For the purposes of this review, there will be an in depth analysis of Jack Weatherford’s book titled: Genghis Kahn and the Making of the Modern World. In order to delve deeper into the implications of his book, we need to understand the author and his beliefs.  Mr. Weatherford is a professor of Anthropology at Macalester College. With ten books and countless publications and articles authored, he is a widely respected member of the academic community.  While a majority of that same academic community in the western world stands firm in its thinking that Genghis Kahn was a barbarian and a ruthless conqueror who purely just enjoyed destruction, Mr. Weatherford paints a picture of a kinder, gentler, and more amicable world leader. He comes to this theory by spending a great deal of time “in- country” along with his study of, and opinions formed from, three non-western sources: The Secret History of the Mongols, the Ta' rīkh-i jahān-gushā of Juvayni and the Jami al-Tawarikh of Rashid-al-Din Hamadani.

To begin to understand Mr. Weatherford’s point of view, as well as the world’s, one must first understand where the perception comes from. Nearly all the perception of Genghis Kahn comes from his complete mastery of the battlefield. From simple beginnings, leaning on the ultimate mobility of his well-trained cavalry units that travelled quickly without supply trains, making weapons as they went and finding their own sustenance from the land, to complex psychological warfare that wouldn’t be repeated for a thousand years, Temujin’s prowess and keen understanding of how the human mind works is what truly led to his quick rise to power. If one thing is certain, it is the adaptability of the Mongol army and their leader(s) that lead to their incredible success on the battlefield. Like any army prior or since, their strategy started on the basis of training and discipline. Unlike most of the aforementioned armies, the Mongol forces were not micromanaged or over disciplined. This, along with Genghis’s own brilliant installation of groups of ten, all responsible for each other and higher, led to loyalty previously unseen. Much has been made of the technology the Mongols used in combat. It only takes a cursory glance to understand how important that facet was to the successful campaigns they launched across such great distances with smaller armies. Make no mistake, whether the battle was fought with bows and scimitars, or with “advanced” weapons such as catapults and machine trebuchets along with gun powder, cannons, or fire weapons, Kahn had his army well-armed and well prepared for any situation.  All of that being said, the true mastery came in to play via the strategy. Their spy network, social engineering, and intelligence agencies were on par or better than most that exist today. Kahn’s real gift for war was shown in his tactics towards psychological warfare and terror followed by his pioneering method of inclusion. The art of spreading fear and terror into cities they were approaching not only made the taking of said cities easier, it saved Mongol soldier’s lives in the process. This led to the process of looting cities for resources then including anyone that submitted to Genghis as additional human resources. Be it as engineers, warriors, or fodder. Nothing and no one was wasted.  The Mongol armies stayed fast, brutal, and together. This led to twenty-five years of expansion of a civilization and a subjugation of massive amounts of land, people, and wealth. 
