Was Genghis Khan a model of tolerance or a bloodthirsty conqueror leaving mountains of skulls in his wake? According to Frank McLynn, he was both and more. The British historian set a huge task for himself and delivered a large book that tries to make sense of how Genghis Khan, a clan leader of Mongolian nomads, overran the world from the Pacific to the Adriatic, the Persian Gulf through the Arctic Ocean.
That the Mongols were illiterate (and the chronicle of their deeds was kept by their enemies) only complicates the endeavor. Genghis Khan is ultimately about the problem with history and how difficult it can be to gain a clear picture (much less a full understanding) of the past. McLynn writes with evident relish as he puzzles over an unlikely world conqueror whose rise defies any theory offered in explanation. (David Luhrssen)
