Genghis: Birth of an Empire: A Novel

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.

Customer Reviews:

'I am the land and the bones of the hills. I am the winter.'

By J. Cameron-Smith "Expect the Unexpected" - May 5, 2007

Published as 'Wolf of the Plains' in Australia, this is an action-packed story of Temujin-Uge and his making as Ghengis Khan. Conn Iggulden advises that he used an English translation (from Chinese) of 'The Secret History of the Mongols' as his chief source.

Mongolia was, and remains, a harsh place. Genghis Khan forged an empire by uniting Mongol tribes. This novel is about the boy who became the man, and the vision and blood debts that motivated and sustained him.

No doubt, some readers will find the story brutal. It is. But at the same time, it creates a wonderful backdrop against which to view the emergence of the Mongol empire. In short, it brings the figure of Genghis Khan to life.

I understand that this is the first of a series on Genghis Khan and his descendants. I look forward to reading the next book.

'Tell them that I am Genghis and I will ride'

Highly recommended.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

High Adventure on Seas of Grass

By Gary Griffiths - June 2, 2007

Life on the steppes of northeastern Asia in the 13th Century was tough. On a backdrop of endless frozen tundra traveled by fierce Nomadic tribes, Conn Iggulden winds an entirely engrossing saga of Temujin, the son of a local warlord, who is destined to become the legendary conqueror and scourge of the west, Genghis Khan.

Following the death of his father, twelve-year old Temujin, his mother, Hoelun, brothers, and infant sister are cast out by the treacherous new leader of his native Blue Wolf tribe, left on Mongolia's barren plains without food, shelter, or weapons with winter approaching. Through Hoelin's ingenuity and sheer determination, the family survives against all odds, strengthening Temujin's already-iron will and igniting the spark of vengeance in him and his brothers. Iggulden follows up with a swashbuckling drama of cliffhangers and suspense as gripping, and certainly more bloody, than the best pop thrillers. Told at a lively pace without unnecessary baggage... read more

Good first novel in what will be entertaining series - but what about the ponies?

By Scott Schiefelbein - August 13, 2007

Conn Iggulden's "Emperor" series was a fun, a-historical take on the life of Julius Caesar and his best friend, Brutus. Iggulden did not attempt to write a series that closely tracked the historical narrative (that's been done many times over, and Iggulden wasn't about to try to replace Colleen McCullough's "Masters of Rome" series). Historical liberties aside, Iggulden's take on Caesar was fun and action-packed.

"Genghis: Birth of an Empire" appears to follow the same track. "Gates of Rome," the first novel in the "Emperor" series, used less-famous personal names for Caesar and Brutus in order to obscure their identities while they were children. Iggulden does the same here, as the boy that will grow to become "Genghis" is named Temujin. He is the second oldest of five brothers, all sons to Yesugai, Khan of the Wolves. Born with a blood clot in his palm - a dire omen - Temujin will become one of the world's great conquerors.

But first he must survive his... read more