Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

By: Jack Weatherford

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Jack Weatherford

Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

The Mongol army led by Genghis Khan subjugated more lands and people in 25 years than the Romans did in 400. In nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought an unprecedented rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization.

Vastly more progressive than his European or Asian counterparts, Genghis Khan abolished torture, granted universal religious freedom, and smashed feudal systems of aristocratic privilege. From the story of his rise through the tribal culture to the explosion of civilization that the Mongol Empire unleashed, this brilliant work of revisionist history is nothing less than the epic story of how the modern world was made.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

Listen to An Interview with Author Jack Weatherford.

©2005 Jack Weatherford (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"With appreciative descriptions of the sometimes tender tyrant, this chronicle supplies just enough personal and world history to satisfy any reader." ( Publishers Weekly)

"There is very little time for reading in my new job. But of the few books I've read, my favourite is Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford. It's a fascinating book portraying Genghis Khan in a totally new light. It shows that he was a great secular leader, among other things." (Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India)

"Weatherford's admiration for Genghis and his firsthand knowledge of many of the sites important in Mongol history give this text an immediacy and a visual quality that are enhanced by Davis’s presentation. When the narrative begins to lag in its final hour or two as it moves farther from the twelfth century, Davis's crisp pace maintains the listener’s interest to the end. An informative and provocative work of popular history." ( AudioFile)

The best history book that I've ever heard

I'm blown away by this book. It fills in a huge gap of human history. How did China learn of Europe, Europe of China? Gunpowder, printing, the compass... and this is just scratching the surface of the impact that the Mongols had. The narration was fabulous. The story was fabulous. I wish that I could give the book more than five stars.

very informative, great story

I'm a history buff myself, and this book did open my eye's somewhat. It is worth listening to, and it is well read. I can say I have learned a lot from this book and will read it again in the future, as it shows how much of the way we are, is a result of Genghis. The west would not be the great place is is today if not for HIM.

A must for anyone interested in history.

This was the first audible book I have ever listened to and I must say I was not disappointed. I found it to be easy to listen to as well as educational. The only problem I am going to have is find books that I will enjoy as much as this one.

surprisingly entertaining

If you could sum up Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World in three words, what would they be?

informative, enlightening, engaging

What did you like best about this story?

This book brought flesh and bones to names we all recognize. I was fascinated by the many things Genghis Khan brought to us. I also appreciated the honesty of the writer concerning Genghis Khan's personal failure as a father and how it impacted his legacy.

What about Jonathan Davis and Jack Weatherford ’s performance did you like?

It was very easy to listen to this book for long spells at a time.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Epic story of a great leader.

Any additional comments?

I try to read nonfiction once in a while to balance my leaning toward dark fiction. This book was a surprise. It was so interesting. I found myself telling my husband about Genghis Khan over coffee in the morning, poor man. I really got caught up in the story. The end of the book is a bit sad as his children and grandchildren were not able to carry on his values.

Informative and Entertaining

For my part a bad narration is a deal breaker. This was outstanding. Even pronunciations of names and locations. in several languages were pretty authentic. Of course some of the geographic points are not the same as they were but current regions and nations were used to keep the reader engaged.

Fantastic research and writing

Where does Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Genghis Khan, although a brutal conqueror, created the foundations of a civil society that established religious freedom, diversity of culture and a system of laws to serve all people regardless of status or wealth.

This is a history of the modern world that we should all be aware of, although, few if any are. You will discover that Genghis Khan was the greatest leader the world is ever known.

Fantastic book.

Great History, Well- Crafted

This is a big story. Jack Weatherford's research was exhaustive and required Herculean effort and persistence. To top it off, he then put it together into a great story that is well-presented here, and that remains relevant to the world that we live in. Anyone interested in history should read, or listen to, this wonderful book and enjoy the fruits of Jack's work.

Fascinating. Will change your view of history.

Genghis Khan was far more civilized than most Europeans of his age. He was just a much better military strategist.

Essential for a non-Eurocentric view of world history.

A must listen

Any additional comments?

I knew almost nothing about Genghis Khan before listening to the book. After lsitening, the narrator/ story left me wondering why I didn't know more. As the story is told one waivers between awe at Khan's leadership ability comming from the background that he did, horror at some of the tactics and disbelief that his story is not a main theme of histry lessons. Fascinating listen.

The narrator has a voice that is very easy to listen to.

I never would have believed it!

If I were to tell you about a leader that was responsible for abolishing torture, granting universal religious freedom, establishing international postal systems, creating the first internationally accepted form of paper currency, creating an alphabet so that people of diverse regions and languages could speak to each other, creating a judicial system with an established court of appeals and so many other innovative progressive systems in a world that was accustomed to centuries of intertribal conflicts, would you guess that I was talking about Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan was responsible for all of that and he was a brilliant military leader whose tactics have been used in modern warfare. I would never have believed this story but the research and references that the author used makes this story indisputable. Read it, you will be amazed and saddened that the world has painted this wonderful leader as a monster.