Tamerlane: Sword of Islam, Conqueror of the World - Hardcover

Marozzi, Justin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 030681465X ISBN 13: 9780306814655

Publisher: Da Capo Press Inc, 2006

Synopsis

A powerful account of the life of Tamerlane the Great (1336-1405), the last great Mongol conqueror of Central Asia, ruler of a vast empire, and one of history's most brutal tyrants Tamerlane, aka Temur-the Mongol successor to Genghis Khan-ranks with Alexander the Great as one of the world's great conquerors, yet the details of his life are scarcely known in the West. Born in obscurity and poverty, he rose to become a fierce tribal leader, and with that his dominion and power grew with astonishing speed. He blazed through Asia, razing cities to the ground. He tortured conquered inhabitants without mercy, sometimes ordering them buried alive, at other times decapitating them. Over the ruins of conquered Baghdad, Tamerlane had his soldiers erect a pyramid of 90,000 enemy heads. As he and his armies swept through Central Asia, sacking, and then rebuilding cities, Tamerlane gradually imposed an iron rule and a refined culture over a vast territory-from the steppes of Asia to the Syrian coastline. Justin Marozzi traveled in the footsteps of this fearsome emperor of Samarkand (modern-day Uzbekistan) to write this book, which is part history, part travelogue. He carefully follows the path of this infamous and enigmatic conqueror, recounting the history and the story of this cruel, cultivated, and indomitable warrior. About the Author: Justin Marozzi, a journalist, has traveled extensively throughout the Muslim world. Recently he has been on assignment in Iraq. He is the author of South from Barbary.

About this title

Review:

‘Using many contemporary sources, Marozzi creates a convincing portrait of a complex man...An engaging mixture of history, travelogue and contemporary reportage. Well written and skilfully put together.’ Jonathan Sumption, Sunday Telegraph, Books of the Year

‘He has brought the mighty warrior in from the cold and allowed him to stalk these pages with bloody magnificence.’ Sunday Times

‘Walking...about the dazzling buildings that are Tamur’s legacy, [Marozzi] brilliantly conveys how everything goes in cycles, both in nature and in human affairs.’ Daily Telegraph

‘Excellent...Provides a superbly rounded and vivid portrait of one of history’s most fascinating personalities.’ Evening Standard

‘As well researched in libraries as with boots on the ground in some of the world’s more impenetrable places, this is a fine study of a neglected but linchpin historical figure.’ Daily Mail

‘Robust, enthusiastic and richly detailed...full of fascinating, if often gruesome, anecdotes.’ Literary Review

Synopsis:

Offers a powerful account of the life of Tamerlane the Great (1336-1405), the Mongol successor to Genghis Khan, ruler of a vast empire, and one of history's most brutal tyrants who imposed an iron rule from the steppes of Asia to the Syrian coastline, torturing conquered inhabitants without mercy. 25,000 first printing.

About this edition

• Publisher: Da Capo Press Inc
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 030681465X
• ISBN 13: 9780306814655
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 480