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Here are comments from our group of Advance Readers about Conn Iggulden's GENGHIS: Birth of an Empire.
Caroline from Old Bethpage, NY
Have you previously read a book by Conn Iggulden?
I have not read a book previously by Conn Iggulden.
What other historical fiction authors do you read?
I read a good amount of historical fiction --- 6-10 books per year. I have recently completed Bernard Cornwell's Viking series, as well as Robert Harris's books about ancient Rome (POMPEII, IMPERIUM), though I also like more modern American historical fiction.
What did you think of GENGHIS?
A great read! It's fast-paced and involving, with great details on hunting, survival, war --- as well as the brother's relationships. Good historical fiction!
Would you ever read a future book by Conn Iggulden?
Yes, I would read future books by Conn Iggulden. Thank you!
Dianna from Marina, CA
Have you previously read a book by Conn Iggulden?
No, but I have read reviews of his other books, the Emperor novels, and have had them for some time on my very long "to read" list.
What other historical fiction authors do you read?
I read a great many historical fiction books about British royalty, especially the Tudor era. Jean Plaidy, Helen Hollick, Phillipa Gregory, and Hilda Lewis are some of my favorite authors, but I read many others. I also am a big fan of Bernard Cornwell, especially his Arthur Trilogy, Grail Quest and his Saxon Chronicles stories.
What did you think of GENGHIS?
Nicely written, and its fast pacing keeps the reader interested. The book contained a lot of history about the Mongols, but it didn't bog [the story] down. It was a fascinating read about a people I know little about. I am always interested in how people end up as they are, and while this book is fiction, it is a highly credible portrait of Genghis Khan.
Would you ever read a future book by Conn Iggulden?
Yes. I am looking forward to reading future books in the series.
Frank from Darien, CT
Have you previously read a book by Conn Iggulden?
No, I have never read a book by Conn Iggulden.
What other historical fiction authors do you read?
In the past, I have never really been a fan of historical fiction, though I have read works by E. L. Doctrow, Michael Shaara, and Norman Mailer.
What did you think of GENGHIS?
I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I was a little bit sorry that it was written to be the first of a series, but it was very enjoyable and exciting, and was a real page turner. I did a little research on Ghengis while I read the novel, and it seems that Conn stayed true to his early life. He did so while making it a "must read" exciting book for the reader.
Would you ever read a future book by Conn Iggulden?
If this is an indication of Conn's talent, I would be more than happy to read any future works he might write.
Kelsey from Anderson, SC
Have you previously read a book by Conn Iggulden?
No, I have not.
What other historical fiction authors do you read?
Bernard Cornwell, Philippa Gregory, Jeanne Kalogridis, Anya Seton, Michel Faber, Beverly Swerling, Ken Follet, Edward Rutherfurd and others.
What did you think of GENGHIS?
Conn Iggulden has done a marvelous job imagining the world in which Genghis grew up. The myriad influences on his developing character are depicted in a strong, believable manner. Mr. Iggulden clearly did his research, but it never overshadows the very human story of struggle and triumph. I really enjoyed reading Ghengis.
Would you ever read a future book by Conn Iggulden?
Definitely.
Larry from Georgetown, TX
Have you previously read a book by Conn Iggulden?
No --- I found this author through Bookreporter.com.
What other historical fiction authors do you read?
Jeffrey Archer, Bernard Cornwell, Marek Halter, Patrick O'Brian and Patrick Robinson.
What did you think of GENGHIS?
An easy read with powerful storytelling, fascinating historical detail, and fast-paced narration and dialogue. The very effective opening paragraph quickly grew into chapters that were impossible to put down --- I finished it in one weekend. Although I didn't expect the characters in the story to be called "John" or "Fred", I did appreciate the shortening of some of the original names, e.g., "Tarkhutai-kiriltukh" to "Eeluk"! A most enjoyable and highly recommended book.
Would you ever read a future book by Conn Iggulden?
Yes. I'll read the Emperor series next, and then look forward to future works.
Natalie from New York, NY
Have you previously read a book by Conn Iggulden?
No.
What other historical fiction authors do you read?
None recently. Reading fiction has been a luxury, [as there are just] not enough hours in a day.
What did you think of GENGHIS?
I was really interested in the subject as I do not know much about Genghis Khan, except for his enormous influence on history. The book did an excellent job of fictionalizing his childhood and young adult years. I had to hold my breath again and again as Temujin (the birth name of Genghis Khan) and his family endured terrible suffering and violence that was all too common at the time. I particularly enjoyed learning about day-to-day customs of Mongolian tribes.
Would you ever read a future book by Conn Iggulden?
Yes.
Shannon from Pittsburgh, PA
Have you previously read a book by Conn Iggulden?
Thank you, Bookreporter, for introducing me to Conn Iggulden! I have not read any of his previous works, but I will now, and I look forward to his next book.
What other historical fiction authors do you read?
Edward Rutherfurd, John Jakes, James Michener, Diana Gabaldon, Colleen McCullough.
What did you think of GENGHIS?
I loved it! I thought the characters were well developed and the reader got the sense of how important honor was for the Mongols.
Would you ever read a future book by Conn Iggulden?
Yes, most definitely!
Tom from Saint Paul, MN
Have you previously read a book by Conn Iggulden?
Before GENGHIS: BIRTH OF AN EMPIRE, I had not read anything by Conn Iggulden. However, after I finished this book, I read EMPEROR: THE GATES OF ROME so that I could compare GENGHIS with an earlier, and very successful, work by the same author.
What other historical fiction authors do you read?
I read history (recently, MANHUNT: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer, TEAM OF RIVALS: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, and AMERICAN PROMETHEUS: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer) and fiction (most recently, THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST and THE SHADOW OF THE WIND; also, I read a lot of mysteries), but I have read very little historical fiction. Nothing recent comes to mind. Some would put VENGEANCE by George Jonas in this category, and some would include THE DA VINCI CODE. But I don’t think that is what you are interested in. I have to go all the way back to GOSPEL by Wilton Barnhardt and James Michener’s CHESAPEAKE to come up with more appropriate examples. GENGHIS and EMPEROR have made me want to read more in this genre.
What did you think of GENGHIS?
The first thing to say is that Conn Iggulden spins a very good yarn. GHENGIS grabbed my attention on the first page, as Yesugei and his bondsmen moved in to kill the Tartar raiders, and held it to the last page, as Togrul realized that his reception by the Chin was not at all what he had expected. I would most definitely describe the book as a “page turner.”
My first impression, on finishing the book, was that the violence --- the number of battle scenes --- was a bit excessive. It seemed that it was all I had read about. A week later, I skimmed through the book a second time, noting each episode, and was surprised to discover how little of the book is taken up with battles. I think the first time through, I was confusing violence with tension, which is a constant throughout the book. Since it is likely that was true of life in the Mongol tribes, it seems appropriate. On the other hand, the number of mentions of blood and the amount of gory detail does seem excessive, not because it is not accurate, but just because it gets tedious after a while.
I was disappointed that GENGHIS did not tell me more about everyday life in the tribe as THE GATES OF ROME did for everyday life in Rome. We were given a brief look at the felting process while Temujin was with the Olkhun’ut, but little else. However, since Temujin was living outside of tribal life for almost the entire book, inserting tribal life would have been a contrivance. I hope future books in the series will tell us more about this.
Temujin and several of the other men in the book are fully developed characters who come to life as the book progresses. I cared what happened to Temujin and Yesuge. Unfortunately, I cannot make similar statements about the women in the book. The only women who were more than names were Hoelin and Borte. Hoelin briefly comes to life as she rallies her sons to stay alive through the first winter after their banishment from the Wolves, and again in her anguish. Otherwise, she is a figure in the background. Borte is what, in a stage play, would be called an extra. I had the same reaction to the women in THE GATES OF ROME.
Perhaps this does not matter. GENGHIS is a book about men and their battles --- their pride, their loyalties, or lack thereof, and their competition for prizes and survival, all against a backdrop of a harsh and unforgiving environment. Maybe that makes it a man’s book, a book for men. But that excludes a large potential audience. I recognize that this and the two preceding paragraphs may amount to asking the author to have written a different book, and a history book instead of a novel at that.
The book gives several characters, Temujin and Arslan in particular, an unshakable code of honor. I found myself wondering often as I read the book if this was an accurate depiction, or if either the authors of THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE MONGOLS or Conn Iggulden had embellished the truth. Living in our culture, with corruption in government and business and even in our churches, it is difficult not to be cynical about this. However, in GENGHIS, this trait does tend to offset some of the ruthlessness in the book’s characters and make them more admirable. It also made me try to think of leaders today who exhibit this same trait. I’m still thinking.
It is not difficult to imagine an author who has immersed himself in the lives of Julius Caesar and Genghis Khan for several years wanting to write a book like THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR BOYS. At least, this seems so from what I have read in reviews of the book. The contrast between the males of GENGHIS and THE GATES OF ROME, on the one hand, and the males of our own culture on the other, could not be more stark. While we consider ourselves to be more civilized today, it seems that we have lost some things of value in the transformation. Because of this, escaping for a while into the world of Yesugei and Temujin and Arslan was both exciting and disconcerting. It raised questions about the value of compassion and discipline, loyalty and expediency, “doing one’s own thing” and self-discipline.
Finally, an aside. GENGHIS made me realize that I am so comfortable reading about other cultures who speak other languages in books written in the idiom of American English that I don’t even notice it. But when I read phrases like “old son,” “mind you,” “right you are, sir,” and "I should have done,” put in the mouths of Mongol tribesmen or Roman soldiers, I was first jolted and then amused.
Would you ever read a future book by Conn Iggulden?
Yes. I intend to continue with the Emperor series right away, and I will look forward to the second novel in the Genghis series. As a result of reading Iggulden’s book, I am now reading GENGHIS KHAN AND THE MAKING OF THE MODERN WORLD by Jack Weatherford.
Valerie from Fortuna, CA
Have you previously read a book by Conn Iggulden?
I have never read any books previously by Conn Iggulden.
What other historical fiction authors do you read?
I read Judith Tarr and Wilbur Smith, especially the novels dealing with ancient Egypt; there are others I read too, but I simply cannot remember the authors right at the moment! I have also read Gary Jennings's Aztec historical novels, as well as many of James Michener's classics; Steve Berry's more recent historical novels, THE ALEXANDRIA LINK, THE ROMANOV PROPHECY, etc. and others too numerous for me to even recall at the moment.
What did you think of GENGHIS?
I enjoyed GENGHIS; it was interesting to see how difficult life would have been for the inhabitants of the steppes, and other parts of Asia. It would also explain why Genghis Khan became such a ruthless leader. He was trying to unite the tribes (safety in numbers), and the environment was a hard and bitter one, which made its inhabitants see all of life as very difficult, as more of a series of trials than thinking they had a purpose to their lives.
Would you ever read a future book by Conn Iggulden?
Yes, I would read another book by this author; I would especially be interested in anything written about the Ancient Egyptians, the Chinese dynasties, or other Asian backgrounds. I find these settings fascinating.
Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this book and respond to your questions; it was a great pleasure to be one of the people picked to do so!
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