Genghis: Lords Of The Bow (2008) - Plot & Excerpts
Oh really? Well, if the above adage is an accurate sentiment, than I think it's equitable to concede that Genghis Khan, ruler of the mightily manly Mongols, vanquisher and subjugator of a quarter of the known world, was...to state it bluntly...the...MAN... Your enemies don't come more dripping with macho-awesomeness than that!! This second installment of Iggulden’s Conqueror trilogy begins several years following the events of Genghis: Birth of an Empire. In the first book, we followed Genghis from his formative, early years through the moment when he begins uniting the various Mongol tribes under his rule of manliness. As I stated previously in my review of that first installment, Iggulden does a superior job of making this complex, enigmatic figure come to life. This second installment maintains the high standards of the first. Inspire of that, I didn't quite enjoy this as much as Genghis: Birth of an Empire, but I think that was more a result of my fussy, unreasonable expectations than any patent failure of quality in the text itself. I shall explain. As I mentioned above, the first book ended with Genghis having begun to unite the various warring tribes into a unified nation. Based on how the first novel ended, I was all revved up and geared in excitement for this book to commence the description of the giant, "out to the woodshed" ass-kicking that Genghis unleashed on the world. I was all expecting the firm smack down of some enemy ass followed by a segue into Genghis pillaging some enemy villages (after kicking some more enemy ass). From there, the narrative was to transition into Genghis stomping some cities into the ground (immediately following another stellar game of stomp the enemy’s naughty bits). After that, we would move into Genghis pummeling more enemies into submission...followed by brief pauses, after plundering a few wealthy towns, to get really, really, really, really drunk and debauched at an impromptu “Genghis is Awesome" celebration. ....then it would be right back to killing and maiming the enemy, expanding the Mongol empire (after capping some more enemies) and finally, after all the asses have been kicked, to climax with a brief segment of taking names, the traditional post-ass-kicking activity. Unfortunately, Iggulden decided to take a more measured and less nut stomping pace to the narrative, which caused me some initial moments of melancholy. However, Iggulden's breezy style and well-crafted plot quickly drew me in and I found myself hooked again by the unveiling of this incredible historical figure's momentous life. Before starting this series, I knew next to nothing about Genghis, which shocks and appalls me given his impact on the world. I have found him prior to be a fascinating figure and one that on many levels I admire greatly. Now hold up John and Jenny "Jump-the-Gun", don’t go getting me wrong and thinking I condone all of Genghis's actions. He was certainly ruthless to his enemies and, at times, conducted wholesale slaughter of those he conquered. It's also true that he was clearly the aggressor and that his campaign was offensive rather than defensive. HOWEVER, in analyzing his actions from the perspective of his own beliefs and motivations, I came to at least understand (even if I did not fully condone) Genghis Khan’s actions. From Genghis’s perspective, the neighboring empires, including the Kingdom of the Xi Xia and the Chin or Chinese Empire, had been responsible for keeping the various Mongol tribes fighting and killing each other for centuries. The Chin had also conducted numerous raids and similar acts of belligerence against the Mongols. Thus, when Genghis united the tribes, part of his motivation was to be able to create a force strong enough to destroy these two enemies in order to secure safety and freedom for his own people. Not exactly a monstrous goal. Now, I admit, that may not be a perfect justification for starting an aggressive war or even as good as say...I don’t know...claiming that the Xi Xia and the Chin were harboring WMDs. However, I still think that Genghis Khan’s desire to create freedom and safety for his people shows his later actions in a different light even if you don’t agree with his decision to invade Iraq Xi Xia. In addition, the book describes how Genghis usually offered his enemies the option of surrendering before he attacked. Of course, if this offer was refused, he would be ruthless to those who refused upon his eventual victory. However, even that was for the purpose of encouraging future enemies to willingly surrender. A cold, calculating decision, yes. But not necessarily bloodthirsty. Genghis is also portrayed as being extremely loyal to those who follow him and inspiring tremendous loyalty in return. He lavishly rewarded those who fought with him and took care of the families of those who died in battle. He cared about his people deeply, and they in turn cared deeply for him. I think this above all else is something I greatly admired about the man as I think inspiring love and loyalty is always worthy of recognition. In summary, while Genghis Khan’s reputation as a bloodthirsty conqueror is not without a basis in fact, I think that Iggulden has shown him to have been a much more layered, multi-faceted historical figure. He had many noble qualities and was a superb leader of men, maybe among the best ever. He was also loved by his people and had understandable motives behind the actions that he took. Though certainly not perfect, I certainly think Gene Roddenberry should have received a bottom-smacking for placing such a great leader in this motley group: in sum, this book was well written, well paced and superbly detailed. I'm looking forward to reading the final volume in the trilogy about this larger than life historical figure. In closing, here are a few famous quotes ascribed to Genghis (Conan fans will recognize the first one): 3.5 to 4.0 stars. Highly Recommended.
An Entertaining and Bloody 4 Stars If you don't know any of the history (and likely some mythology) surrounding the infamous Genghis Khan, I suggest you pick up these books and start reading now. While I was aware of the story of his childhood and his early years, I knew very little of his exploits as a war chieftain. While I was aware that he was successful in bringing together disparate Mongolian tribes I was unaware of the sheer ferociousness and determination of these warriors.This volume tells of the earliest years of his conquests. Genghis Khan had no formal education. He was not trained in leadings massive armies of warriors and was trained in tactics used by small raiding parties. Lords of the Bow paint a picture of a man who possessed natural genius for warfare, an innate ability to lead and the intelligence to seek out knowledge necessary to defeat the enemy Plot summary In this second volume, we follow Genghis on his early campaigns to fight the Chin (Chinese) dynasty. A band of 60,000 mongol warriors, newly formed in a community that violated the ancient tribal of governance of the Mongol people, set themselves against and ancient and advanced civilization. The plot weaves epic battles with a staggering number of combatants with Genghis` quest to obtain and use his enemies knowledge to defeat them. The Good Are you Ready to Rumble! The battles described in the volume, especially the final battle, can be described in one word, EPIC. In these early years, Genghis was able to use his force of 60,000 warriors and the Chinese belief that the Mongol Tribes were weak and disorganized, to its full advantage. In early battles, he used the vast size of his army to overwhelm any city in his path. The final battle in this volume takes place between Genghis` army and the army of Yenking (now modern day Beijing) and the surrounding cities. The author paints a vivid picture of the nearly insurmountable task of the taking the city. Not only was the city wall nearly impenetrable, the entrance to the city plane was through a narrow passage and between a mountain range. The efforts that Genghis army took to besiege the city and fight the army was extraordinary. If nothing else, read the book for the account of this battle alone. Its all in the Detail The author has a wonderful eye for detail. This is not a story of crazed and bloodthirsty Mongols bent on world domination. This is the story of a man. We are afforded a look into the life Genghis Khan but are also in the surrounding cultures and customs. For example, there is a scene where Genghis and his warriors enter an opulent home in a Chinese city. The Mongol warriors have spent their entire life in open plains and living in gers. The author points out that the would have likely felt uncomfortable and unsettled with high ceilings, large rooms and slaves. It is these small details that round out this novel. The Bad What about Bob (and Borte) There is a large cast of characters that are important in the story of Genghis Khan. His wife, Borte, was an important figure in the first book and she was the reason he made many of his early decisions. While the relationship with his brothers continues to be explored, the relationship with his own children and wife is not. For someone that was so affected by his relationship with his own father, I am interested in Genghis the Father and husband. Hopefully this will be explored in later volumes. Final Thoughts While I enjoyed the book, it lacked the overall excitement of the first book. While the siege on Yenking was epic, large portions of the book were left to scheming, planning and searching out people to teach them that which they did not know. Overall, this volume paints a picture of a far sighted man who was prepared to go to some amazing lengths to reach his goal. I am excited to read the rest of the story of Genghis Khan. Content Advisories It is difficult to find commentary on the sex/violence/language content of book if you are interested. I make an effort to give you the information so you can make an informed decision before reading. *Disclaimer* I do not take note or count the occurrences of adult language as I read. I am simply giving approximations.Scale 1 - Lowest 5 - Highest Sex - 2.5 Part of the warrior culture in these books and at this time allowed the victors to take their liberties with the women of vanquished enemies. There is discussion of rape on multiple occasions but there are no graphic incidents. There is a minor sex scene in which sex is implied. There are several other discussions related to sex but overall they are not graphic. Language - 2 There is very little use of what the average reader would consider traditional adult language. There is certainly name calling and phases that would be considered insulting in the context of the culture. Violence - 4 Violence is a major theme in the book. I reduced the rating for the second volume and it was not pervasive as in the first. This volume included far more planning a scheming and less fighting. They violence is not as graphic as in the first novels. There are scenes in which a character is abusive to a woman that are mildly graphic. There is a scene of mass suicide.Cross Posted to TheLiteraryLawyer.ca
What do You think about Genghis: Lords Of The Bow (2008)?
سادة البراريهذه الرواية، هي الجزء الثاني من رباعية السيرة الملحمية للقائد والفاتح المغولي، جنكيز خان.تحوّل تيموجن الذئب إلى جنكيز خان، رجلٌ عليه توحيد أكثر القبائل فُرقة وأكثرها تعطشاً للحرب على الأرض. عقد العزم على تشكيل أمة جديدة من براري وجبال منغوليا المقفرة، ستكون ولادة دموية تجعل قارة بأسرها تجثو على رُكبتيها.طيلة آلاف السنين، أبقَت إمبراطورية تشن القوية والمسيطرة والتي تمتلك أرضاً ثرية وجيوشاً جرّارة شعبه مُمزّقاً ومشتّتاً. لم يكن لدى محاربيه سوى القوس، والحصان، وانضباطٍ شديد جاء من أرض الجليد، والجوع، والموت.كانت الجدران الحجرية تُلقي بظلالها على المُحاربين المغول، فتوجّب على جنكيز إما تحطيم جيش الإمبراطورية المهيمن، أو رؤية شعبه يتبعثر وأحلامه تتحطّم.إضافة إلى هم التعاطي مع العدو الخارجي، كان على جنكيز تسوية الخلافات المستمرة بين جنرالاته، والتوفيق بين أشقّائه الطموحين، والتأقلم مع ردات فعل أبنائه الذين اشتدّ ساعدهم. وهكذا، تحوّل المحارب الشاب إلى قائد عسكري مظفّر، وقد آن الأوان لتحقيق المجد لشعبه.( سادة البراري ) قصة رائعة ملحمية في مداها، مُقنِعة ومُذهلة في سردها، الأهم من ذلك، إستمرار جنكيز خان في الهيمنة على المشهد، فيما يتحوّل من شابٍ يافع في #ذئب_السهول إلى قاهرٍ للأمم.تقييمي لهذه الرواية ٥/٤
—Hassan Nasser
"Genghis - Lords of the Bow" is the second in the trilogy based on the life of Genghis Khan who lived and conquered during the later part of the 12th century and early 13th century. Although this series of books are novels, they are historical novels based on many true and fascinating accounts that were not only recorded in part by his own people, but also by the many peoples he conquered, especially the Chinese. One of the bloodiest battles in history was in 1211 when his mongol armies defeated a vastly larger Chinese army defending a walled city five miles in circumference and with a population of a million people, a city that is now know as Beijing. Genghis was a superb strategist as well as a uniter and leader of many tribes whom he brought together as a nation at a time when this concept was relatively new. Above all, if you enjoy a great tale full of action based on many fascinating historical facts, you will thoroughly enjoy this book as well as the other books Conn Iggulden has written about Genghis Khan. By the way, many people mistake the Mongols of eastern Asia as the "Huns;" this term has come about as a mistake caused by an error in a 19th century French news article when the name "Huns" was confused with the true name for these nomadic people who were in fact Mongols. The Huns were a fierce tribe who invaded Eastern Europe from the north about six hundred years earlier.
—Tony Taylor
Recently I found myself very curious about everything that happened in the past, and when I saw references to Genghis Khan started to wonder about his long gone days. I could have started with his biography perhaps, but Conn Iggulden’s series aroused my curiosity.After uniting the Mongol tribes ("Genghis: Birth of an Empire"), he later on targets and conquers the Chin ("Genghis: Lords of the Bow"). I found the two books were entertaining. But I discovered it was difficult telling fiction from fact, and I realized I wish there was more of the latter. The same I felt was true of "The Gates of Rome", but probably in the same way he could not be refuted. However, this is not a history book, and there's plenty of room for creativity. Nevertheless, I did not like the second as well as the first despite all its bloodshed action. The book certainly has plenty of endless battles and war strategies.The most important and gruesome battle, described in detail by Iggulden, is the one fought at the Badger Mouth. To combat the Mongol advance, the Chin had assembled approximately half a million soldiers (versus the Mongol's 100 thousand) and stationed them at Badger Mouth. However, the Chin appeared to have been overly confident in their numbers and mainly in their defensive position: Genghis eventually circumvented their defenses by sending part of his men over the peaks surrounding the pass, something the Chin thought impossible, allowing him to encircle the much larger army. As a result he slaughtered thousands and the enemy’s soldiers and practically destroyed its army. Advancing the Mongols came to besiege the Chin capital of Yenking (modern day Beijing). There Genghis faced the hard fact of an army (with memories of their own inner resentments) that he had to keep not only fed with spirits but with battles and triumphs. After a siege of years, the city finally surrendered. Regardless, it shows a ruthless man that must have been brilliant and astute to have conquered so much, considering he came from a nomadic and small tribe, and his lack of preparation. To conclude, I am not sure it was worth the time I spent with these two books and I am inclined not to finish the series. I am eager to devote my time to more compelling books.
—Rosana
