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The Rise and Fall of the Second Largest Empire in History: How Genghis Khan's Mongols Almost Conquered the World Kindle Edition

by Thomas J. Craughwell (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 210 ratings
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How Genghis Khan and the Mongols conquered nearly one-sixth of the planet: “The fascinating story of history’s most misunderstood empire builders.” —Alan Axelrod, bestselling author of Miracle at Belleau Wood

Emerging out of the vast steppes of Central Asia in the early 1200s, the Mongols, under their ferocious leader, Genghis Khan, quickly carved out an empire that by the late thirteenth century covered almost one-sixth of the Earth’s landmass—from Eastern Europe to the eastern shore of Asia—and encompassed 110 million people. Far larger than the much more famous domains of Alexander the Great and ancient Rome, it has since been surpassed in overall size and reach only by the British Empire.

The Rise and Fall of the Second Largest Empire in the World recounts the spectacularly rapid expansion and dramatic decline of the Mongol realm, while examining its real, widespread, and enduring influence on countless communities from the Danube River to the Pacific Ocean.

“Great sweeping history from a superb writer.” —Joseph Cummins, author of The War Chronicles

“A skillful and imaginative storyteller and conscientious historian.” —David Willis McCullough, author of Wars of the Irish Kings
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  1. ISBN-13
    978-1592333981
  2. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  3. Publisher
    Fair Winds Press
  4. Publication date
    February 1, 2010
  5. Language
    English
  6. File size
    32608 KB
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Thomas J. Craughwell shows us how Genghis Khan and his grandson Kublai created a ‘Pax Mongolia,’ which endured nearly a century and brought to some 9 million square miles of our planet stability and a level of civilization previously unknown. Were the Mongols cruel? Often. Fierce? Always. Mindless? Never. Here is the fascinating story of history’s most misunderstood empire builders.”  —Alan Axelrod, author of Little-Known Wars of Great and Lasting Impact and Patton’s Drive

 



“Everything you’ve ever wanted to know—or shuddered at knowing—about the Mongols is here, from the stack of forty million dead bodies they piled up in their wake to the very real peace, the Pax Mongolica, that made all of Asia safe for commerce and opened up known world to new ideas and technologies. In all, great sweeping history from a superb writer.”  —Joseph Cummins, author of The World’s Bloodiest History and The War Chronicles

 



“Thomas Craughwell’s narrative is at once approachable and illuminating, and he has a gift for finding the telling detail. The Mongols ride again in this marvel of erudition.”  —Cormac O’Brien, author of The Forgotten History of America

 

About the Author

Thomas J. Craughwell (Bethel, CT) is the author of a dozen books, including Failures of the Presidents, How the Barbarian Invasions Shaped the Modern World, and Stealing Lincoln’s Body (Harvard University Press, March 2007). He has written articles on history, religion, and popular culture for The Wall Street Journal, The American Spectator, and U.S. News & World Report

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004R1Q110
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Fair Winds Press (February 1, 2010)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 1, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 32608 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 358 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 210 ratings

About the author

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Thomas J. Craughwell

Thomas J. Craughwell

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After four years in a doctoral program studying medieval English literature, three years as a copywriter for Book-of-the-Month Club, and one year as a marketing director for a pricey, upscale travel company, I went into business for myself as a full-time writer in 1992. (Yeah. I can't believe the business has stayed afloat this long either).

As a writer, I really don't specialize; my resume is all over the map. I developed the concept and wrote the script for History Book Club's first television commercial. I've written direct mail for Time-Life Books, TV Guide, The Reader's Digest, Hilton Hotels, and the American Banking Association. I wrote the original Barnes & Noble web site; a series of online e-learning business, finance, and banking courses for the New York Institute of Finance; and a special "History of the Paperback" web site to celebrate Quality Paperback Book Club's 25th anniversary. My 50 States Fandex cards (Workman Publishing, 1998) have sold 700,000 copies (!). And I've published articles in a variety of newspapers and magazines--from The Wall Street Journal to Emmy magazine to the national Catholic news weekly Our Sunday Visitor.

My first book, Every Eye Beholds You: A World Treasury of Prayer (Harcourt Brace, 1999), was a Main Selection of both Book-of-the-Month Club and Quality Paperback Book Club. My book on patron saints, Saints for Every Occasion (Stampley Enterprises, 2001) has been translated into Spanish, Italian, and Polish.

I'm not a professional talking head, but I've been invited to discuss saints, the canonization process, and Catholic history on CNN, EWTN, Ave Maria Radio; and urban legends on the BBC, The Discovery Channel, Inside Edition, and approximately 75 radio stations.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
210 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

M. L. Cockerill
4.0 out of 5 stars Zard review of "Rise and Fall of the Second Largest Empire in History"
Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2017
Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed this book for a number of reasons:
1) It was pithy. I like short and concise. If you give me too much details I get bored. I want the flow.
2) I did not know much about the Mongols or their empire so it was totally new and educational.
3) Even thought it was pithy Craughwell still had some interesting tidbits. Whether they were factual, supposed or just plain gossip I liked it.
4) Basically you go from Genghis Khan to his grandson Kublai Khan. In all 100 plus years. You start with Genghis (at the time of King John of England - more or less) and you to go Kublai (at the time of Edward III and the Black Death - more or less). You go from a guy who is 200 percent Mongolian and end up with a guy who wants to be Chinese. You gotta love history.
5) If you are not familiar with the Mongols and the phenomena of who they were and what they did, it is a great read.
13 people found this helpful
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Matthew Rapaport
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written and paced.
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2023
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The book begins in Genghis Khan’s parent’s generation. Since the Mongols had no written language, this part of the history (the late twelfth century) is a plausible but perhaps not literal history. The firmer historical ground begins when Genghis, by election named “Khan of Khans” for the first time unifies the disparate tribes that until that time had been squabbling with one another since before anyone could remember.

From that time onwards, Genghis, his sons, and grandsons went on to conquer everything from the north and east of Siberia, Korea, and China to Hungary in Eastern Europe, most of the Middle East, and eventually, also Southern China, the only part of their conquering that amounted to more than looting and milking captured territories for wealth shipped back to Mongolia!

That they did all of this with good horses, powerful bows, and technology, like stirrups, that helped them to integrate horse, weapon, and rider, was an amazing feat. As they went they learned other techniques and were smart enough to capture and enslave engineers, doctors, artists, the prettiest women, and sometimes soldiers, usually killing everyone else. What they did and how they did it, and why it eventually stopped, is a tale well told by Mr. Craughwell.
One person found this helpful
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Not Bob
4.0 out of 5 stars A Short History of the Mongol Empire
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2012
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In the history of the world, the empire of the Mongols became, at its peak, the second largest empire in history, only surpassed by the British Empire in the twentieth century. It would be the largest continuous empire under the rule of a single person.

The book starts off with some biographical details about Temujin's early life. Temujin would be known to history as Genghis Khan. He would rise up in the military to unite feuding Mongol tribes to create a new, unified Mongol nation. Instead of fighting each other, the Mongols began conquering a large part of the Asian continent, using mainly their cavalry, as the Mongols did not practice the use of infantry, and later siege weapons to take over fortified towns. The Mongol war machine would expand the empire across Asia at a truly extraordinary rate. At its peak, the Mongol Empire would stretch from eastern Europe in the west, Korea in the east, China in the south, and Siberia in the north.

Despite beginning a great expansion starting in the thirteenth century, the empire as a unified entity did not last long. By the end of the thirteenth century, the empire had split up into four smaller, and essentially sovereign, nations, including what would become the shortest dynasty in Chinese history, the Yuan.

I found The Rise and Fall of the Second Largest Empire in History to be an enjoyable overview of the Mongol Empire. This is not meant to be an in-depth look at the Mongols. There are no advanced discussions about battles or military strategy. Only a few key battles are discussed in detail. I would recommend this book to those who are interested in learning some basics about Mongols and their Empire.
34 people found this helpful
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doodle
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific history
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2023
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Like most Americans I knew very little about the Mongols. This well written history was an excellent eye-opener. Highly recommended.
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leon zhao
3.0 out of 5 stars Kindle maps are not readable
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2024
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This is an ok introductory book on Mongol empire history. But if you want to get a little bit deeper knowledge, Marie Favereau‘s The Horde and Jack Weatherford’s Genghis Khan are no doubt the best of the genre. The maps included in the digital book are not readable, basically useless.
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Cal
4.0 out of 5 stars An amazing story of world domination by a relatively small group of nomads using brutal but effective tactics
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2013
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This book is very interesting with it's mostly 'general' but at appropriate times very specific presentation of one of the greatest stories of the history of the world. Lay historians should enjoy this book as it presents a story that seems mostly relegated to just one great leader who both used the techniques and tactics of his time as well as creating a revolutionary (albeit horribly brutal and ruthless manner of warfare--again typical of the times) method of conquering the majority of the known world (Ghengis Kahn). It helps to know these stories to keep the world in proper context.
One person found this helpful
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L. F. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars Very well done
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2013
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This is a very well done book, but it's important to understand the author's purpose. It is not an academic book or even a scholarly treatment of the history of the Mongol empire and the key figures involved.

Instead, it is a survey of the history of the empire, its culture, and the personalities who were prominent, all related in a narrative, nearly conversational way. There are numerous large colored illustrations and a few maps. It is a very readable book that will more than meet the needs of a more or less casual reader who wants to know more about this very interesting but little known period. As a bonus, the book is printed on heavy, glossy paper a real cut above the typical paperback book.

I liked the book a lot. I wish it had had a few more maps, but that's just a personal preference. I'm much better informed than I was before I read it, and I was entertained in the process of becoming informed. However, this isn't the book for you if you're looking for a scholarly treatment.
15 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Leith Campbell
5.0 out of 5 stars Real history
Reviewed in Canada on September 1, 2023
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Great read, amazing period in the history of China, Europe and Asia
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malmund
5.0 out of 5 stars genghis khan
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 7, 2013
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excellent book which was well written and researched. it really gives you a flavour of what it must have been to live in those times
One person found this helpful
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Evelijn
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent written and very informative
Reviewed in Australia on August 11, 2016
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excellent written and very informative. Thank you, publish more of historical empires.
also very entertaining way of educating non prof..
Thank you again.
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KristenL
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Book
Reviewed in Canada on July 27, 2013
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This book is very interesting. I bought it for my fiance for Christmas, and I have picked up a few times myself to read it. Its very informative, with lots of information and great photos. Great for any History lover.
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peng huang
3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but could be better
Reviewed in Australia on September 4, 2014
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The style of writing is very accessible, and that is why I give it 3 stars. However, the work, in my opinion, does more to explain the rise than the fall. It wraps up to hastily. There must be some fundamental reasons for the decline and fall of the empire, but I am afraid the author is not courageous enough to speak the truth for fear of backlash from politically corrected people.

Also, the scholarship is somehow wanting with respect to the account of the fall of South Song Dynasty. The book only tells half of the story, the capitulation of the Chinese emperor, but it omitted the continued resistance afterwards all together, which is a rather dramatic climax in the Chinese history. May be the author finds it irrelevant to the Mongol story.
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