The Rise and Fall of the Second Largest Empire in History ― How Genghis Khan's Mongols Almost Conquered the World

Emerging out of the vast steppe grasslands of Central Asia in the early 1200s, the Mongols, under their ferocious leader, Genghis Khan, quickly carved out an empire that by the late thirteenth century covered almost one sixth of the Earth's landmass -- from Eastern Europe to the eastern shore of Asia--and encompassed 110 million people. Far larger than the much more famous domains of Alexander the Great and ancient Rome, the Mongol Empire has been surpassed in overall size and reach only by the British Empire.

This book recounts the spectacularly rapid expansion and dramatic decline of the Mongol realm, while examining its real, widespread, and enduring influence on countless communities from the Danube River to the Pacific Ocean.

Thomas J. Craughwell is the author of more than twenty books on history, religion, and popular culture. He has written articles for the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, American Spectator, U.S. News & World Report, Emmy magazine, and Inside the Vatican. He has appeared on CNN, BBC, FOX, EWTN and the Discovery Channel.