Review: Master of Rome by John Stack

The glamor surrounding Hannibal and his amazing trek through the Alps with a cadre of elephants during the Second Punic War has captivated history buffs for so long that the First Punic War has been virtually overlooked by many historical novelists.  Likewise, although many authors have written thousands of pages about Rome's fierce legions, Rome's first tentative efforts to build a navy and develop seamanship that would eventually rival Carthaginian mariners who had ruled the Mediterranean for centuries have been largely ignored as well.   But Irish author John Stack has redressed  both of these oversights in his "Masters of the Sea" series of novels.

I was unaware of Stack's efforts until the third book in his series, "Master of Rome", popped up in the available titles on Audible.com.  As I am always on the lookout for stories set in the ancient world, I immediately selected it as one of my choices and was pleased to discover that its story focussed on the naval battles of the last years of the First Punic War.

The story's protagonist, a Greek born Roman prefect named Atticus Perennis, has honed his seamanship fighting pirates (which I learned later is covered by the first book in the series, Ship of Rome) and has learned to use the corvus, a boarding ramp introduced by the Romans to allow them to take advantage of land-type assault maneuvers at sea, to deadly effect.

The Roman corvus, a boarding ramp anchored to the enemy

ship by a sharp spike, is estimated to have weighed over

a ton causing severe instability in rough seas.  Though 

advantageous under the right conditions, it was ultimately

abandoned after the loss of an entire fleet in a storm following
the battle of Cape Ecnomus during the First Punic War.

I had known about the corvus from earlier studies but didn't realize that it was actually used for only a few years during the First Punic War because of the massive loss of ships in a storm following the brilliant Roman victory at the battle of Cape Ecnomus.

Perennis commands one of the few ships that survive the storm and is assaulted by charges of incompetence when he returns to Rome to report the loss to the senate.  We learn that in earlier novels Perennis has apparently made a powerful enemy in the form of Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Asina who earned his cognomen "Asina" meaning "donkey" when, as the first Roman fleet commander, he led an ill-conceived rush to take possession of the Lipari Islands and was subsequently captured by the Carthaginians.   Since I had read only about the glory of the Scipioni in regards to the Second Punic War and the ultimate defeat of Hannibal, I was surprised to learn that the family had someone in the family tree much less militarily successful.  A little research revealed that he was actually a brother to Lucius Cornelius Scipio who begat the much more glorious line of descendants.

Roman galley depicted in a fresco recovered from Pompeii, 1st century BCE -

1st century CE.  Photographed by Mary Harrsch at the Archaeologico Nazionale 

di Napoli in Naples, Italy.

Fortunately, Perennis has a powerful Senator in his corner, and he survives the spurious charges and is placed in command of a new fleet no longer equipped with the corvus.  But this change brings the Romans back to their original problem.  How do they overcome the supremely skilled Carthaginian seamen?   To make matters worse, Scipio Asina is elected consul and ignores any advice Perennis offers to help the Romans achieve victory.

Perennis trains his men furiously but even the most brutal training schedule cannot equal the skills acquired and handed down for centuries by generations of Carthaginian sailors.  However, Perennis manages to maintain a blockade of the city of Panormus and Scipio's legions eventually breach the city's defenses.  But the Carthaginian defense is spearheaded by Greek mercenaries so Scipio refuses to acknowledge Perennis' crucial contributions to the ultimate Roman victory.

In the meantime, Hamilcar Barca has hired another of Perennis' wily countryman from Rhodes to slip through the Roman blockade and keep Barca informed of Roman dispositions of ships and legions.
This Rhodian, a  real historical figure named Hannibal the Rhodian, was almost equal to Perennis in command seamanship and Perennis has to employ every ounce of his mariner's skill as well as a cuning ruse to finally overwhelm the Rhodian's sleek quadreme when the Rhodian attempts once again to run the Roman blockade.  (I noticed in my research that the Rhodian's ship is thought to have been used subsequently as the model for faster Roman ships as the war progressed.)

The Rhodian's capture yields valuable intelligence about the location of the main Carthaginian fleet at Drepana and Scipio Asini is once again, all too quick to jump on the opportunity to grab a fistful of glory and orders a night voyage to surprise the Carthaginians.

Image via Wikipedia

For the sake of historical accuracy, I must point out that in history, Publius Claudius Pulcher, not Scipio Asini, was consul by then, and it is Pulcher who supposedly threw the uncooperative sacred chickens overboard when they refused to eat during the auguries before the battle of Drepana, declaring "Bibant, quoniam esse nolunt " - "Let them drink, since they don't wish to eat!".  Stack includes this bit of theater in his story although some scholars point out that it was only referenced indirectly by Cicero and not documented by Polybius, recognized as the definitive ancient source on the Punic Wars, so  whether it really happened is questionable.

Some reviewers have criticized Stack's consolidation of some of the Roman commanders but I think he meant to streamline the story to improve pacing and allow the reader to focus on the actions of  the main protagonist and antagonists.  Stack also simplifies the Carthaginian command structure by having Hamilcar Barca, Hannibal's father, in primary command of all Carthaginian forces, including the fleet.  In reality, Hamilcar Barca commanded the land forces and did not possess the level of naval acumen attributed to him by Stack in this story.   However, since the story was so engaging I was obviously motivated to research the time period and battles covered further so I gained an understanding of the real details eventually anyway.

Hoping to surprise the Carthaginians, the Roman consul plans to sail under cover of darkness and trap the Carthaginians inside the harbor.  But, Perennis feels his crews are not experienced enough to maintain battle formation at night.  However, Perennis is once again ignored as orders are given to set sail for Drepana.  As Perennis predicted, the ships are soon strung out in a long disorderly line and are spotted by the Carthaginians as they approach the harbor.  The Carthaginians not only escape the trap but turn the tables on the Romans and destroy almost the entire fleet.

But the ever tenacious Romans once again rebuild their fleet and exact their revenge at the Battle of the Aegates Islands, the rousing climax of the novel.

Although a relatively new author, Stack demonstrates a command of the history of the era and the cultures involved coupled with the crucial ability to people his stories with vibrant personalities as well.  I have little doubt that Stack will eventually be ranked among such bestselling historical fiction writers as Conn Iggulden and Harry Sidebottom.

Furthermore, I found Stack's ability to conjure up the terrifying ferocity of an ancient naval engagement with its splintering oars, screaming crewmen, shuddering timbers and gore-slickened decks absolutely riveting.  I definitely plan to go back and read the other books in this series.

An excellent summary of the battles immediately preceding and including the events in this novel can also be read here.

      

Review: Khan: Empire of Silver by Conn Iggulden

It's been two years since Genghis Khan died and his heir, Ogedei, has been consumed with the construction of his new capital city, Qaraqorum (also spelled Karakorum).  His older brother Chaghadai, who considers the Khanate his birthright despite his father's decree, has not been idle either. He meets in secret with the officers of his tumens (Mongol military units of 10,000 men)  and plots to seize the throne before the people of the nations gather to swear their allegiance to the new Khan.

Genghis' brothers, Kachiun and Khassar, have sworn to protect their brother's choice of successor. Their tumens along with those of Subutai are loyal but will they be enough to avert the slaughter of Ogedei and his family?

We also learn that  civil war is not the only catastrophe looming over the hard won Mongol Empire. We discover the young Khan suffers from episodes of severe chest pains and fears his body will betray him before his brother. Then who would lead the nation since Ogedei's son Guyuk is still but a boy?

Conn Iggulden brings the descendants of Genghis Khan vibrantly to life in his latest novel "Khan: Empire of Silver" and I was immediately invested in the outcome of the dynastic struggles between Ogedei and his rivals for the Mongol throne even though most of the thrilling action in the first few chapters of the novel are a tribute to Iggulden's imagination and not specifically documented in historical sources.

The enthronement of Ogedei from a manuscript of  Rashid al-Din.

"Although Genghis had already decided upon Ogedei as his successor, it was two years before he actually assumed the title of Great Khan.  Some suggest it was because Ogedei himself was reluctant, feeling that Tolui might perhaps have been better suited, while other sources suggest it was Tolui who was unhappy about being passed over.  At any rate, a quriltai [kurultai]  was called in 1229 at which the issue was finally settled." -  Storm from the East: from Ghengis Khan to Khubilai Khan by Robert Marshall, University of California Press.
Other sources hint that, although Chaghadai may not have initially challenged Ogedei for head of the empire, his descendants in their subordinate khanate in central Asia wrangled with their royal relations in China in later years.

Mongol leaders within the Chaghadai khanate vied with each other for territory and power. They also fought and engaged in political maneuvers against their Mongol relatives in China. Although the Chaghadai khanate was subordinate to the Great Khan in China, several Chaghadai khans rebelled against this inferior position and sought to assert their independence. - The Chaghadai Khanate - The Metropolitan Museum of Art

So, although the opening struggle did not appear to have occurred, it was certainly within the realm of possibility.

I also could not find references to Ogedei's struggle with a heart condition.  Most sources refer only to a drinking habit that earned the scorn of his older brother, Chaghadai.  But, introducing the threat of imminent death as a major influence in Ogedei's life and the choices he makes as he molds the vast territories conquered by his father into a well-administered empire does add more humanity to the tale.

After the question of Great Khan is settled, Ogedei, along with his younger brother Tolui, march east to complete the conquest of the Chin while Subutai leads the young Mongol princes, including Batu, son of Genghis' dead eldest son Jochi, Guyuk, son of Ogedei, Baider, son of Chaghadai, and Mongke, Tolui's eldest son, on a qwest to conquer the lands west of the empire all the way to the sea.  This is a small rearrangement of history on Iggulden's part as Subutai commanded part of the troops for Ogedei during the action against the Chin before turning his attention to the west but it helped to separate the two fields of operation for the reader.

Ogedei Khan.  Image via Wikipedia

[Spoiler alert] In the east, Ogedei comes up against some of the first devastating uses of gunpowder and his
 troops are mangled badly.  In the book, it is here that Ogedei suffers what appears to be a devastating stroke that leaves him comatose.  His shaman sacrifices 12 white mares in an effort to appease Tengri, the Mongol Sky Father.  But the khan does not stir until the shaman  suggests the sacrifice of a family member in his pleadings to the supreme deity.  Taking the Khan's stirrings as an omen, the shaman requests a meeting with Khassar and Tolui and explains what he believes to be a clear sign of the type of sacrifice the gods have indicated.  At the council, another event happens that points to Tolui as the designated choice.
                                                                                                                                  
The next passages were absolutely heart wrenching to me.  After an emotional day of preparation, Tolui sacrifices himself, but not by drinking a sacrificial brew as described in the The Secret History of the Mongols.  Tolui   performs an act of butchery on his own body as if he was a sacrificial animal.  As I listened, tears actually streamed down my face.

The sacrifice of Tolui has actually been the focus of an interesting analysis by University of Leeds scholar, Geoff Humble in his paper "A Princely Sacrifice? The Death of Tolui in Imperial Mongol Historiography".  He expresses his opinion that various versions of the story were used by the descendants of Tolui, most notably Kublai Khan, to reinforce their political legitamacy.

Meanwhile, Subutai and the princes conquer Russia, Bulgaria and Hungary.  The dynastic complications include friction between Ogedei's designated warlord Subutai and young Prince Batu.  In "Genghis: Bones of the Hills" Iggulden had imagined that Genghis Khan ordered Subutai to track down his son Jochi and dispatch him for disobeying his father and taking his tumens back to Mongolia while his father was mopping up his conquest of the Khwarezmian Empire.  (Some scholars speculate that Genghis actually ordered the poisoning of Jochi but there is no conclusive evidence).  Before Subdutai found Jochi, Genghis' son had fathered a child without a formal marriage ceremony and the boy, Batu, as a bastard, had endured much abuse outside of the Mongol's tribal social structure.

When Ogedei becomes Khan, he orders Batu to join the tumens and undergo military training then take his rightful place in command of a tumen as a prince of the nation.  But Batu has not forgotten who slaughtered his father in the snow and he can barely control his hatred for his superior commander  Subutai.

Much of this part of the story is embroidery as there is no evidence of such a connection between Subutai and Batu but again it added tension to the narrative.

In eastern Europe, the Mongols meet  heavily armored knights including the fearsome Templars and Hospitallers of Crusade fame.  But, as scholar Robert Marshall points out, knights of the  13th century were used primarily as "head-bashers" supported by infantry composed of  untrained and badly equipped peasants forced to fight for their liege lords.  In the battle for Moscow, Iggulden describes how the peasant infantry are actually whipped into battle by troop handlers commissioned by the ruling noblemen.   Furthermore, the knights, although expensively equipped, were also not trained as line officers and offered little in the way of a formal chain of command once the battle was joined.

Examples of 13th century Hospitaller armor.  Image courtesy of Medieval: Total War.

"By contrast the Mongols were a tightly disciplined fighting machine, in which each soldier knew his place and his responsibilities.  He did not fight as an indiivdual, but as part of a massive formation that was led in and out of well-drilled manoeuvres.  When the Mongol army advanced they approached as a series of long single ranks, made up of a number of units.  The first two consisted of heavy cavalry, followed by three ranks of light cavalry.  Out on either flank and up front were further, smaller detachments of light cavalry."

"An encounter with the enemy was rarely a surprise because there were scouts out in the field who were able to communicate with the main body through a system of flags and messengers.  When the enemy had been engaged, either on the flank or in front, the outer detachments quickly became the vanguard and were soon reinforced from the rear.  Once the enemy's position and disposition had been discovered, the three rear ranks of light cavalry would move up through the ranks of heavy cavalry and gallop up to the line.  Rarely would any of these detachments engage the enemy in close combat.  Instead they would detach small squadrons of some ten or twenty riders to gallop across the enemy's line, pouring in a deadly shower of arrows."

"The Mongols also preferred to manoeuvre the enemy's ranks to exactly where they wanted them.  They did this by deploying the manudai, a corp of 'suicide troops' that charged straight at the enemy line.  As they approached within range of the engemy, they would suddenly break ranks, turn and flee.  The sight of the Mongols in flight was a tempatation that most enemy commanders could not resist.  With the enemy cavalry in hot pursuit, the mangudai galloped to a prearranged spot - where the rest of the army lay in wait."  - Storm from the East: from Ghengis Khan to Khubilai Kahn by Robert Marshall, University of California Press, 1993.

The Mongols also employed sophisticated siege weapons in their European campaigns illustrated below in a manuscript by Rashid al-Din:

The graphic description of the hard-fought battles  Iggulden splashed across the closing pages of the novel kept me listening raptly and more than once I went well past the time needed for my morning exercise routine.

There seems little doubt that Subutai and the Mongol Princes could have swept the rest of Europe and only  Ogedei's sudden death (in the book from an apparent heart attack while history attributes it to a protracted drinking bout) saved the rest of Europe from total defeat.  I can't help but  wonder what political differences there would be today if that defeat had, in fact, happened.  Would the current East-West schism have been totally avoided if the ill-timed death of one man had not occurred at that moment in history?



            

Review: Roman Games by Bruce MacBain

Sextus Ingentius Verpa, imperial informant to the vicious emperor Domitian, was a real piece of work, having clawed his way to imperial favor by turning in even the emperor's cousin, Clemens, for atheism.  Now, the disgusting thug lay tangled in his bedsheets in a pool of blood, gripping his "member virilus" and clutching his throat.

But, just as in life, Verpa's death sends terror through his household as troopers of the city prefect round up the household slaves and herd them into a small windowless chamber where they will await the foregone conclusion of the official investigation before being executed in a most hideous manner in the arena.

After all, Roman law was clear.  If any slave should murder his master, all slaves, considered complicit because the murder was not prevented, are deemed equally guilty.

But, this time, the outcome was not going to be as predetermined as in cases in Rome's past.  The city prefect has appointed Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, temporary vice-prefect, to investigate, and the thriving young lawyer, known to history as Pliny the Younger, will not be content to simply go through the motions.
As the case begins to unravel, we find Pliny snared in not only a complicated murder investigation but an assassination plot woven about the imperial throne as well.

Mosaic of a Charioteer at the Palazzo Massimo
Photographed by Mary Harrsch

Bruce MacBain, with a PhD in ancient history, does an excellent job of conjuring daily life in Rome of the late first century CE.  I did not detect a single misstep in his descriptions of Roman housing and decor, Roman law, religion, social obligations, leisure pursuits or entertainments.  He even got the numbers and colors of chariot teams correct for the period,  the whites, blues, greens, reds, purples and golds.   Thankfully, I had just finished the Teaching Company course, The Visual Exploration of Rome: Antiquity's Greatest Empire by Dr. Steven Tuck in which Dr. Tuck explained that throughout most of the imperial period there were four official chariot team colors. But, Domitian introduced two more colors, the purples and the golds.  So, I was gratified when Dr. MacBain mentioned the purples and golds in his novel when Pliny attends the races one day!

Although I was only slightly familiar with the historical Pliny the Younger from my study of Pompeii and the Vesuvian disaster that claimed his uncle, Pliny the Elder, I found Pliny to be an interesting man in his own right and plan to read more of his letters as time permits.  From what I found in my research, Dr. MacBain's portrayal of Pliny closely follows his real persona as discovered in the study of his own writings, the Epistulae (Letters), a series of personal missives directed to his friends and associates that were published in Pliny's own lifetime.

Pliny the Younger's descriptions of the eruption
 of Vesuvius have been invaluable to modern volcanologists
From the Discovery Channel's ''Pompeii'', courtesy of Crew Creative, Ltd 

"We know more about Pliny as a person than we do about most figures from antiquity," MacBain obeserves, "because he was a great letter writer. Through his letters we see many facets of the man. He was a Roman senator and a lawyer with a successful, if not brilliant, career in the imperial administration. He was a landowner with a beautiful villa on the Italian coast. He was a literary dilettante. He was rather vain, rather fussy. At the same time, conscientious and honest. He was curious about the natural—and supernatural—world. He was a very social animal, he had hundreds of friends. His most endearing qualities are his love for his young wife, Calpurnia; his generosity—he endowed a scholarship fund for the boys and girls of his home town; and his humanity towards his slaves and freedmen in an age when that was not common."

Calpurnia was actually Pliny's third wife.  Childbirth was a hazardous undertaking in the 1st century CE and Pliny had already been widowed by it earlier in his life.  So, we can certainly understand his worry over his young wife's advanced pregnancy as the story progresses.

MacBain also introduces us to the flamboyant poet Martial.  This hairsute Spaniard is a pungent blend of crude comedy mixed with sudden, unexpected flashes of introspection.  Although he was known for his ribald epigrams he could also pen verses that encouraged reflection on what was really important in life.

Bronze applique depicting two togate men.
Roman 50 - 75 CE. Photographed at the Getty Villa by Mary Harrsch

An example:

"This is that toga much celebrated in my little books, that toga so well known and loved by my readers. It was a present from Parthenius; a memorable present to his poet long ago; in it, while it was new, while it shone brilliantly with glistening wool, and while it was worthy the name of its giver, I walked proudly conspicuous as a Roman knight. Now it is grown old, and is scarce worth the acceptance of shivering poverty; and you may well call it snowy. What does not time in the course of years destroy? this toga is no longer Parthenius's; it is mine." - Martial, On a Toga Given Him by Parthenius, Book IX,  XLIX.  

We meet Parthenius, a portly and scheming chamberlain of Domitian who acted as gatekeeper to the emperor as the story progresses and learn that even he has joined the inner circle of conspirators plotting Domitian's death.  The chambelain was probably the recipient of many gestures offered to secure a position in the imperial court and someone who an aspiring poet would have had to flatter with verse if he sought to have a copy of his work reach the eyes of the emperor.  Parthenius may have reciprocated with the gift of a toga that could have been worn by the poet to disguise his rather common upbringing and tout his court favor.  But life takes a toll on togas as well as men and Martial confides at the end of the passage that now the toga is more worn and threadbare, it is much more suitable for the real man it now covers.

Martial actually was a friend of Pliny the Younger, who, like many young aristocrats, dabbled in poetry himself and enjoyed  socializing with literary celebrities.  I appreciate the inclusion of  this aspect of Pliny's nature in MacBain's portrayal of Pliny and the opportunity to gain insight into the life of one of Rome's celebrated grammarians living on the precarious edge of imperial patronage.

Image by mharrsch via Flickr

Bust of Domitian 1st century CE

Of course, we also get to meet one of Rome's most sinister emperors, Domitian.  Our first encounter occurs when Pliny is invited to a strange dinner party where the guests are first ushered deep into the bowels of the palace and a bizarre charade takes place where an encounter with Hades himself is reenacted without the guests being forewarned, in an effort to elicit damning confessions from them.  This scene is very reminiscent of a similar audience with Domitian described by Steven Saylor in his novel "Empire".

Domitian's pleasure derived from tormenting Rome's social elite is chilling.  I know Professor Tuck related that he felt many of Domitian's more "transgressive" activities reflected the emperor's efforts to redefine Roman virtus but I can't help but assign a proclivity to sadism to Domitian's psychological profile.

At one point in the novel, Pliny watches as Domitian squashes flies in a prelude to a petulant diatribe against first, Pliny, then Roman society as a whole.  As Domitian veers wildly from condemnation to bestowing  favor upon his hapless visitors and demanding kisses, we can easily understand the fear that must have  permeated Domitian's inner circle.  We also gain sympathy for Domitian's wife, one of the co-conpirators, who is described as bruised so severely even heavy makeup cannot conceal her condition.

Understandably, Pliny  offers to resign his position but the prefect and emperor make it clear that is not an option.  So, he plows ahead, investigating as best he can,  at one point searching through piles of scrolls that comprise his uncle's Naturalis Historia for clues (a respectful nod to the prodigious scholarship of Pliny the Elder).

The emperor Nerva photographed at the
Capitoline Museum by Mary Harrsch

The plot takes many twists and turns as Pliny gets closer to the truth. Will Pliny as an upright officer of the court denounce the killer and expose the imperial treachery even though it may mean the deaths of family friends and some of the most conscientious people in Roman society?  Will the emperor's death ignite a civil war with the emperor's loyal legions in Germania who Pliny fears will swoop down on the eternal city  and wreak revenge on its citizens?  What will happen to Pliny under the rule of someone like Nerva, the conspirators' less than enthusiastic designate?

Nerva was Domitian's immediate successor and he is portrayed in the book much as he was thought to have been in life - a reluctant Caesar who other conspirators selected mainly because of his age, with the thought that he could be a placeholder for a short time until someone more suitable could be found.  But there was more to Nerva than the conspirators may have realized.  If we examine another passage from Martial, we see that the poet, experienced in assessing the motivations of others, lends insight into this "man who would be king":

"He who ventures to send verses to the eloquent Nerva, will present common perfumes to Cosmus, violets and privet to the inhabitant of Paestum, and Corsican honey to the bees of Hybla. Yet there is some attraction in even a humble muse; the cheap olive is relished even when costly daintiest are on the table. Be not surprised, however, that, conscious of the mediocrity of her poet, my Muse fears your judgment. Nero himself is said to have dreaded your criticism, when, in his youth, he read to you his sportive effusions." - Martial, To Nerva, Book IX, XXVI.

Martial, at least, has more than just a little trepidation about Nerva's accession and, as the novel concludes, Pliny soon discovers himself that the new emperor has an edge of ruthlessness about him that Pliny will be unable to deflect.

So we leave Pliny, sobered by his new reality, and must say goodbye to Martial as he leaves for his childhood home in Hispania.  Although Pliny has more adventures ahead of him, Martial will no longer share them and, historically, dies within a few years of his return to Spain.

I look forward to Pliny's next adventure as we fast forward ten years and Pliny embarks on a new career as governor of the province of Bithynia-Pontus in Asia Minor.  I see that his new side-kick will be that salacious gossip-monger Suetonius so I'm sure that will make for a wild ride!

      

Review: Genghis: The Trilogy by Conn Iggulden

I’m about to begin reading Conn Iggulden's latest saga about the descendants of Genghis Khan and realized that, although I read the first three books in the series fictionalizing the life of legendary conqueror Genghis Khan, I hadn’t written a review about them yet. So, I will strive to cover the opening trilogy which, hopefully, will serve as a refresher on the series before I write a review for the latest book.

I have found Iggulden's stories so dynamic with characters so psychologically intricate that they must surely embody the cultural ideal of the nomadic warriors I have read about in my studies.

The first book of the series, "Birth of an Empire", intimately explores not only the daily life of the hardy people of the Asian steppes, but the warrior ethos and competitive drive that shaped the future conqueror and his kinsmen.  We first meet Timujin as a nine-year-old boy racing wildly across the steppes, fiercely challenging his older half-brother for leadership of the small cadre of his siblings who gallop behind them.  It’s as if this scene echoes the pattern we will see repeated throughout his life as he challenges other men, for leadership of, first, the Mongol families, then, later, dominion over the cities and people of the Jin and the desert dwellers of the Middle East.

We meet Timujin's father, Yesugei - not a khan, but a respected war band leader of a tribe considered one of the noble houses of the steppe.  With his cold face and wolf's head sword, Yesugei is the epitome of a Mongol warrior.  He emanates power and it is clear he has inspired his sons to follow his example - at least all but little Timugei, who seems misplaced on a horse and headed for a totally different destiny.

But Yesugei's guidance is cut short when he is poisoned by a band of Tartars and another warrior takes over leadership of the clan, wrenching away Timujin's birthright.  Timujin's mother and siblings are left abandoned on the plain without even the shelter of their family ger, a felt-covered refuge from the biting winds, for comfort.

He and his brothers must use all of the skills their father taught them just to survive the next few years and keep their mother and infant sister fed.  The boys spend their days desperately trying to snare marmots or snag fish in the mountain streams, each day fearfully avoiding other tribesman who might kill them on sight to protect their precious flocks.  They also nervously eye a darkening sky, the first signs of the rapidly approaching winter.  The little family grows thin and weak with only occasional mouthfuls of food - all except Timujin's half-brother Bechter.  Timujin suspects Bechter is not sharing all of his catches and follows him to confirm his suspicions.  When he sees Bechter catch a fish then disappear and return without it, Timujin knows what he must do.  The family will not survive intact if one member is consuming resources but not contributing to the well-being of the whole.

The Secret History of the Mongols tells us that Timujin expresses his frustration to his mother who rebukes him saying:

"Apart from our shadows we have no friends!  Apart from our horse tails we have no whips!"

But Timujin will not let the transgression pass and recruits his brother Khasar to help him stalk and kill their older half-brother.  Iggulden diverges from history a little replacing Khasar with Kachiun, the more thoughtful brother.  Iggulden portrays Kachiun throughout the trilogy as more clever and strategically minded than Khasar, a bold but at times reckless warrior, so I think he made this switch to keep his portrayals consistent.

Timujin takes no pleasure in the death and must suffer the wrath of his mother for the hard decision he had to make.  The Secret History relates to us Hoelun's rage:

"You destroyers!" she yells, "Like a wild dog eating its own afterbirth, you have destroyed!"

Whether Hoelun would have been that angry over the death of a son of one of Yesugei's minor wives may be questionable but it demonstrates the strong bond all members of a clan group have for each other, regardless of direct blood ties.  Timujin never lost respect for his mother and this incident is often viewed as a valuable lesson that instilled the need to forego vengeance and cultivate cooperation and loyalty.  Timujin's dedication to his family is a quality we see surface again and again throughout his life as each novel unfolds.

Image via Wikipedia

Genghis Khan

I think Iggulden does an excellent job of crafting Timudjin's character, a unique blend of innate leadership coupled with a boldness and vision, rare in a man so young but with an edge of ruthlessness.  You easily find yourself respecting the man if not outright admiring him although in this novel, he is still young and not yet hardened by years of war and the inevitable betrayals that plague ambitious men.

Bechter's death is the first of many that will follow as Timujin is propelled towards his destiny.  The family survives the deadly winter and actually begins to slowly rebuild their lives by stealing livestock that wander past their makeshift home.  But Timujin burns to revenge his father and reclaim his birthright at the head of his ancestral tribe.  His father achieved prominence through strategic alliances and this lesson was not wasted on Timujin.  He begins to gather a group of followers.  He also returns to the Olkhun'ut to retrieve his promised bride.  Iggulden's version of this event in Timujin's life is certainly exciting.  But, the Secret History does not record the event with any bloodshed.

Iggulden's tale also contains a rather startling omission, Timujin's "blood brother" Jamukha.  Jamuka had been a friend since childhood and had risen to become the khan of the Jadarans.  When Timujiin's wife is stolen by the Merkits (not the Tartars as portrayed in the novel), it is Jamukha and Togrul, a blood brother of Timujin's father, who help Timujin retrieve her.  Although the Merkits are scattered by the attack, they are not hunted down to the last man.  The eerie scene of human sacrifice Iggulden used for a climax to the chase did not occur either although such rituals were, apparently, occasionally practiced by nomadic peoples in the region according to Iggulden's author's notes.

The successful mission against the Merkits (Tartars in the novel) seems to reinforce the widespread rumors that Timujin is the promised one who will unite the Mongol people.

"...rumour strengthens into hope and hope into prophecy.  Later arrivals report signs and omens.  One man says he has heard an ox bellowing, 'Heaven and Earth agree, let Temujin be the nation's master!' - Genghis Khan, Life, Death and Resurection by John Man.

But fifteen years and many more intertribal conflicts are fought before Genghis claims title to all the nations.

As we begin “Lords of the Bow”, book two in the trilogy, we find the proud warrior has been a bit corrupted by absolute power.  He now clearly sets himself apart from others in the nation.  His ger is now so big it can no longer be quickly disassembled like an average Mongol structure and instead, must trundle along fully assembled on a cart.

Genghis completes his unification of the Mongol tribes and now sets his sights on conquest of the Jin, beginning in the west with Xi Xia.  The leadership of Xi Xia had a rocky past with the ruling Jin, sometimes supporting the ruling Jin emperor and at other times, proclaiming their own.  By the time Genghis and his Mongol hoard arrive on the scene, Xi Xia is ruled by Xiangzong (Li An-chuan), a self-proclaimed emperor who had led a brutal coup d'état against the previous emperor.  Xiangzong had no love for the dynasty ruling the Jin at that time even though Xi Xia was considered a vassal state.  Not wishing to risk his own power base, Xiangzong negotiates a settlement with Genghis and gives his daughter to Genghis as a wife to seal the bargain.

Image via Wikipedia

Genghis Khan's conquests

Although Genghis finds her beautiful and cultured, the marriage disrupts his domestic life.  We also see that Genghis is struggling with doubt about the paternity of his firstborn as well and sadly, cannot bring himself to praise or show affection to young Jochi. To make matters worse, Genghis’ second son torments his older brother mercilessly and does everything he can to undermine his brother in the eyes of the nation.

Genghis’ personal relationships are also complicated by a scheming shaman Kokchu.  Kokchu, in an effort to gain control over Genghis, introduces Genghis’ brother Timugai to opium and soon has the young man hopelessly addicted.

The highlight of this novel is a thrilling description of Genghis’ battle with the Jin at the pass known as Badger’s Mouth.  There, Genghis’ Mongols met between 400,000 and 500,000 Jin warriors arranged in a defensive position that funneled the Mongols into the narrow opening of the pass to neutralize the advantage of the Mongol’s mounted cavalry.  History tells us that Genghis secretly split his forces sending men around the opening of the pass and scaling the peaks surrounding the Jin fortifications. Thus when the Mongols finally attacked, they assaulted the unsuspecting Jin from two sides.  In the novel, Iggulden has the advance troops commanded by Kachiun and Khassar who each demonstrate their respective strengths of cunning and warrior prowess.

Iggulden is masterful at character development and by now I felt as proud of Kachiun and Khassar as if they were my own brothers.



In book three, “Bones of the Hills”, Genghis has turned his hungry eyes westward toward the heart of central Asia and the lands ruled by Shah Mohammed of Khorezm.  The vast Empire of Khorezm extended all the way from the Aral Sea down to the Gulf and from Iraq to India.   But the Shah was not content with his holdings and coveted the empire of the Jin.  However Genghis beat him to the prize.  Genghis sends a delegation to the Shah as a gesture towards establishing peaceful relations but the Shah’s governor of Utrar, greedy for the valuable goods in the Mongol caravan, executes them.  When Genghis hears of the slaughter of his enoys, he gathers over 150,000 of his people and begins marching toward Utrar.


Genghis cuts a cruel swath through what is now modern day Uzbekistan, the battles thrillingly rendered by Iggulden.  But enemies plague Genghis within as well as outside his realm.

Image via Wikipedia

GENGHIS KHAN STATUE BEFORE HIS MAUSOLEUM IN ORDOS,
INNER MONGOLIA, CHINA.

Iggulden adds a plot twist that includes the scheming shaman Kokchu’s rape and murder of  Genghis’ sister during a raid on the camp of the women and children by forces led by Jallalhadin, the son of the Shah.

Thinking he has escaped detection, Kokchu continues his role as advisor to the Khan.  But he was seen coming out of the sister’s tent during the melee and his crimes are finally pieced together.  The creepy shaman is finally put to death by Genghis himself who, with his mother and brothers, takes the shaman for a ride into the wilderness.  The party stops and all dismount.  Genghis reveals his knowledge of the man’s heinous crime and before the shaman can plead for his life, Genghis lifts the man off his feet and snaps his spine, leaving him paralyzed and contemplating a slow death by ravenous wolves as Genghis and his family ride away.

Although this incident was much embellished by Iggulden, the Secret History relates that one of Genghis’ shamans named Teb-Tengri attempted to build a power base of followers in an apparent challenge for tribal leadership and Genghis laid a trap for him in which the shaman was killed by having his spine broken. (Source: Animal and shaman: ancient religions of Central Asia By Julian Baldick) 

By the end of the Khorezm conquest, the slaughter of hundreds of thousands has wearied even Genghis’ faithful brother Kachiun who yearns for peace as he sees age overtaking the warrior family.  Genghis seems drained of what mercy he may have once possessed.  When Genghis hears that his second wife’s father back in Xi Xia has refused to send the annual tribute, he plans to reinvade Xi Xia and raze it to the ground.

Meanwhile, his oldest son Jochi, tired of his father’s refusal to acknowledge his achievements and leadership potential, deserts with his own loyal forces back to the grasslands of the north.  In a fury Genghis orders his friend and famous general Subutai to track Jochi down and “deal” with him. 

In the Mongol’s Secret History, Jochi does die during his father’s lifetime but no definitive description of his death is given. 

Rashid al-Din reports that the great Khan sent for his sons in the spring of 1223, and while his brothers heeded the order, Jochi remained in Khorasan. Juzjani suggests that the disagreement arose from a quarrel between Jochi and his brothers in the siege of Urgench. Jochi had attempted to protect Urgench from destruction, as it belonged to territory allocated to him as a fief. He concludes his story with the clearly apocryphal statement by Jochi: "Genghis Khan is mad to have massacred so many people and laid waste so many lands. I would be doing a service if I killed my father when he is hunting, made an alliance with Sultan Muhammad, brought this land to life and gave assistance and support to the Muslims." Juzjani claims that it was in response to hearing of these plans that Genghis Khan ordered his son secretly poisoned; however, as Sultan Muhammad was already dead in 1223, the accuracy of this story is questionable. – Wikipedia

Although Subutai faithfully follows the order of his Khan, the act is a death blow to their friendship.  However, history tells us that Subutai continued to serve the Khan until Genghis dies, then serves Ogedi until Ogedi’s death as well.

When death finally comes for Genghis Khan at the end of the novel, it is at the point of a dagger wielded by a woman.  Although the actual facts surrounding the great Khan’s death are shrouded in mystery, his death at the hands of a woman is a persistent legend that has been handed down through oral tradition among the Mongol people so Iggulden capitalizes on it.

 Conn Iggulden truly has a gift for bringing the lives of famous people from the past to life.  I’m anxious to begin reading his latest installment in the Mongol saga, Khan: Empire of Silver: A Novel of the Khan Empire.  Ogedi wrests control of his father’s empire from the clutches of his two remaining brothers and his father's four scheming grandsons while Subutai scorches a path through Europe up to the gates of Vienna!



If you find this period of history as fascinating as I did, you may also enjoy the film "Mongol".  There is also a marvelous Chinese miniseries "Genghis Khan".  I was able to get it through Netflix.