Books and Flicks

Gheghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
By Jack Weatherford
Three Rivers Press (2004) 312 pages

This excellent book is a must read for anyone interested in Mongolia and its history. I would also suggest that this is also a good book for the layperson unfamiliar with Mongolia, but a fan of good biographies. This is the story of Chingis Khan, his sons and grandsons and the campaigns they fought across Eurasia. While there already exists other books on this subject, this one is really the first account that moves away from the scholarly and presents the subject as a narrative.

Where the book excels is in its story-telling style, it’s not merely a catalogue of places and dates, but a recounting of battles, personalities and conversations. Among the interesting tales recounted by Weatherford was the celebration of Christmas in the Imperial Mongol court of Mongke Khan, as described by the French traveler William of Rubruck, and the confusion of Europeans, who mistook the rampaging Mongols for a lost tribe of vengeful Jews. These are mere snippets of a larger story that allows modern readers to better understand the Mongols, who they were and where they came from.

Weatherford writes frequently about the interaction between local populations and their Mongol overlords. His descriptions of the Mongol invasions of Europe, and their affects on local populations, are particularly enlightening. The final chapters discuss the legacy of the Mongols left upon the world. He describes how Christopher Columbus had embarked on his journey carrying a copy of the Marco Polo’s travels, believing that he would eventually reach the land of the Great Khans. The same chapter contains a description of Voltaire’s dramatic effort “The Orphan of China, whose cruel villain was none other than Chingis Khan.”

The final chapter of the book, a brief one, describes the authors’ own visit to Mongolia and the ancestral homelands of Chingis Khan.

Dragon Hunter
By Charles Gallenkamp
Penguin Books (2001) 344 pages

Charles Gallenkamp has provided us a much needed biography on the life of Roy Chapman Andrews, the American adventurer who put Mongolia on the map with his dinosaur discoveries in the 1920s. It’s a page turner and good for readers of all persuasions.

Andrews was a rough and ready character whose sense of adventure can best be compared only to characters of fiction – Indiana Jones comes to mind. He discovered fossilized dinosaur eggs in the Gobi and skeletons of various dinosaur species, most of which was brought back to the US and installed in the Natural History Museum of New York, where he worked. Andrews scared off bandits with shots from his pistol, chased down wolves in his Dodge motor car, and filled in the blank spaces on the map.

Gallenkamp does a thorough investigation off all these feats, as well as a useful summary of his upbringing and early career as an explorer and researcher of whales. The book contains photography from the expeditions in the Gobi desert. The author does a fine job of bringing Andrews’ adventures to life, describing in detail the harshness of the landscape, the prodigious wildlife and the customs and habits of the Mongols themselves. Some of his most enlightening descriptions are of Andrews’ interaction with locals and the Mongol officials. The book concludes with a useful epilogue on modern day paleontology in Mongolia and the recent expeditions conducted by the American Museum of Natural History.

Modern Mongolia
By Morris Rossabi
University of California Press (2005) 397 pages

Modern Mongolia is the story of Mongolia’s painful transition from communism to democracy, with particular attention paid the politically tumultuous years at the end of the 1990s and early 2000s. It’s not designed for the layperson, but is instead targeted at readers interested in Mongolia’s political structure, although it could also be a useful aid for the greater development community. Modern Mongolia is a statistic heavy book that relies on the reports and findings of foreign consultants and other fact finding missions. Rossabi interviewed numerous Mongolians to fill in the blank spots, but their personalities are hidden. It’s a dry read, but does not intend to be anything more. Take this with you if plan to work in Mongolia in the field of development.

Ghengis Khan: Life, Death and Resurrection
By John Man
Bantam Press (2004) 388 pages

In this book, author John Man follows in the footsteps of Chingis Khan in order to re-cover some of the missing details of his life. Man thus visits far off destinations in Inner Asia, such as Turkmenistan and the Ordos region of China, regions in which Chingis Khan fought his legendary battles. He spends time in Khentii province in Mongolia, in an effort to climb the mountain most sacred to Chingis Khan, Burkhan Khaldun. It’s neither a travel story nor a scholarly work of history, but attempts to fuse these two disciplines. It's an interesting concept but at almost 400 pages it may be a lot longer than it needs to be. A tighter editing job would have made for easier reading.

Dateline Mongolia
By Michael Kohn
RDR Books (2006) 346 pages

Any reader looking for a blend of travelogue and cultural understanding will find Dateline Mongolia fits the bill. It tells of the author's journeys through Mongolia and its cultural milieu, from turf wars between lamas and shamans to falcon poachers and exiled Buddhist leaders and child jockeys. His first-person encounters with the peoples of Mongolia bring to life the nation's peoples and culture like no other: any general lending collection strong in travel and cultural exploration – particular Asian cultures – will want this. (from Midwest Book review). For both casual tourists and serious scholars of Mongolia, this offers the most in depth, up-to-date perspective on Mongolia. It also makes for fun and easy reading.

The Lost Country
By Jasper Becker
Hodder & Stoughton (1995) 325 pages

One of the first books about Mongolia to appear after the fall of communism, this is still one of the best. Becker is a talented writer and diligent researcher, and this book stands out as unknown masterpiece. He describes his travel adventures in Mongolia, offering chapters on Shamanism, Buddhism, Chingis Khan, Roy Chapman Andrews and others. His revelations about the Stalinist purges of the 1930s were ground breaking. Becker does a good job of using the purges as the common thread that hangs the book together. “The Lost Country” has been out of print for years, so grab one if you can find it. Otherwise, wait ’til you get to Mongolia, locally produced copies are available in many bookshops for around US$8.

Wild East
By Jill Lawless
Summersdale Publishers (2002) 200 pages

Short but sweet is how I would sum up Jill’s book, Wild East. It basically reads like a collection of magazine articles, which is how it formed. Jill lived and reported in Mongolia and having written a number of news articles, she was able to collate them into a book. It was first published in Canada in 2000, but the book currently in print is the UK edition, published one year later and containing an extra chapter. By reading it, you’ll gain a lot of insight into modern Mongolia, pop culture, hot news topics and the numerous ironies that permeate Mongolia. But if you are looking for some dramatic, epic adventure, this is not your book.

In the Empire of Ghengis Khan
By Stanley Stewart
The Lyons Press (2004) 296 pages

In this book, Stewart recounts his journey by horse across Mongolia. His tale actually begins in Istanbul, from where he travels overland across Asia to Mongolia. The ride across Mongolia is well-told and filled with lots of details and keen insight. Stewart is not afraid to voice strong opinions, even when these border on the offensive. Whether by accident or by luck, he also manages to get himself into some interesting encounters - his description of the countryside wedding reveals much about the Mongol charachter. The sarcastic tone is a big downer, but it does have its moments. Its worthwhile if you are planning on doing a horse trek in Mongolia.

Eagle Dreams: Searching for Legends in Wild Mongolia
By Stephen Bodio
The Lyons Press (2003) 256 pages

Bodio's book concentrates on the Kazakhs of Bayan Olgii, with whom he travels and befriends based upon their mutual respect for birds. He writes passionately about eagles and his adventures in western Mongolia. He also writes in a reflective and personal manner that draws in the reader. It's a great story for anyone attempting to live out a life-long dream.

The Story of the Weeping Camel (87 minutes, 2003)
By Byambasuren Davaa, Luigi Falorni
Available on DVD: yes.

This beautifully shot movie will bring tears not just to a camel’s eye, but yours as well. The movie focuses on the hardships of the nomad life and the traditions and rituals associated with it. The story is a unique one; a mother camel gives birth to a rare white camel and rejects it. Unable to nurse, the baby camel faces starvation as the family attempts to care for it. In a last desperate move, the two sons ride to a nearby village to seek the help of a local musician who will attempt to coax to the mother camel into nursing by using the haunting sounds of his fiddle. This is a truly inspiring docu-drama, and recommended whether or not you have been to Mongolia.

The Cave of the Yellow Dog (87 minutes, 2005)
By Byambasuren Davaa,
Available on DVD: yes.

Byambasuren Davaa, who created The Story of the Weeping Camel, comes back at a slower pace with this film. This one is more of a dramatic effort than a documentary but still gives an enticing glimpse into the nomad life. The story focuses on seven year old Nansal who finds a puppy in a cave. The bond between is soon steadfast, but her father would like nothing more than to send it away, believing that it has brought the family bad luck. It’s a good family flick, like a Mongolian version of Lassie. I didn’t enjoy it as much as Weeping Camel, but it’s definitely worth seeing.

Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire
By Christopher Atwood
Indiana University press, Bloomington (2004)

Professor Chris Atwood, well known among the tightly knit circle of Mongolists, has accomplished a monumental feat – the publication of the definitive encyclopedia on everything Mongolia.

A work of monumental work of research and writing, the Encyclopedia of Mongolia and Mongol Empire is a 677 page hard cover beast that covers everything from Abatai Khan to the Zunghars. It contains valuable, well-written, and thoroughly researched information on the most important subjects of Mongolian history, as well as some of its more unknown facts and subjects.

Atwood gives adequate coverage to the Mongol empire and reams of information on Mongol culture, including the fire cult, folklore, art, music and dance. Long misunderstood places related to Mongol history are covered with significant depth, such as the Chinggis Khaan mausoleum (the Eight White Yurts) in Inner Mongolia.

The book contains entries on Mongol sub-groups such as the Daur people who live in northeast China, the Tuvans of Russia, Hazaras in northern Afghanistan and the Inner Mongolians. There is even an entry on the Ewenki people, a little known sub-Manchu group that can under the influence of the Mongols. It also contains entries on countries under the occupation of the Mongol empire; such as Kurdistan, Korea, Lesser Armenia and a host of others.

As an example of the unique inclusions in this book, Atwood gives an entry to the Ossetes, a steppe people who lived between the Black and Caspian seas. The Ossetes, whom I personally had not previously heard of, were taken prisoner by the Mongol hordes and brought to the court of Khublai Khan to serve as guards. As Atwood describes, descendents of these Caucasian peoples can now be found in Aru Khorchin in eastern Inner Mongolia.

Entries often contain notes for “further readering” with a reference to newspaper articles, books and journals. The book includes black and white photos, some of them from archival sources and some taken by Atwood himself. Maps are also included. The author describes his use of transliteration in the introduction of the book, as well as notes on organization. The appendix contains a useful list of political and religious leaders, a chronology of events, a bibliography, and an index. The book is beautifully bound and produced under the series: Fact on File Library of World History. My only complaint is that there is no CD-ROM version. It would be great to have this on a CD-ROM for easy transport when I am traveling.

The list price for the book is US$85, which is pricey for a book but still worth every penny. It can be purchased on line from http://factsonfile.infobasepublishing.com. I urge anyone with a scholarly interest in Mongolia to buy this book as an all-in-one desk reference.