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Review
" Man does for the reader that most difficult of tasks: he conjures up an ancient people in an alien landscape in such a way as to make them live . . . a gripping present day quest."
- "Guardian" on Attilla
- "Guardian" on Attilla
Book Description
The authoritative biography of the great Mongol warlord, by the author of Genghis Khan and Attila.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Man's style is chatty rather than scholarly, digressive rather than discursive, and the book is all the better for it. I hadn't read any of this history before, so I can't comment on accuracy or balance, but it was a very enjoyable and engaging read. You don't ever really feel that you make a connection with the personal Kublai, but that's probably not really possible over these distances of time and culture. What you do get is a sense of the scale and drive of the Mongol empire, and how it shaped subsequent history - Chinese history in particular. Into the historicial narrative, Man also weaves his personal travels to the key sites. It's a nice way of connecting past and present, even if it doesn't illuminate the subject very much.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Kublai Khan is perhaps one of the most influential men in history, but to many in the West, he is perhaps little more than a name. This is perhaps largely because of the complexity of understanding his story, given that it spans so many places and languages and perhaps because unlike Genghis, Kublai had limited direct interaction with the West. This is what makes John Man's book such a pleasure, he really opens up the history of Kublai Khan to lay readers and historians alike, and provides a very compelling read too.
The works appeal is found in the way that Man is able to avoid the pitfalls of writing a narrative history (namely that done badly it can be very dull) with a discussion of the geography and landscapes that the history covers (something many historians fail to engage with). The work takes us all the way through Kublai's life, with good digressions to provide background detail, with more thematic chapters thrown in toward the end. The book is fairly uncontroversial, though students of Japanese history may dislike the characterisation of Japan in the chapter covering the first Mongol Invasion, though this is balanced out by the view taken in the chapter covering the second invasion.
An interesting feature of Man's work is that he cross references his history with his own travels in China and his discussions with people he has met or are involved in certain sites, this may irritate some history purists; however what Man succeeds in doing is perhaps highlighting the efforts of current archaeologists to uncover more history. Certainly you would hope that someone reading the work may help archaeologists with funding for the marine archaeology in Imari Bay.
All in all, this was a really enjoyable read and certainly a good starting point for anyone with a general interest in Kublai Khan.
The works appeal is found in the way that Man is able to avoid the pitfalls of writing a narrative history (namely that done badly it can be very dull) with a discussion of the geography and landscapes that the history covers (something many historians fail to engage with). The work takes us all the way through Kublai's life, with good digressions to provide background detail, with more thematic chapters thrown in toward the end. The book is fairly uncontroversial, though students of Japanese history may dislike the characterisation of Japan in the chapter covering the first Mongol Invasion, though this is balanced out by the view taken in the chapter covering the second invasion.
An interesting feature of Man's work is that he cross references his history with his own travels in China and his discussions with people he has met or are involved in certain sites, this may irritate some history purists; however what Man succeeds in doing is perhaps highlighting the efforts of current archaeologists to uncover more history. Certainly you would hope that someone reading the work may help archaeologists with funding for the marine archaeology in Imari Bay.
All in all, this was a really enjoyable read and certainly a good starting point for anyone with a general interest in Kublai Khan.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Following on from his best selling book on Genghis Khan, John Man now turns his hand towards the man who consolidated the Mongol Empire and was one of the most powerful people on Earth, Genghis' grandson Kublai Khan. Kublai completed the conquest of China and ruled the largest land empire the world has ever seen. The book follows the life of Kublai from his birth soon after Beijing fell to Genghis, through his rise to power, his reign, his victories, defeats and finally the influence that his life had on the history of China
This book is written in a similar manner to John Man's previous book on Genghis Khan, with a relaxed and sometimes meandering style that makes the book both easy and enjoyable to read. The book seems very well researched with Man often attempting to give as many sides to the story of Kublai's life as he can from a variety of sources. This is definitely a must read for anyone interested in Mongol or Chinese history but it is also good enough to interest any student of history.
This book is written in a similar manner to John Man's previous book on Genghis Khan, with a relaxed and sometimes meandering style that makes the book both easy and enjoyable to read. The book seems very well researched with Man often attempting to give as many sides to the story of Kublai's life as he can from a variety of sources. This is definitely a must read for anyone interested in Mongol or Chinese history but it is also good enough to interest any student of history.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
John Man's Kublai Khan = Exquisite
I'm waiting for the Kindle Edition, though I've had the paperback for some time now (I really like this book). Read more
Published 11 months ago by Capt.Nemo
Kublai Khan In My Home
As an amateur historian I want to know the detail behind the fact. With this well researched and constructed book, Kublai Khan actually sits along side you as you read and tells... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Terence C. Chilvers
if only history books had been like this when I was at school
John Man has a thoroughly engaging style that moves effortlessly between past and present in a way that brings history alive. Read more
Published on 28 Aug 2009 by J. Brook
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