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Genghis: Birth of an Empire (Conqueror #1)
He was born Temujin, the son of a khan, raised in a clan of hunters migrating across the rugged steppe. Temujin’s young life was shaped by a series of brutal acts: the betrayal of his father by a neighboring tribe and the abandonment of his entire family, cruelly left to die on the harsh plain. But Temujin endured—and from that moment on, he was driven by a singular fury: ...more
Mass Market Paperback, 592 pages
Published
February 26th 2008
by Dell
(first published May 1st 2007)
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Temujin, the son of Yesugei, khan of the Wolves, goes to a neighboring tribe to find a wife. While he's away, his father is murdered by a gang of Tartars. Worse still, his father's friend usurps the role of khan and leaves Temujin and his family to die on the steppe. Can Temujin and his family survive long enough to get revenge on the Tartars and regain control of the Wolves?
The story of Temujin and his rise to uniting the tribes against the Tartars is a powerful one. Temujin goe...more
The story of Temujin and his rise to uniting the tribes against the Tartars is a powerful one. Temujin goe...more
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This was one of those books that I found nearly impossible to put down once I started reading. Dealing with Genghis Kahn's early years, from just prior to the death of his father through him actually naming himself as Genghis, the plot sucks you in and makes you feel everything that he (and his family) go through as he experiences the events that turn him from a Mongol named Temujin to a man who literally changed the face of the world. The characters are alive on the pages, breathing and movin...more
I've read a few things about Genghis Khan in the past, but nothing that went nearly into the depth of his life as this book has. It grabbed me by the eyeballs and wouldn't let go until I had finished it.
It begins with Temujin as a very young man with an older brother and 3 younger brothers and goes in depth into the events that shaped him into the conqueror that he later became. The details seem authentic, and the writing draws you into a world where tradition, clan, and family ties are st...more
It begins with Temujin as a very young man with an older brother and 3 younger brothers and goes in depth into the events that shaped him into the conqueror that he later became. The details seem authentic, and the writing draws you into a world where tradition, clan, and family ties are st...more
(In UK, this book is entitled "Wolf of the Plains")
A more harsh childhood is hard to imagine!
Although this book gallops along at Conn Iggulden's usual pace, I was continually tempted to leap ahead to find out what happened next. That makes it much more of a chapter-turner than merely a page-turner, and the narrative left me quite breathless at times!
Temujin is the son of the khan of one of the many Mongol tribes who are in continual, violent conflict. W...more
A more harsh childhood is hard to imagine!
Although this book gallops along at Conn Iggulden's usual pace, I was continually tempted to leap ahead to find out what happened next. That makes it much more of a chapter-turner than merely a page-turner, and the narrative left me quite breathless at times!
Temujin is the son of the khan of one of the many Mongol tribes who are in continual, violent conflict. W...more
Sandi
rated it
Recommends it for:
Everyone, especially teenage boys
Recommended to Sandi by:
Won through First Reads
I started Genghis Birth of an Empire with a bit of trepidation. It starts out like a book for teenage boys. Indeed, it is a book that should have a great deal of appeal to teenage boys. Shortly after I did my eyeroll over brotherly rivalry and impending manhood, I really got sucked into the story. In many ways, this book reminded me more of epic fantasy than historical fiction. A young prince finds himself in the lowest of situations, facing death. He finds a way to survive and rises to h...more
Genghis Birth of an Empire my favorite kind of book; well-researched historical fiction with a minimum of romance. The author takes pains to note where he veers from known fact in the epilogue - and there is a surprising amount of known fact about Genghis Kahn.
The book starts out slow, but it picks up and the detail of daily life of the Mongols is fascinating. Life is short and brutal, lived on a thin edge between survival and death, and it makes for compelling reading. I listened to...more
The book starts out slow, but it picks up and the detail of daily life of the Mongols is fascinating. Life is short and brutal, lived on a thin edge between survival and death, and it makes for compelling reading. I listened to...more
I only picked this book up because it was priced reasonably and I needed something to read. I really wasn't expecting to care for it very much.
This is a superbly written book. The characters are fully fleshed, the action is well described and heart poundingly excited and fast paced, and the story itself is interesting. I was mostly impressed with his descriptions of tribal lifestyle; he didn't attempt to glamourize it and he didn't attempt to make it savage. It truly came across a...more
This is a superbly written book. The characters are fully fleshed, the action is well described and heart poundingly excited and fast paced, and the story itself is interesting. I was mostly impressed with his descriptions of tribal lifestyle; he didn't attempt to glamourize it and he didn't attempt to make it savage. It truly came across a...more
ba
rated it
Recommends it for:
those looking for escapist reading
Recommended to ba by:
Won it in Goodreads Giveaway
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In preparation for writing this series on the life of the great Khan, Conn Iggulden undertook to live in Mongolia for a time, and the dedication implied by this act is evident in his writing. The setting feels extremely real, and it is easy to get into the mindset of the central characters from the very beginning.
Iggulden evokes visceral reactions with well-crafted descriptions of both bleakness and beauty, of both glory and tragedy. The almost cinematic clarity of the vistas he crea...more
Iggulden evokes visceral reactions with well-crafted descriptions of both bleakness and beauty, of both glory and tragedy. The almost cinematic clarity of the vistas he crea...more
Conn Iggulden finished his epic Emperor series about Julius Caesar and has now moved onto a new war lord from a different part of the world, the infamous Genghis Khan. This first book in what is expected to be a growing series was brutal, action packed, and in some places almost unbelievable. The scariest part about this novel, is how close to the truth it really is.
Drinking blood from ponies, the savage vengeance of a teenage boy, and the constant fight for survival are o...more
Drinking blood from ponies, the savage vengeance of a teenage boy, and the constant fight for survival are o...more
Holy cow, I never thought I'd be so in to Genghis Khan, but this book is AWESOME! Natalie, you totally sold me when you put that quote up on Goodreads:
"Courage cannot be left like bones in a bag. It must be brought out and shown the light again and again, growing stronger each time. If you think it will keep for the times you need it, you are wrong. It is like any other part of your strength. If you ignore it, the bag will be empty when you need it most."
If this h...more
"Courage cannot be left like bones in a bag. It must be brought out and shown the light again and again, growing stronger each time. If you think it will keep for the times you need it, you are wrong. It is like any other part of your strength. If you ignore it, the bag will be empty when you need it most."
If this h...more
I found and read a great history book on the self of a used book store years ago about the native people inhabiting the steppes of Asia many generations ago, including Ghengis Khan. I don't remember, now, the author or the date of that book's publication, but I remember the lasting sensation of wonder for the land, the people, the reach of the empire of khans; since, I'm attracked to the times, the places and I pause whenever I see of hear reference to it. That's how I picked up this book from a...more
Temujin rises from the brutal Mongolian landscape to become Genghis Khan, so this book rises to become a fascinating read. I feel like riding a horse and drinking some mare's blood.
Thought about docking the points on character development. Except for possibly Temujin, the characters felt more like stock characters from fantasy folklore. That's OK.
Book did remind me of Dune - reuniting the wandering tribes to shape the known world in a brutal environment. Nothing a...more
Thought about docking the points on character development. Except for possibly Temujin, the characters felt more like stock characters from fantasy folklore. That's OK.
Book did remind me of Dune - reuniting the wandering tribes to shape the known world in a brutal environment. Nothing a...more
Great book. I am a fan of many genres and find historical fiction to begin to top of my list - although I have been stuck on novels for young adults recently. Once I got past the "first years" it was hard to put it down. This book brings the man Genghis Khan to life. "that which does not kill us, makes us stronger" (a quote I have heard in my family quite often)- the young boy and his family is cast out and left to die, this is the start of what motivates him to become the...more
I’ve always been wildly intrigued with nomads. Consequently, Genghis, Birth of an Empire was like a dream come true. I was immediately pulled into Temujin’s story, intrigued by the hardships he endured. I loved how Iggulden made the nomadic way of life so visceral and real. I could feel the cold, and was horrified by the betrayals. I believe a few things are not completely accurate, for instance I remember reading a book about the kind of bows that nomadic tribes used, and I believe there w...more
ذئب السهول
هذا هو الجزء الأول من السيرة الملحمية لجنكيز خان، والتي يحمل جزئها الثاني عنوان ( سادة البراري) - صدر حتى الآن أربعة أجزاء، وهناك جزئين في الطريق، لتكون بذلك سداسية عن الإمبراطورية المغولية -.
تتناول الرواية المرحلة التكوينية لـ ( تيموجن بورجيجن) – وهو اسم غليظ كما نرى، يناسب شعوبا ً قاسية كالمغول -، الذي سيصبح فيما بعد ( جنكيز خان) – أي ( إمبراطور العالم) -، وهذه المرحلة التكوينية ليست سهلة أبدا ً، رغم أنه ولد لزعيم قبيلة قوية لقبها الكاتب – الذي كان أمينا...more
هذا هو الجزء الأول من السيرة الملحمية لجنكيز خان، والتي يحمل جزئها الثاني عنوان ( سادة البراري) - صدر حتى الآن أربعة أجزاء، وهناك جزئين في الطريق، لتكون بذلك سداسية عن الإمبراطورية المغولية -.
تتناول الرواية المرحلة التكوينية لـ ( تيموجن بورجيجن) – وهو اسم غليظ كما نرى، يناسب شعوبا ً قاسية كالمغول -، الذي سيصبح فيما بعد ( جنكيز خان) – أي ( إمبراطور العالم) -، وهذه المرحلة التكوينية ليست سهلة أبدا ً، رغم أنه ولد لزعيم قبيلة قوية لقبها الكاتب – الذي كان أمينا...more
This is the story of Genghis Khan when he was still known as Temujin, when he was still a boy, struggling for survival. The story opens with the ominous surrounding of his birth and follows Temujin in his teenage years. He is the second of five sons, always in competition with his eldest brother. The boys know that one of them will inherit their father's place as Khan of the Wolves one day, and so they do whatever they can to gain reputation and honour among the tribe. As Temunjin approaches man...more
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.
Henri
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone, those seeking motivation to succeed.
Shelves:
best
Conn Iggulden is a very good writer. His series of books on Caesar is excellent but this first book on the Genghis Khan series is fantastic, as are the other sequels. The rise of a boy who was left to die in the freezing steppes to become a man who had the world at its feet cannot help but powerfulyl inspire people to achieve success no matter what the odds are stacked against them. If Genghis, at the edge of death in the pit, managed to conquer the world, then surely we can achieve even a minut...more
Graham
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
absolutely anyone
Shelves:
historical,
war
WOLF OF THE PLAINS, the first in Conn Iggulden's series of historical novels detailing the lives of Genghis Khan and his successors, is truly a tremendous book. It's massive, easy to read, quick to get into and looks beautiful. I've read it twice now, and my second reading cemented my first impression that this is one of the finest historical novels out there.
The author's research is exemplary. Iggulden travelled to Mongolia and spent time with modern Mongolian tribesman and this giv...more
The author's research is exemplary. Iggulden travelled to Mongolia and spent time with modern Mongolian tribesman and this giv...more
Novelized version of Ghengis Khan's youth. Workmanlike prose, lots of action, pretty tight plotting (from the author's notes at the end, it seems like the vast majority of the departures from history are the author's attempt to create coherent antagonists and tighten the story up). Gives you a neat glimpse of a nomadic life (how authentic the depicted life is, I don't know). Kept me up late a few nights.
Wow. This was one of the better books I have ever read. I loved every page and will start the next book tonight. I also love this author. His writing is superb - not a word wasted. I never once lost interest. He gave just the right amount of description of the setting and the characters. I was just as enthralled reading the after notes where he describes the source of his information and which stories were fictionalized within the novel. Most of what was written appears to have been quite ...more
Iggulden’s novel covers the first twenty or so years in the life of Temujin, the man who would become Genghis Khan. I found this book very enjoyable. From the opening scene, when Temujin and his warriors kill a group of raiders, to the last page, Genghis is filled with action and kept me turning the pages (mostly). I thought Iggulden developed a number of good characters—Temujin, who is likable but also has not-so-admirable qualities; Temujin’s mother, who must provide the strength and guidan...more
Le loup des plaines est le premier tome de plusieurs romans sur la vie de Gengis Khan. Qui dit roman, dit adaptation plus ou moins libre, mais je trouve que Conn Iggulden réussit à faire cohabiter le meilleur des deux mondes. Pour cette partie, nous allons de l'enfance et sa première grande étape de chef de guerre (je garde un peu de suspens).
Pour le roman, l'auteur nous sert une histoire pleine de suspens (bien qu'à priori on sait à peu près comment ça va se dérouler), écrite avec u...more
Pour le roman, l'auteur nous sert une histoire pleine de suspens (bien qu'à priori on sait à peu près comment ça va se dérouler), écrite avec u...more
An historical novel about Genghis Khan and the start of the largest empire the world has even seen. To say it is bloody would be understating more than just a bit. Nevertheless, the story was a plot-filled description of the lives and the people. As an historical novel, the author did take some liberties with some characters, at time conflating two people into one, sometimes omitting a person, and sometimes adding speculative aspects within an historical occurrence. The author explains thes...more
Rather slow to start, this turns out to be a good read that must get accepted as fiction. Iggulden differs sharply with Jack Weatherford on a number of key details in his interpretation of The Secret History of the Mongols. The biggest difference lies in the presentation of Temujin's father who had a far more humble status than Iggulden presents. I would think that could have lent far more drama to the early chapters of the novel. The real conflict between Temujin and Bekter/Begter makes mor...more
After the first 50 pages I wondered why I'd been so eager to read this. It was incredibly dull and just downright gross some of it (drinking fresh pony blood mixed with fresh pony milk - YUM). Thankfully I kept on reading and the plot picked up and it turned out rather good.
It starts out with Temujin's birth and childhood and moves on to his early adult years as he fights for all he believes in (survival and power) and starts to gather the tribes into one.
It's a bit hard ...more
It starts out with Temujin's birth and childhood and moves on to his early adult years as he fights for all he believes in (survival and power) and starts to gather the tribes into one.
It's a bit hard ...more
Genghis: Birth of an Empire brings the reader through the life of one of history's great leaders up to the gathering of three tribes and the defeat of the Tartars. This story is rich with history and with an understanding of what it was like to have lived on the harsh plains of middle Asia, west of the Chins.
It is a story filled with treachery, revenge, honor, luck, fate and skill. It is the story of a fearless man among relatively fearless people.
I must admit I was way o...more
It is a story filled with treachery, revenge, honor, luck, fate and skill. It is the story of a fearless man among relatively fearless people.
I must admit I was way o...more
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it is well researched. It shows that the author spent time living in the steppes with the modern mongols. They are a facinating if ruthless people. The harsh environment creates a hardness and toughness within each person and it is very clear that only the strong can survive. This book is a window not only into the mongols but a window into the type of people difficult circumstances can create. As spoiled americans we don't see actual hardship and difficulty...more
This morning, with spring coming on and a little warm egg yolk dripping onto crispy toast and a mug of hot coffee, I read about thin determined boys starving in Mongolia and refusing to die. Iggulden's a good enough story teller to bring you into the scene, make you feel you could ride and shoot, be a Khan if the chance came. Vanity! Yet exciting. My blood runs hot enough to be engaged.
I've read one of these before, so I expected it to go down easy like a light beer, perhaps unsophist...more
I've read one of these before, so I expected it to go down easy like a light beer, perhaps unsophist...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historical Fictio...: Dec/Jan '12 Group Read: Genghis: Birth of an Empire by Conn Iggulden- Marked Spoilers | 9 | 78 | Jan 02, 2012 02:35pm |
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“Courage cannot be left like bones in a bag. It must be brought out and shown the light again and again, growing stronger each time. If you think it will keep for the times you need it, you are wrong. It is like any other part of your strength. If you ignore it, the bag will be empty when you need it most.”
—
10 people liked it
“He is afraid of you, so he hates you. It would be wrong to hurt him again. It would be like beating a dog after it has loosed it's bladder. The spirit is already broken in him.”
—
2 people liked it
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