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Review
‘Using many contemporary sources, Marozzi creates a convincing portrait of a complex man…An engaging mixture of history, travelogue and contemporary reportage. Well written and skilfully put together.’ Jonathan Sumption, Sunday Telegraph, Books of the Year
‘He has brought the mighty warrior in from the cold and allowed him to stalk these pages with bloody magnificence.’ Sunday Times
‘Walking…about the dazzling buildings that are Tamur’s legacy, [Marozzi] brilliantly conveys how everything goes in cycles, both in nature and in human affairs.’ Daily Telegraph
‘Excellent…Provides a superbly rounded and vivid portrait of one of history’s most fascinating personalities.’ Evening Standard
‘As well researched in libraries as with boots on the ground in some of the world’s more impenetrable places, this is a fine study of a neglected but linchpin historical figure.’ Daily Mail
‘Robust, enthusiastic and richly detailed…full of fascinating, if often gruesome, anecdotes.’ Literary Review
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A powerful account of the life of Tamerlane the Great (1336-1405), the last master nomadic power, one of history’s most extreme tyrants, and the subject of Marlowe’s famous play. Marozzi travelled in the footsteps of the great Mogul Emperor of Samarkland to write this wonderful combination of history and travelogue.
The name of the last great warlord conjures up images of mystery and romance: medieval warfare on desert plains; the clash of swords on snow-clad mountains; the charge of elephants across the steppes of Asia; the legendary opulence and cruelty of the illiterate, chess-playing nemesis of Asia. He ranks alongside Alexander as one of the world’s great conquerors, yet the details of his life are scarcely known in the West.
He was not born to a distinguished family, nor did he find his apprenticeship easy – at one point his mobile army consisted only of himself, his wife, seven companions and four horses – but his dominion grew with astonishing rapidity. In the last two decades of the fourteenth century and the beginning of the fifteenth, he blazed through Asia. Cities were razed to the ground, inhabitants tortured without mercy, sometimes enemies were buried alive – more commonly they were decapitated. On the ruins of Baghdad, Tamerlane had his princes erect a pyramid of 90,000 heads.
During his lifetime he sought to foster a personal myth, exaggerating the difficulties of his youth, laying claim to supernatural powers and a connection to Genghis Khan. This myth was maintained after his death in legend, folklore, poetry, drama and even opera, nowhere more powerfully than in Marlowe’s play – he is now as much a literary construct as a historical figure. Justin Marozzi follows in his path and evokes his legacy in telling the tale of this fabulously cruel, magnificent and romantic warrior.
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However, beyond the rarely staged play by Marlow, Tamer's place in history had been largely neglected. With the assistance of few source materials, but with the benefit of travelling through central asia to cities such as Herat, Samarkand, Damascus etc, Marozzi has written a compelling account of this extraordinary ruler, which I would recommend to anyone with an interest in history or indeed in contemporary politics. Whilst the savagery of Tamerlane's conquests are well captured, Marozzi also makes an interesting case for the cultural impact of Tamerlane and his beloved capital Samarkand.
Alexander was undefeated in 8 years, Tamerlane undefeated in 30.
This is a man who went from nothing to creating one of the largest empires the world has ever seen, all in one lifetime. He successfully captured the likes of Delhi and Moscow and even had the Ottoman Sultan locked into a cage after a key battle. Added to this fact is in early adulthood he suffered injuries that led to him not being able to use 1 arm and 1 leg (hence how Temur the lame got mangled to Tamerlane or Tamburlane). Yet he was still a fearsome warlord just further adds to this amazing tale.
Justin Marozzi however does not shy away from the other side of all war mongers- death and destruction, because just like all steppe nomad warlords, unless capitulation was total and immediate then horrific acts of barbarity ensued. Indeed where as Attila was the start of the period of invasion from the steppe nomads, Tamerlane nearly a thousand years later was to be the last however the barbaric treatment of various civilian populations (particularly in Persia) are not forgotten or glossed over.
There is a careful balance between the man and the campaigns, between the Timurid society and the details of war. The use of source materials from all over the world is highly impressive and really brings the man alive, flaws and all. It is first and foremost a cracking read which really sucks you in and the story is so much larger than life that you can't wait for the next ludicrous (but true) turn of events. Any tale that includes armour plated war elephants with flamethrowers on their backs has to be a must read!
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