An Unofficial 'The Rest Is History' Reading List

166. Genghis Khan: Lord of the Mongols

March 22, 2022

Description

The second of two episodes on Genghis Khan, listen to yesterday's pod (165. The Rise of Genghis Khan) before listening to this one! 'An almost sacral figure' in the words of Tom Holland, Genghis...
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Books Referenced

The Secret History of the Mongols

Author: Anonymous (Mongolian)

Context:

Referenced multiple times as a primary historical source about Genghis Khan, mentioned as being written in Uyghur script and containing accounts of the Mongol chieftains and the concept of Genghis Khan as a lawgiver

Fake History

Author: Otto English

Context:

Explicitly mentioned as a book that was reviewed, which referred to Genghis Khan as 'Khan' throughout and portrayed him as enlightened, inclusive, and diverse

Genghis Khan: Life, Death and Resurrection

Author: John Mann

Context:

Described as having written 'a very good book on Genghis Khan' - referenced when discussing how Genghis Khan treated the Tanguts and the argument that this was possibly the first recorded example of attempted genocide

Tarikh-i-Jahan-Gusha (History of the World Conqueror)

Author: Ata-Malik Juvayni

Context:

Persian historian whose history is referenced multiple times, particularly the account of Genghis Khan's speech at Bukhara's minaret. The speaker mentions he spent a decade writing it and finished around 1260

The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

Author: Edward Gibbon

Context:

Referenced as the source who described Subotai's military campaign as 'one of the most extraordinary bits of military achievement in history' - likely from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire