Genghis Khan is one of history's immortals: believing he was divinely protected, he united warring clans to create an empire that ran across much of Asia. Under his grandson, Kublai Khan, the vision evolved into a more complex religious ideology, justifying further expansion. Kublai doubled the empire's size until, in the late 13th century, he and the rest of Genghis’s ‘Golden Family’ controlled one fifth of the inhabited world. Along the way, he conquered all China, gave the nation the borders it has today, and then, finally, discovered the limits to growth. In terms of the sheer scale of the conquests, never has a vision and the character of one man had such an effect on the world. This book provides a unique account of the Mongol Empire, from young Genghis to old Kublai, from a rejected teenager to the world’s most powerful emperor.

Product Description: Slavery has been a part of human civilization for thousands of years: the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all kept people in bondage. Although slavery has sparked numerous wars and rebellionsincluding the Civil War in Americamany societies have been unwilling to give up the economic benefits of cheap labor that slavery ensures...read more

Product Description: The first major pop history of the Japanese stealth assassins, John Man's Ninja is a meticulously researched, entertaining blend of mythology, anthropology, travelogue, and history of the legendary shadow warriors.Spies, assassins, saboteurs, and secret agents, Ninja have become the subject of countless legends that continue to enthrall us in modern movies, video games, and comics—and their arts are still practiced in our time by dedicated acolytes who study the ancient techniques...read more

Product Description: The name 'Samurai' is synonymous with the ultimate warrior. With their elaborate armour, fierce swordsmanship and code of honour, the samurai have become iconic figures whose influence can still be felt today. From Kurosawa's epic Seven Samurai to the figure of Darth Vader in Star Wars, to Manga comics and video games, the figure of the fighting samurai still inspires us today...read more

Product Description: The respected historian and travel writer, John Man, tells the remarkable story of the world's most famous traveller -- Marco Polo -- and the moment when East met West for the first time.Marco Polo's journey from Venice, through Europe and most of Asia, to the court of Kublai Khan in China is one of the most audacious in history...read more

Product Description: What would Genghis have done? Lessons in leadership from history’s most successful (and ruthless) conqueror.Genghis Khan has a very strong claim to be the greatest leader the world has ever seen. As a teenager he was an outcast, fleeing enemies on a mountain in northern Mongolia, an exile, a nobody...read more

A portrait based on popular history explores the Hun king's pivotal role in the final demise of the Roman empire, describing how his barbarian forces employed brutal battlefield tactics and held Western Europe in sway for some fifteen years in the mid-fifth century. By the author of Genghis Khan. 15,000 first printing.

Product Description: China’s Great Wall north of Beijing is one of the world’s most famous sights. Millions every year climb the line of stone snaking over mountains. We all feel we know the Wall. But we are wrong. It is too big, too varied, too complex to be captured by a few images or a day-trip...read more

The Terracotta Army is one of the greatest, and most famous, archaeological discoveries of all time. 8,099 life-size figures of warriors and horses were interred in the Mausoleum of the First Emperor of China - each individually carved. This book presents the remarkable story of their creation, their legacy, and the man who ordered them made.

Presents a guide to forty-seven unique destinations on seven continents, including such natural and man-made sites as Branff National Park, Istanbul, Patagonia, Argentina, Varanasi, India, Kyoto, Japan, the Great Wall of China, and Iceland.

A portrait of the man behind the legendary Asian figure discusses his historical role as a dynasty founder, empire leader, and mythological enforcer, discussing the author's numerous travels throughout China, the Gobi desert, and remote Mongolia to gather factual information about Khan's feats and ongoing influence. Reprint. 10,000 first printing.

A portrait based on popular history explores the Hun king's pivotal role in the final demise of the Roman empire, describing how his barbarian forces employed brutal battlefield tactics and held Western Europe in sway for some fifteen years in the mid-fifth century. By the author of Genghis Khan. Simultaneous.

Product Description: The authoritative biography of the great Mongol ruler, by the author of Genghis Khan and Attila.In Xanadu did Kubla KhanA stately pleasure dome decreeKublai Khan lives on in the popular imagination thanks to these two lines of poetry by Coleridge...read more