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Article: Paleo Khan.(portrayal of Genghis Khan in the novel The Dangerous Book for Boys)(Critical essay)
- Article from:
- National Review
- Article date:
- April 20, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 National Review, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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IN The Dangerous Book for Boys, the name Genghis Khan appears precisely once. It's a passing reference, toward the end, in a section on the Great Wall of China. Yet co-author Conn Iggulden thinks Genghis is worth far more than that. When he isn't writing about how to tie knots or conveying other lessons of boyhood, he's a historical novelist--and he has just completed a rollicking trilogy of books on the Mongolian conqueror. He has chosen an excellent subject.
During the 13th century, the Mongol warlord Genghis Khan and his sons, grandsons, and generals built the largest (in land mass) empire the world has ever known. By 1227, the year of Genghis's death at age ...