Highly recommend to anyone who likes historical fiction, especially if you've been wanting to learn more about one of the greatest leaders of people in history.
    • 4/5
      A telling of the early life of Genghis, with some leniency on what we know of his history. Iggulden's Genghis is a conflicted yet driven character faced with seemingly insurmountable odds - from the harsh environment, rival tribes, and his own people. An auspicious beginning to a strong series.
    • 4/5
      The first in the Conquror series about Genghis Khan: Temujin and his family are abandoned to harsh winter conditions after the death of his father Yesugei, khan of the Mongolian Wolf tribe. Against all odds, they manage to survive and end up trading with other wanderers. Temujin grows strong under these conditions, and this strength saves him from the terrible events that unfold. He soon learns to strategise in order to face brutal enemies who attack without warning and plans to unite the wandering tribes into one. As his legend grows he soon sees through the manipulative and destructive influence of the Chinese ambassador in the tribe's midst. His vision and ability to lead and inspire loyalty in his people are still legend today and his early years make fascinating reading. I was also impressed with the maps on the inside covers and by the afterword at the end of the book pointing out where the author had strayed from historical accuracy. This rounded out the story nicely and I look forward to reading more by this author.
    • 2/5
      This is an action filled tale about Genghis Kahn. It is cinematic in tone, and by that I mean it is plot oriented, with one exciting thing after another happening in rapid succession. I could accept the violence when I felt it was motivated by the need to either kill or be killed; I could accept it when he was younger and simply fighting to survive. By the end, it was simply too much. Lots of gory fighting, with some love thrown in too. What did I learn about the Mongolian way of life? Very little, that I didn’t know before. Sky burials are much better depicted in “Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet” by Xinran, which is a biography. There is a detailed Afterword that explains what if fact and what is fiction, and the author does stick to the known fact for much of the tale. It is just not my kind of book, but sure, others may like it.ETA: I will be reading "Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World" by Weatherford as a counterbalance to what I have gotten from Iggulden's book. Completed May 3, 2013
    • 5/5
      Quite possibly the best book about the Mongol savage I have read. Looking forward to reading the whole series now.
    • 5/5
      Fascinating historical dramatization of the life of Genghis Khan. I was immersed in the voice and imagery so deeply that both the reader and the storyteller were secondary to the experience. Life was brutal, yet Genghis was a mixture of ruthlessness and brilliance. Tribal life of the Mongols contrasted with that of the Chin in a very yin/yang extreme way. While abhorrent in many respects, the strength of will and struggle for survival in such a tribal society has much to teach about the nature of mankind. Elements of religion, customs, human relations - all seen raw and basic. I admire the sublime heights of cultured society, but the earthy trials of existence has an austere beauty as well. Well told, well written, and highly recommended.
    • 3/5
      Having recently read a biography of ghengis khan I started this book expecting a bit of a let down, but was soon captured by the excellence of the story-telling. I see little point in carping about such matters as whether Temujin would have spoken in a particular way or would have known sophisticated words - if you want that king of historical accuracy, read history rather than fictionalised versions!
    • 5/5
      Iggulden has an engaging page turn style, and this is one of his best
    • 5/5
      This was another great read written by a new favorite author I have found thanks to librarything.This book is about Gengis Khan growing up until just the begining of his power.I loved this book! It is historical fiction but well researched by the author.Get ready for lots of action,battles,and double crossing.One of my favorite things about this author is he writes authors notes at the end to tell you what he changed and why.This is book one of the series and I am proud to say I own them all.
    • 4/5
      I loved all the G Kan saga books. Such imagination and yet remarkably detailed.
    • 5/5
      A fantastic epic start to a series I can´t wait to finish.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed the first in Conn Iggulden's "Genghis" series. He created a lot of depth of character for Genghis (or Temujin as he's originally called) and his family, a solid foundation for his motives, and his core cadre that make up the base of characters for all three books in the series.In broad strokes, "Birth of an Empire" traces the rise of Genghis Khan from his birth through his first melding of tribes to unite against a common Asian foe. It's a bit of your typical rags-to-riches: Temujin grows up as son of a mongol tribe leader who's deposed (and probably murdered); he and his family are then exiled and hunted and he's forced to grow up sooner than he should, but because of it is stronger. Come to think of it, the story is less rags-to-riches, than it is rags-to-different-rags-and-charismatic-brooding-power.The story is rife with action and adventure and Iggulden creates an enjoyable ride out of the snippets of his early life that motivate a young Temujin to emerge leader of the Mongol empireIggulden freely admits that he takes liberties with history to make better fiction. I don't have much background on Khan, but in a couple of quick comparisons, I didn't feel that Iggulden stretched too far to make his story work well. I also believe that there are relatively few solid historical resources on the young Genghis which leaves a lot of space for Iggulden to explore.By comparison, I struggled to get through the author's first historical fiction series on Julius Caesar. Caesar's motivations were mild at best, and the changes in history seemed rather random and unnecessary. But such is the nature of historical "fiction" - the extent of "fiction" will have varying appeals based on the pre-existing knowledge and interest of the reader. So, to my taste, I didn't mind the liberties taken with Genghis, but found the liberties taken with Caesar bothersome.I thoroughly enjoyed "Birth of an Empire" and was taken in enough by the story to gobble up the second in the series "Lords of the Bow" and buy the hardcover 3rd in the series "Bones of the Hills" as soon as it was released. I even jumped into Mongolian non-fiction with Weatherford's "Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World".Iggulden hit on a number of recommendation-worthy elements with his book: 1) as a standalone novel it is fun, engaging, exciting and contains solid depth of character; 2) I was drawn into the storyline enough to want to read the rest of the series; 3) the historical nature of the story was strong enough to draw me out of the Genghis fictional realm and into non-fiction.
    • 5/5
      I stand by my opinion that Iggulden writes with guys in mind, but even as a woman I found this book impressive. Lots of adventure and excitement with a true flavor of the Mongolian steppes. While I'm not sure that I would have wanted to meet Ghenghis there can be no argument that he was an intelligent visionary with true grit. I can't wait to read the rest of the series. Recommended.
    • 4/5
      I have a strange and un-natural love for Genghis Kahn, so with that said I loved this book. Based on histories I have read previously this book stayed pretty true to life of Genghs Kahn, of course all the emotions and conversations are fiction. But the meat of the story grasps both the legend and the history fairly well. In short the story of Genghis Kahn is a amazing read and this book doesn't deter from that at all.
    • 5/5
      PLUS -* A really good coming of age tale. The author obviously understands boys, and that really comes across even though the time and place of the story make their lives very different to ours.* The relationships between the 5 brothers were really well written, with lots of interesting dynamics of rivalry, love, jealousy, respect. Anyone with a sibling will identify with that aspect of the story.* Excellent historical notes at the end of the book. I always read historical fiction 'with a pinch of salt', but it's nice to betold exactly where the story has deviated from historical reality for reasons of plot, and why. MINUS - * I preferred the beginning of the book (where the brothers are younger) to the end (where they are adult) so I'll be interested to see how I get on with the next in the series.* I'm not a big fan of war stories, so I preferred the part about the people, relationships and tribes to the battle scenes. OVERALL - * An exciting storytelling, a fast paced plot, with lots going on, great characters and very well reserched historical detail.
    • 5/5
      Wolf of the Plains is a magnificent first part to the Conquerer series. Exploring the incredibly tough upbringing and rise to power of Temujin (the later Genghis Khan) Wolf is historical fiction of the highest order. Based mainly on the Secret History of the Mongols and following much of the same path as the also tremendous film Mongol, Iggulden brings to life the nomadic lifestyle, the bitter warring, and thirst for revenge that are the backdrop for the rise to power of one of the greatest conquerors in history.Iggulden is clearly a man with an affinity for the Mongolian plains. Spending time there to research was well worth the effort as his descriptions of the scenery, of the people, of the nomadic lifestyle are drawn so that any outsider can feel the experience. The narrative that begins with Temujin's journey to find a wife and the death of his father is fast paced and gripping. Each chapter flows rapidly by and the whole joins together as at times a heartrending tale but one of overcoming the odds, of coming of age, and ultimately triumph.Generally Iggulden does not hold back in describing the cultural values of the Mongol people. He rarely sensitises for the more fragile western mindset though there are occasions where western values creep in and those are jarring at times. The most notable is the concept of nationhood. The thought process behind this jumps out suddenly and doesn't really follow from what happens before. I mention this because otherwise the characters are so incredibly well developed that each of them is clearly distinguishable from the others including in motive and in action. While some more space for the accumulation of loyalty from those without tribes would have been nice this is an area of Temujin's story that is simply not recorded anywhere so this oversight is understandable.As well as Mongolia, Iggulden also clearly understands young men. Throughout, Wolf is a coming of age story set in some of the most difficult environs imaginable. Temujin not only has to survive but also to learn the skills he needs for manhood including in building and protecting a family. Being wrenched away from his tribe puts Temujin at a massive disadvantage in a communal society and the decisions he has to make are hard but to be Genghis Khan means having to be a leader who can make those decisions and the boy cast adrift into the wild fights on to become a Khan commanding the loyalty of millions.The book concludes (as do each in the trilogy) with a note on the historical facts. I really appreciated that as during the novel I'd been telling myself that it was Merkits that captured Borte, not Tartars. Iggulden clarifies where he has taken dramatic licence for the storyline's sake and throws ina couple of anecdotal historical snapshots that help only to build the world the story exists within.
    • 5/5
      Conn Iggulden does a wonderful job of weaving a believable story around the historical facts surrounding the rise of Genghis Khan. From his carefree childhood with his brothers, to the leadership he had to develop out of necessity in order that his family survive being cast out of their tribe after his father's untimely death, and later to building a strong alliance among wanderers and tribes alike to fight and defeat the Tartars, Temujin of the Wolves stands out for being intelligent, eager learn from others, kind and ruthless.The richness in detail makes this a thrilling read. The battles read like well choreographed epic movie scenes while the daily rigors of life on the plains provoked images of hardship and yet pleasure and happiness surfaced every now and again. This is not a book you'll want to read if you know you don't have time to devote to it, because you'll miss all your deadlines and get yourself fired from your job. Having said that, this is not a ponderous tome and the words flow like silk.
    • 5/5
      By chance i fetched the second book of the series first and bought the first book after i was infected with this series.Where the second book tells the story of his conquest of the Chin empire the first book tells us about Genghis hard youth and hard it was indeed. Starting out gloriously by being the second oldest son of the khan his life gets quickly turned upside down as his father meets an untimely end. Abandoned by their tribe the family is forced to survive without any means in hte harsh mongolian winter. This struggle forges ghengis in the ruthless warrior he needs to becom to fulfill his destiny and unite the clans…
    • 5/5
      Brilliantly written. Conn tells a imaginative and invigorating tale. Genghis comes alive in the telling. His brilliance and tactical genius flow from the pages. You can't help but to become entranced by the story. It will keep you up till late in the night.
    • 5/5
      great book, it is interestig how some of metaphors still remaind in mongolian language (see Metaphors and Nomads book)
    • 5/5
      An excellent novel about the early years of Genghis Khan. Iggulden writes both action and characters very well and with gripping force. (I read nearly the entire book in one sitting.) I absolutely cannot wait for the next installment, and have his series about Caesar at the top of my "to buy" list.I will agree with a previous review about the dialog occasionally being a weak spot, but even where I noticed something was, perhaps, off, it never really jarred me out of the story.
    • 4/5
      This is the first book by Conn Iggulgen I read and, I'm happy to say, it was well worth reading, even though it isn't the "best book I've ever read." If only the author paid more attention to what and how his characters speak! Of course, he couldn't have made them speak in their native tongues, but still ... why a 13th century AD Tartar warrior would say something like "yack penis"? "Penis"?! Are there no English monosyllables with the same meaning available? And why Temujin (an uneducated Mongol, after all, his talents notwithstanding) speaks with the same voice as a refined and sophisticated Chinese ambassador? Mr. Iggulden makes him to admit that he doesn't know many words used by the Chinese diplomat, but how does Temujin know what "alternative" is, then? Could it be that, after several novels about the ancient Rome he has written, Mr. Iggulden's thinking is still in a Latin "groove"?