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Review
A sweeping account of forty-five centuries of nomadic tribes . . . Ranges from well-known names, such as Genghis Khan and the Mongols, to the less familiar Scythians, Parthians, Khazars and Tocharians . . . Worth reading . . . Now, more than ever, we need a better understanding of this area and its history — Gillian Tett ―
Financial TimesA vibrant account of how roaming warloads shaped technology, religion and culture . . . Harl flips the script to present the booted, felt-capped, leather-trousered and kaftan-wearing nomads as the bearers of civilisation.
Empires of the Steppes narrates history from the viewpoint of famous leaders including Genghis Khan, as well as many that no one remembers today . . . Much of this book is energetically written traditional history, describing battles between kings . . . There are many memorable episodes . . . Harl’s exhaustively researched book will ensure they rejoin the narrative of world history — Marc David Baer ― GuardianFrom Attila to Genghis Khan via Prester John, and from the terracotta army of Qin Shi Huang to the walls that Alexander built to hold back the hosts of Gog and Magog, this is a history of epic scope. Bringing together the empires of the steppe land with the caravan cities of the Silk Road and imperial China, Kenneth W. Harl’s encyclopedic account spans two thousand years of Eurasian history. It is a reminder that what happens in Central Asia seldom stays there but can have consequences that turn the tide of human affairs — Martyn Rady, author of ‘The Habsburgs’
The author covers an impressive amount of ground . Harl observes that the nomads had a lasting effect on the world. The Mongols, for one, brought gunpowder and the arts of papermaking and printing to Europe, and Tamerlane inadvertently shifted the seat of power to the north and west of his homeland from Kiev to Moscow . An ambitious, impressively researched study that will interest advanced students of world history ―
Kirkus ReviewsHarl examines in this comprehensive and accessible chronicle the substantial impact of nomadic peoples from the Eurasian Steppes on the development of modern civilization in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia from 3000 BCE to 1400 CE. Harl demonstrates how nomad invasions shaped history: the Hun invasions of the mid-400s drove Germanic tribes to seek new homes within the Roman Empire, leading to the toppling of Rome; Avar incursions into Byzantium in the 500s and 600s dramatically influenced the subsequent growth and spread of Islamic influence in the Middle East; and Genghis Khan and his descendants created a Mongol Empire that spread from Russia to Japan, drawing new borders in the Middle East and Asia that are still recognized today. While the steppe nomads could carve out an empire, it was not possible to rule from horseback, resulting in a pattern of conquest and collapse that defined Eurasian civilization for millennia; even the Age of European Discovery, Harl contends, can be attributed to the power and riches of the steppe empires that enticed travelers from the West. Marked by its meticulous detail and broad sweep, this is a major contribution to the understanding of how the modern world came to be — Publishers Weekly
In a sweeping account of the so-called “barbarians of the steppes” that stretches across 2,000 years, academic historian Harl explores the turbulent history and enduring legacy of the nomadic societies of Central Asia . Harl also illuminates under-appreciated aspects of the story . The history is brought to life through evocative descriptions and memorable statistics . These vignettes help to paint a more nuanced picture of the enigmatic steppe cultures that, Harl argues, helped to shape the modern world — Shafik Meghji ―
GeographicalA rollercoaster of historical narration, covering 45 centuries of relentless conflict emanating from the grassland steppes in Central Asia — Barnaby Rogerson ―
History TodayBook Description
From the Back Cover
?A rollercoaster of historical narration’ History Today
‘This is a history of epic scope that brings together the empires of the steppe land with the caravan cities of the Silk Road and imperial China’ Martyn Rady, author of The Middle Kingdoms
‘A sweeping account of forty-five centuries of nomadic tribes’ Gillian Tett, Financial Times
‘Flips the script to present the booted, felt-capped, leather-trousered and kaftan-wearing nomads as the bearers of civilisation . . . Harl’s exhaustively researched book will ensure they rejoin the narrative of world history’ Marc David Baer, Guardian
The barbarian nomads of the Eurasian steppes played a decisive role in world history, but their achievements have gone largely unnoticed. These tribes produced some of the world’s greatest conquerors: Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, among others. And their deeds still resonate today.
Indeed, these nomads built long-lasting empires, facilitated the first global trade of the Silk Road and disseminated religions, technology, knowledge and goods of every description that enriched and changed the lives of so many across Europe, China and the Middle East. From a single region emerged a great many peoples – the Huns, the Mongols, the Magyars, the Turks, the Xiongnu, the Scythians, the Goths – all of whom went on to profoundly and irrevocably shape the modern world.
In this enthralling new history, Professor Kenneth W. Harl draws on a lifetime of scholarship to vividly recreate the lives of these peoples from their beginnings to the early modern age. Their brutal struggle to survive on the steppes bred a resilient, pragmatic people ever-ready to learn from their neighbours. In warfare, they dominated the battlefield for over fifteen hundred years. Under charismatic rulers, they could topple empires and win their own.
Amazon Customer –
Well worth reading if you enjoy serious history
Braeside –
This new study of the nomad tribes of Eurasia is most welcome and useful. Written in lucid, approachable style, it also displays sound scholarship, and should be read by all those who wish to understand how the lands covered by Russia and China came to be shaped. That said, it was a little disappointing that there were no maps or photographs, in spite of the fairly substantial price tag. A cheaper, paperback version of the text will make this otherwise good study more accessible.
Simon Merrell –
A fantastic read but as has been pointed out by others the lack of maps is baffling. The Bloomsbury editors must have considered this and apparently decided (or advised the author) that readers will already be sufficiently knowledgeable about the subject matter to know the vast areas covered in this book. I did consider returning the book because I consider it to be a profoundly flawed work without maps. The authority of Mr Harl’s writing is undermined and its informative impact diminished by such a peculiar omission.
peter –
Empires of the SteppesThis is a book that really would have benefitted from having maps. It’s alright for the author to tell us that a confederacy was based in such and such an area and then had dealings with another area or conquered it, but a series of maps would have made this a lot clearer.Beyond that, this is a decent book. It’s interesting and also nice to hear the eastern perspective, rather than only hearing of the tribes when they came into contact with the West. Oddly the Magyars hardly feature.There is a tangible feeling of history repeating itself throughout this book, as a confederacy would form, its charismatic leader would realise he needed the goods of the sedentary peoples to satisfy the needs of his tribes and so would then trade or raid until he got them, before a war would break out, which they’d win, but then the settled people would corrupt part of the confederacy, which would then rebel and start the whole thing all over again.
R J Brown –
I bought a hardback edition of Empires of the Steppes but have today returned it to Amazon for a refund. I have no criticism of the expertise of the author or his encyclopedic knowledge of the subject or of the nuanced nature of his writing…it is without doubt an important book on the subject. However, it is lacking any maps that allow the reader to make sense of the size of the steppes or of the complex linguistic nature of the area. I read the opening three chapters but simply got lost in the geography of the area and the relationship between the different groups that inhabited the steppes and their links to those peoples whose frontiers included the steppes. This is a major defect in what is otherwise an excellent study…and yes I did refer to atlases myself but that did not really help as the steppes tend to be passed over in historical atlases with the exception of the Mongol storm. Though I am loathe to give the book only two stars, this lack of maps is a real obstacle….
Jan Burgers –
Extensive
An atlas or map of each country as they were read would have made the reading so much easier to picture
G. Seifert –
Excellent text – but no visual support
Overall, the book produces a web of historical connetions between the classical Orient, The Romano-Byzantine domain, China and Europe by military-political exploits of those generally underappreciated ‘tribes’ that were continuously braking and making empires throughout Eurasia. While I really got into the text from chapter three or so about the Scythian Tribes, the first two chapters are a little turgid on linguistics and religion. But from there onwards it is an absolute rollercoaster. While there is an alphabetical glossary that is essential to keep some degree of orientation in the dizzying mix of tribes, kingdoms and empires, a structured time line including a dramatis personae and some maps would be very much in need given this relatively overlooked part of world history and thus geography.
Eyicaba –
Satisfaisant
livre neuf, très bien emballé et livraison dans les temps
Alden F Reed –
Excelletn study, very readable
This book is excellent. The author covers a ton of different ethnic groups and empires in a very short amount of time. The author also has a very solid grasp of the latest research into Indo-European studies, which provides a solid background for the whole book. Very readable and accessible even to those who know little about the subject. Central Eurasian history continues to be under studied and this book does a great job of providing some more light on this important region of the world.
Classic –
Really hard to read
I’m not sure who the audience is for this book, but it’s not me. It is very dense and fails to use simple writing tools to help tell his story. For example, sentences and paragraphs are enormously long and detailed. I gave up early. Tell a story, make it interesting.