Define Short

A Short History of the Mongols by George Lane

London : I.B. Tauris, 2018.

xvi, 236 p. : ill., maps ; 22 cm. 

This is the second "Short History of" book I've reviewed, the previous one being on the Weimar Republic.  I liked that one, but found this history of the Mongols to be too much information for me to take in.  I can't fault the author too much for that, since I think my own ignorance of the period (ca 1206 - 1300) covered in the book made its broad scope overwhelming for me.

Additionally, the events of this period are very convoluted and complex. I think most readers like me will be able to follow along with the rise of Temujin to become the great Genghis Khan, but will be a bit overwhelmed trying to keep track of the rise and fall of his descendants and their khanates - ending with the famous Kublai Khan.   

I think this short history would be a great resource for a student with some prior knowledge of the Mongol Empire, or doing research on that empire.  I think it's a useful resource to have in the library, but will be of limited interest to the general young adult reader.

Roads of Power

The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan
New York : Vintage Books, 2017.
xix, 647 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : colored illustrations ; 24 cm.

This is a well-written enjoyable read that sets out to re-establish the historical roots of civilization further east than is common in the "western" canon.  Instead of placing the thread of history as Greece, Rome, Europe, and US-Europe, Frankopan adjusts the narrative to give prominence that part of the world between the eastern Mediterranean and China/India.

In telling the story he conveys how much vibrant politics, culture and trade was occurring in Central Asia both before Greece and Rome came on the scene and during the so called "Dark Ages" too.  There were some interesting parts of the history that I was not familiar with, especially the in roads into Central Asia made by the Vikings as they brought both pillage and trade down the Volga and trafficked heavily in slaves.

The narrative comes fully into the present with the vital role in recent politics that countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India have played and continue to play and the powerful role that the Silk Roads area has played in the era of oil and gas beginning just before WWII and continuing to this day.

The book is a bit of a doorstop for high school readers, but I would recommend it to students needing source material for reports and to any avid history buffs.