Buy used:
$25.76
FREE delivery May 20 - 29. Details
Or fastest delivery May 20 - 21. Details
Used: Good | Details
Sold by Fast Cat Books
Condition: Used: Good
Comment: Good condition with moderate shelf wear to binding and pages. Some highlighting and notes.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Gabriel Ronay
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Tartar Khan's Englishman Hardcover – January 1, 1978

by Gabriel Ronay (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 32 ratings
See all formats and editions
"A splendid biography...it is gripping reading."--Economist. "No writer of historical fiction or Hollywood extravaganza could invent action half as exciting as are the rare adventures and painful peregrinations of this remarkable 13th-century Englishman."--The Times. Out of a 13th-century monastic chronicle came the seed of this incredible biography of the English-born personal envoy, interpreter, and spy in the house of the Tartar Khan. Pieced together by a Transylvanian writer who discovered the existence of this pivotal figure, it is a tale peppered with kings and warriors and mass murderers--and the mysterious man whose actions and diplomacy preceding the Tartar holocaust have left their indelible stamp on the face of Europe.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    249 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Cassell
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 1978
  5. Dimensions
    7.87 x 5.51 x 1.57 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0304300543
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0304300549
  8. See all details
Next page
Amazon First Reads | Editors' picks at exclusive prices

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cassell; 1st Edition. (January 1, 1978)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 249 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0304300543
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0304300549
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.87 x 5.51 x 1.57 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 32 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Gabriel Ronay

Gabriel Ronay

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
32 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

R. Ross Rodgers
5.0 out of 5 stars One of my all-time favorite books
Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2021
Verified Purchase
Historians who reviewed this book regarded it as historical fiction; surely the man who is the subject of this biography could not have done all those things, But the events and settings are real, the connections plausible, and the story difficult to put down. I have read this book twice, about five years apart, and it likely will become only the second book ever that I will have read three times.
Helpful
 Report
Ryan C My 12
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2021
Verified Purchase
Academic style, but so many interesting and informative tidbits are tucked away in the pages. An Englishman serving a Khan is one of the more intriguing side stories of the Middle Ages. A lot of research pulled from so many sources are within these pages.
Helpful
 Report
DogsInSeattle
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Party Story: Genghis Khan's Pet Englishman Nearly Obliterate Western Civilization
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2018
Verified Purchase
Tell this story at a party, and you will sound wicked smart.
Here's a fascinating and horrifying history lesson none of us knows: An Englishman in Genghis Khan's court helped the Khan nearly obliterate Western Civilzation.
Although his writing and organization aren't faultless, Ronay poses insights into how Western Civ nearly meets its demise.
You can't get this book at most libraries.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Sanjay
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific insight on Genghis Khan
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2012
Verified Purchase
I found the book to be fascinating. It tells the story of Genghis Khan from a Western perspective, as in, what was going on in the West while Genghis Khan was building his empire. This book compliments Jack Weatherford's wonderful book (Making of the Modern World) very well and reveals the events during the crusades that enabled Genghis Khan's success. Surprisingly, the Venetians sold out Europe to the Mongols and caused much of the European and Russian misery in those days.

Highly recommended.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
M. Perera
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2012
Verified Purchase
This is a very little known part of history that would go on to shape the histories of Asia, Europe, and Africa. It chronicles the life of an English knight who was captured or recruited to assist Kublai Khan's government. The book reads like a novel. It is fast moving and covers parts of history, such as the Venetian trade with the Mongols that is virtually unknown. Excellent reading for anyone who is interested in Mongol history.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
halina stewart
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating history
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2016
Verified Purchase
I found this to be a fascinating story, which involved the England of King John, the Crusades, and the reach of the Mongol Empire, in the search for the identity of the Englishman.
Helpful
 Report
Lorna G Bowles
5.0 out of 5 stars Important exposure of British and Mongol history.
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2018
Verified Purchase
Well researched history and what happened behind the Magna Carter.
Helpful
 Report
Scott C. Locklin
3.0 out of 5 stars One of a modern genre: airplane history
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2007
One of the things I have noticed recently in the publishing industry; there is an entire genre of "history" books designed to be read on transcontinental airline flights. A couple of hours, even in the noisy confines of an airplane, and you're done. As such, these books do not contain much in the way of "meat" -though they will doubtless contain a 'zinger' of a topic; generally phrased as a historical detective novel.

This is one of those books. The subject is interesting: Batu Khan had an englishman as his chief negotiator and diplomat. How did the englishman come to be in the service of the Khan? That's the subject of this book. Unfortunately, we only know about this englishman because of one or two documents. While the author does a remarkable (or at least, believable) job of reconstructing who the Englishman was, and what some of his experiences may have been like, the actual material he has to work with is pretty spare. Like other examples of the "airplane history" genre, this could have been a chapter in a book, or a nice article in a journal (it probably originated as such). Most of it is filler. Since the topic is a fascinating one: including the Mongol invasion of Hungary and Iraq, the Magna Charta and King John, the filler is generally good stuff. It is marred by a few things. Despite the lurid nature of the topic, some of the passages are excessively dull. In fact, the first 100 pages, which should be fascinating (dealing as they do with the crusades and the Magna Charta rebellion), require some determination to get through. Considering it is only around 200 total pages, this is unacceptable. There are also passages which envince a naivete which is unbefitting a historian. Perhaps Mr. Ronay is pandering to his audience (i.e. tired mid-level executives flying across the country), but the idea that some exiled priest in the 1200s displayed some kind of complexity of character by "choosing" to be ambassador for the Khan and aiding in the destruction of christendom seems rather unsophisticated to me. Such characters and choices were more the norm in that time than the exception. Finally, the book doesn't seem to know what it is. Is this a serious work of scholarship? If so, why no detailed footnotes? Is it an airplane history book? If so, why quotations in french and latin (aka how many sleepy mid level executives on a 767 speak latin)?

Still, this is worth a bleary eyed read if you're stuck in an airport somewhere.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
ゆうちゃま
5.0 out of 5 stars The best text book to teach us the threat of Mongol
Reviewed in Japan on April 19, 2017
Verified Purchase
This book is very helpful to understand not only about serious threat of Mongol's invasions in the 13th century but also about the today's international situation, because we human-being are still confronting with various problems brought about by inhumane and cruel thoughts, religions, nations and peoples.
One person found this helpful
 Report
MacAllan
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant book. Can only add to your understanding of ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 23, 2015
Verified Purchase
Brilliant book. Can only add to your understanding of the medieval backdrop the UK existed in - and how EUROPEAN we were back then. The panorama of world affairs and how it unfolded during the Tartar onslaught is beautifully written and never loses your interest - even my 22 year old son read it straight through!
Report
William Crossman
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, superlatives don't do it justice!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 10, 2015
Verified Purchase
Brilliant book, I'm still absolutely amazed by it to be honest. Almost can't believe the story was nearly lost, I will be reading this one again! It almost deserves a film being made about it, would recommend to any reader of history or indeed of just amazing stories. .
Report
Sam Spade
5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating and understandable read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 26, 2014
Verified Purchase
Having read a number of books on the Mongol empire, this book covers a new angle on the story and does so in a wonderfully clear and interesting way. The fact that the identity of the Englishman cannot be 100% proved is irrelevant.
Report
TJ MCGINN
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 17, 2014
Verified Purchase
Great condition
Report