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Genghis Khan: His Conquests, His Empire, His Legacy Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Frank McLynn (Author), Tim Andres Pabon (Narrator), Gildan Media, LLC (Publisher)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 316 ratings
Editors' pick Best History
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Mongol leader Genghis Khan was by far the greatest conqueror the world has ever known. His empire stretched from the Pacific Ocean to Central Europe, including all of China, the Middle East, and Russia.

So how did an illiterate nomad rise to such colossal power and subdue most of the known world, eclipsing Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon? Credited by some with paving the way for the Renaissance, condemned by others for being the most heinous murderer in history, who was Genghis Khan?

His actual name was Temujin, and the story of his success is that of the Mongol people: a loose collection of fractious tribes who tended livestock, considered bathing taboo, and possessed an unparalleled genius for horseback warfare. United under Genghis, a strategist of astonishing cunning and versatility, they could dominate any sedentary society they chose.

Combining fast-paced accounts of battles with rich cultural background and the latest scholarship, Frank McLynn brings vividly to life the strange world of the Mongols, describes Temujin's rise from boyhood outcast to becoming Genghis Khan, and provides the most accurate and absorbing account yet of one of the most powerful men ever to have lived.

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  1. Listening Length
    24 hours and 13 minutes
  2. Author
    Frank McLynn
  3. Narrator
    Tim Andres Pabon
  4. Audible release date
    September 4, 2015
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Gildan Media, LLC
  7. ASIN
    B014X33LC8
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 24 hours and 13 minutes
Author Frank McLynn
Narrator Tim Andres Pabon
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date September 04, 2015
Publisher Gildan Media, LLC
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B014X33LC8
Best Sellers Rank #114,428 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#20 in Central Asian History
#90 in Central Asia History
#128 in Medieval European History

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
316 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book well-researched and informative. They describe it as an interesting read with a good writing style. Readers appreciate the details and context provided, though some find the story too long and tedious at times. Opinions differ on the retelling, with some finding it compelling and insightful, while others feel it's too lengthy and repetitive.

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Research qualityReadabilityWriting styleDetailRetelling
26 customers mention "Research quality"26 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-researched and well-written. They appreciate the detailed notes and analyses that enhance their understanding of Genghis Khan and his times. The book provides a comprehensive introduction to an underserved subject area.

"...The expanded biography was more well written and better research than the information you find on Wikipedia and other none peer-review sources...." Read more

"...Thus, although a very comprehensive and interesting book, it gets only four stars." Read more

"The book is amazing and packed with specific information with thoughtful and insightful explanations" Read more

"This book has helped me a lot while writing a final year essay...." Read more

22 customers mention "Readability"19 positive3 negative

Customers find the book engaging and informative. They describe it as an interesting read about Genghis Khan and his conquests. The book is organized chronologically, making it feel like reading a classic.

"Mr Mclynn has written an interesting book about one of the most famous mass murderers in the history of mankind...." Read more

"...of Mongol society, discipline, skills with weapons, tactics, brilliant intelligence operations, and mastery of a battlefield were all combined to be..." Read more

"The book is amazing and packed with specific information with thoughtful and insightful explanations" Read more

"...were well organized and went chronologically and it often felt like reading a roman...." Read more

16 customers mention "Writing style"12 positive4 negative

Customers find the writing style good and in-depth. They say it reads like a college text book.

"...Well-written and interesting but, as before, it is a very lengthy treatment of the subject...." Read more

"...Apart from grandiloquent words, the writing is clear and strong." Read more

"...The first two chapters are tedious and the most challenging sections to read in the entire book. Feel free to skip Chapter 1 if it becomes too much...." Read more

"...What I like about it even more is that it is written in a way so that it makes the story immediate or come to life...." Read more

10 customers mention "Detail"10 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the detailed descriptions in the book. However, some find the content too choppy and graphic. The details provide good context and accurate portrayals of characters like Tolui, Chinggis's youngest son.

"...The best example of this is the accurate portrayal of Tolui, Chinggis's youngest son...." Read more

"...It was the perfect compliment, because like Carlin, Frank McLynn doesn't claim that the Mongol rampage across Eurasia brought great benefits to..." Read more

"The book is amazing and packed with specific information with thoughtful and insightful explanations" Read more

"I enjoyed the detail, not sure if it was all accurate though...." Read more

12 customers mention "Retelling"8 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book. Some find it informative and engaging, with interesting tidbits about 13th century empires and battles for history buffs. Others feel it's too long and detailed, with a lot of names and footnotes that get tedious at times.

"...The expanded biography was more well written and better research than the information you find on Wikipedia and other none peer-review sources...." Read more

"...Also interesting tidbits, e.g. a meditation on just how many people the Mongols actually did kill...." Read more

"The story gets a bit tedious at times with the flood of names with which most of us are unfamiliar, but this is unavoidable given the remoteness of..." Read more

"...It's all here, and it is more than a biography. It's a history really, and a jumping off point for further exploration...." Read more

But that's not Genghis on the cover...
2 out of 5 stars
But that's not Genghis on the cover...
...that's actually a statue of Ögedei Khan. Either the author/publishers were ignorant of the fact or they didn't care? Either way, the scholarship of the book is rendered suspect.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Diana
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Introduction to the Mongol Empire and all its major players
    Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I have been reading about the Mongols via books and academic articles for two decades and primarily in English, Chinese, and Korean. Frank McLynn's book is hands down the best book for newbies of Mongol history. What separates McLynn's book from other books is he included an index of the who is who of the Mongol Empire at the beginning of the book. I can't explain how rare a phenomenon that is. When I was first learning about the Sengoku Jidai, I had to take notes because none of the books I read had a fancy index. Not only did McLynn include an index, but significant figures earned an expanded biography within the book when he introduced the person. The expanded biography was more well written and better research than the information you find on Wikipedia and other none peer-review sources. Most books regarding the Mongols empire over-focus on Chinggis, but this book does not have that problem. All major figures get their due.

    The next point that impressed me about this book was McLynn has a substantial bibliography. It is very diverse, and the only complaint I have is not enough Chinese sources specifically Jin's firsthand account of the Mongol invasion. Therefore, the section that lacks the most information, in my opinion, was where the Mongols fought Jin. For example, the Jin military buildup and reorganization at the time of Chinggis's death was not mentioned. There was no shout out to Jin commanders like Won-Gian Hada, the mastermind behind the Mongol defeat at Dachangyuan, Weizhou, and Daohuigu. Also, those three battles could have been explained better. Despite not having access to those primary sources, McLynn did a fantastic job narrating the Jin campaign. The Jin campaign is the worst research and least understood campaign in Mongol historiography, especially in the West. McLynn had the correct troop movement, placements, and commanders for the later Jin campaign.

    To make up for not utilizing Jin sources, McLynn used Yuan sources. The best example of this is the accurate portrayal of Tolui, Chinggis's youngest son. Academic research into Tolui is problematic, and it's not historians' fault either. It's due to the documentation of that period. The Mongol government banned Tolui's name after his death. People weren't allowed to say, write, or read his name. I believe they even spread an ominous story about bad ghostly things happening for saying his name. The banning caused the Mongols to change the word for mirror from the ancient Tolui to the modern Toli. Due to the banning, Tolui's name is never mentioned in any ancient documentation. He is alluded to or referred to by one of his many titles. Due to the above, most of Tolui's accomplishments get transferred by accident to Ogodei and Chinggis due to misinterpretation. It takes a thorough researcher to research Tolui properly. I was impressed with McLynn for doing the necessary research instead of being lazy and following the same old, outdated narrative that is currently prescribed to Tolui in the west.

    If you're new to the Mongols and know nothing about them besides "Genghis," this book is a great starting point for learning about the Mongols. The research is impeccable, as the examples above show, and the interpretation is reasonably modern. The books focus on three time periods: unification of the nomadic tribe under Chinggis, conquest, and consolidation of the empire under Ogodei. The first two chapters are tedious and the most challenging sections to read in the entire book. Feel free to skip Chapter 1 if it becomes too much. If this book is too broad a subject, then maybe a biography would be a better choice. Paul Ratchnevsky's biography of Chinggis, Morris Rossabi's biography on Khublai, and Michal Biran's biography on Qaidu are reliable places to start. McLynn's book will give a strong foundation on the Mongols. Sadly, there are a lot of hobbyists with no skills in researching publishing works on the Mongols. This book will help you spot them, avoid them, and save your money. Happy readings :D.
    29 people found this helpful
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  • sully
    5.0 out of 5 stars Genghis Khan and the Mongol rampage put into perspective
    Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I essentially agree with David Preslicka's review of this book so I feel no need to make the same points again. Following my listening to Dan Carlin's excellent podcast series called "Wrath of the Khans", I searched for a book on the subject and found this one. It was the perfect compliment, because like Carlin, Frank McLynn doesn't claim that the Mongol rampage across Eurasia brought great benefits to humanity as do many other historians. The mass murder committed by the Mongols in countless cities is put into the balance and the scale is heavy on the side of nihilistic destruction over civilizing benefits.
    The Mongols were military geniuses in all senses of this term and were able to rampage from Korea to Hungary and Ghengis along with his generals were genius personified. The organization of Mongol society, discipline, skills with weapons, tactics, brilliant intelligence operations, and mastery of a battlefield were all combined to be able to defeat the armies of all contemporary medieval societies they attacked. All these aspects of the Mongols were their accomplishments and this book emphasizes this point. Human civilization would have done fine without Genghis Khan and the Mongol rampage, just ask the millions of city dwellers who died horribly at their hands. Without the Mongols, they would have kept living and producing human civilization. This is a great book.
    13 people found this helpful
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  • Paul Y. Gelman
    4.0 out of 5 stars The History of a Mass Murderer
    Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Mr Mclynn has written an interesting book about one of the most famous mass murderers in the history of mankind. This was was Genghis Khan, a man who was destined to murder and obliterate anything and anyone that stood in his way. According to the author, at least 37.5 million people were exterminated by the hordes of Genghis Khan.
    In fact, Mr Mclynn admits right at the beginning that to write a definitive biography of Khan would be impossible, since a biographer would have to master many difficult languages an impossible task for anyone to undertake. Therefore, the result is a synthesis of forty years of research of the Mongolian Empire(including some 100 pages of endnotes).
    Indeed, Genghis Khan's men succeeded in conquering and creating the greatest empire which has ever existed,"a kingdom that stretched from the Pacific to the Caspian, from Korea to the Caucasus, from Siberia to the Yellow River".
    The first chapter is a long one which describes the steppe and the animals which made it possible for the ferocious forces to subdue their rivals. The Mongolian-bred horse had a central role in it. This was a fierce tribal world, into which Genghis was born in 1162, although there is still some controversy among historians about the exact date of his birth. Khan's childhood was one full of violence, and many of his relatives were simpply butchered by other rival clans. Treachery and brutality were the two elements which made up his world, after being named "the Ruler of the World" by various chieftains. In 1206 Genghis started his career as mass butcherer, sacking the Kingdom of Kwarezmia, and destroying many other famous cities and tribes, killing the so many prisoners of war so that his forces would not have to feed them.
    In 1256, while in China, he suddenly died and Ogodei, his son, took over, continuing his father's brutal legacy of conquering Armenia, Georgia and Russia, after which he died-on his way to Austria- like his father, suddenly.
    Mr Mclynn discusses in broad detail Genghis' character. He justifies the rehabilitation of him and admires his military conquests, although his other achievements were "parasitic", because the Mongols created" no literature, no art, no architecture, no techonolgy, no culture". All this in contrast to other "Great" men like Alexander or Napoleon.
    I beg to differ with the term "Great" and personally have never considered the conquerors mentioned as "great" because there is one common thread which runs through their lives: the cruelty and suffering inflicted on many tens of millions of others. Thus, I cannot agree with mr Mclynn's statement the "rehabilitation can be justified".
    The second problem of this book is that in many cases, the writing is full of very obscure and unitelligible phrases that make it hard on the reader to discern their meaning. Thus, although a very comprehensive and interesting book, it gets only four stars.
    19 people found this helpful
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  • Antonio
    5.0 out of 5 stars Extensive book
    Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    The book is amazing and packed with specific information with thoughtful and insightful explanations
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • LuDurigan
    3.0 out of 5 stars MUITA INFORMAÇÃO, MAS É RUIM DE LER. E FALTAM MAPAS, MUITOS MAPAS
    Reviewed in Brazil on October 14, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Dá pra perceber que o autor fez uma baita pesquisa e tem MUITA informação no livro, mas o texto não flui, é ruim de ler. Aparentemente um ghost-writer escreveu/editou o primeiro capítulo (Invasão de Bagdá) porque esse sim é bom de ler. O resto do livro é quase inteiro ruim de ler. Isso sem falar que faltam MAPAS. É inacreditável que alguém se dê ao trabalho de publicar um livro desses sem mapas. Tem tres ou quatro mapas bem precarios no começo e só. Tive que ir no Google, procurar mapas da época do Ghengis e imprimir para poder acompanhar a história. Sem mapas você fica completamente perdido, são muitos nomes e regiões. Vale ler mas estou à procura de livros melhores sobre o Ghengis e o Império Mongol.
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  • Julie Armstrong
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good product
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 14, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Good condition. Good read. Thanks.
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  • Terry Ames
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on December 3, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    A great read.
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