Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

By: Jack Weatherford

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Jack Weatherford

Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

The Mongol army led by Genghis Khan subjugated more lands and people in 25 years than the Romans did in 400. In nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought an unprecedented rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization.

Vastly more progressive than his European or Asian counterparts, Genghis Khan abolished torture, granted universal religious freedom, and smashed feudal systems of aristocratic privilege. From the story of his rise through the tribal culture to the explosion of civilization that the Mongol Empire unleashed, this brilliant work of revisionist history is nothing less than the epic story of how the modern world was made.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

Listen to An Interview with Author Jack Weatherford.

©2005 Jack Weatherford (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"With appreciative descriptions of the sometimes tender tyrant, this chronicle supplies just enough personal and world history to satisfy any reader." ( Publishers Weekly)

"There is very little time for reading in my new job. But of the few books I've read, my favourite is Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford. It's a fascinating book portraying Genghis Khan in a totally new light. It shows that he was a great secular leader, among other things." (Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India)

"Weatherford's admiration for Genghis and his firsthand knowledge of many of the sites important in Mongol history give this text an immediacy and a visual quality that are enhanced by Davis’s presentation. When the narrative begins to lag in its final hour or two as it moves farther from the twelfth century, Davis's crisp pace maintains the listener’s interest to the end. An informative and provocative work of popular history." ( AudioFile)

Great history but romanticizes the Khan dynasty too much

The history itself was factual, interesting and kept my attention for all 13 hours. The performance was great. However, it’s apparent in the dialogue and afterwards that the historians and authors were willing to glaze over the thousands of people the mongols murdered or oppressed in the name of “modernization.” It’s as bizarre and isolating to hear someone write a love letter to someone who was cruel to so many. 3 out of 5.

I learned so much

This is a long but fascinating book. I feel embarrassed at how little I knew about Genghis Khan...even how to pronounce the name. My dominant impression now is that this astonishing man and the nation he created and managed need to be fairly credited. The narrator is first rate, which is a great help in a topic this tedious.

Informative

Really enjoyed it. The book was very informative and combated a lot of misinformation about Genghis Khan.

Great Book

Great book. Most of the current information wss only discovered and translated in 1980's. Not the Genghis Kahn I learned about in school.

An important history and story of the great Khan.

Really changed my knowledge and impression of Genghis Khan. He should be more admired as a thoughtful ruler. His acceptance of or religions was way ahead of his time.

Another misunderstood historical figure

I have listened to several biographies of historical figures that history and common knowledge has represented as nasty, unpleasant and possibly evil. Modern research has however revealed that they have been misrepresented by history and while not necessarily the nicest of people they really weren't as bad as they previously were painted.

This book rewrites Genghis Khan's historical legacy. He was ruthless but it was explained why he was so and in context it make sense. You wouldn't want him as a friend, you certainly wouldn't want him as an enemy but you have to admire his skill at administering a huge empire.

How after years of conquering he settled down to consolidate what he'd won and how he set up trade between the different areas of his empire, how it was all recorded, how information and innovations were spread from the pacific to the mediterranean was impressive to say the least.

Occasionally the history got a bit bogged down but overall it was fascinating and revealing. I won't be racing off to Ulan Bator but I do now have a better appreciation of what he did and how he has changed the modern world.

Best on topic yet

Where does Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Found nothing wrong with it, typical desire for more facing good work

What was one of the most memorable moments of Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World?

Conections to the black plague

What does Jonathan Davis and Jack Weatherford bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

the skew of personal opinion .. tone of voice, etc.. opinions of topic.. from one more than likely more engrossed in the topic

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

mostly data with a few smirks

Any additional comments?

I'd like more referencial data.. maps.. charts.. diagrams of innovations used.. standards knots of the cultures.. stitching patterns.. etc.. yada yada ;)

Excellent, detailed and eye opening

An excellent body of work. Gives great insight into the history of Asia, Europe and the world as a whole.

Amazing bit of history

Its amazing what was done and started by the Mongol Empire that is still used today.

The much maligned Khan

The research for this book, which wa s unfortunately in the epilogue, was deep and told a very different story about the Mongol hoards than we learned in school. How much of the ways of the modern world are based on what Genghis Khan did its amazing. It was his descendents that sadly have him such a bad reputation. The book is a great effort to fill in gaps in Asian history and worth the listen.