The Horde

How the Mongols Changed the World

By: Marie Favereau

Narrated by: Anne Flosnik

In the first comprehensive history of the Horde, Marie Favereau shows that the accomplishments of the Mongols extended far beyond war.

Favereau takes us inside one of the most powerful sources of cross-border integration in world history. The Horde was the central node in the Eurasian commercial boom of the 13th and 14th centuries and was a conduit for exchanges across thousands of miles. Its unique political regime - a complex power-sharing arrangement among the khan and the nobility - rewarded skillful administrators and diplomats and fostered an economic order that was mobile, organized, and innovative. From its capital at Sarai on the lower Volga River, the Horde provided a governance model for Russia, influenced social practice and state structure across Islamic cultures, disseminated sophisticated theories about the natural world, and introduced novel ideas of religious tolerance.

The Horde is the eloquent, ambitious, and definitive portrait of an empire little understood and too readily dismissed. Challenging conceptions of nomads as peripheral to history, Favereau makes clear that we live in a world inherited from the Mongol moment.

©2021 Marie Favereau (P)2021 Tantor

In Depth look at the Mongols

This was a really well researched book on the Horde. It not only provided numerous details about the Horde, it also provided great insight into the mindset and worldview that Mongols utilized in their decision making. The author also did a phenomenal job of breaking some preconceived stereotypes about the Mongols that have existed for centuries. Great read for a historian looking to learn more about the Mongols.

Dry

Very dry and all the names and relationships became confusing. Perhaps better in print with maps and family trees.

Enjoyed

Interesting book regarding the history and the actions from warriors of the far East. Entertained but probably will not read again. Just not that great of a storyline.

Great book - mediocre narrator

Fascinating book about a difficult subject. Shows how one can govern effectively on horseback.

Narrator is hard to follow.

Golden Horde complete history, well done

The information in this book is great. The author goes into great detail into the beginning created by the death of Genghis Khan and splitting of the country amongst his sons, through the end of the Golden Horde in 1504. I think the author's ideas on the the foundation of the of the many cultures that the golden horde influenced is very well researched and makes very good sense. The narrator is sometimes hard to follow. She has somewhat of a droning voice. Once you get used to her dictation it's a little easier to follow along. If you are a history buff trying to compile a library of Asian history, I would strongly recommend this book.

Only the Golden Horde not the full Mongol Empire

This is an amazing book but if you have no prior knowledge of Mongol history this book will likely confuse you. This book should definitely be listened to after listening to the Jack Weatherford Mongol Empire books. It's also worth mentioning that the book focuses on the history of the Golden Horde which is just the far western part of the Mongol Empire. It does describe history of the other khanates at times but only in relation to their history with the Golden Horde. If you like Mongol history you'll love this book, but definitely start with Jack Weatherford's books first in my opinion.

Book Good, Audio Terrible

The production quality of the audio is deplorable. It is hard for me to determine if the narrator (Anne Flosnik) is simply bad or just being undermined by the audio. In either case, the narration is borderline unlistenable.

The story

The pronunciation of many of the Mongolian names and words is so distractingly wrong that I have to listen 2-3 or more times to guess the word, often from the context. I’m giving up on the audio and switching to the written book.

Terrible Narration

I was very bothered by the pace and dictation of the narrator and couldn't make it through this book even though the material is good.

something is wrong with the sound

I'm listening to the Introduction chapter right now. it's rather uncomfortable to hear so much sibilant noise along with the narration. The narrator has a special accent that's not pleasing. And the tone of the voice doesn't quite fit the subject matter. I'm asking for a refund or exchange for a different title.