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The Secret History of the Mongols

Introduction by Christopher P. Atwood
Translated by Christopher P. Atwood
Paperback
$20.00 US
5.08"W x 7.72"H x 1.06"D   (12.9 x 19.6 x 2.7 cm) | 13 oz (357 g) | 40 per carton
On sale Sep 26, 2023 | 480 Pages | 9780241197912
Sales rights: US, Canada, Open Mkt

An inventive translation of a great historical epic, and the oldest surviving literary work in the Mongolian language, recounting the turbulent life and times of Genghis Khan and his Dothraki-like, nomadic horse lords

A Penguin Classic


The Secret History of the Mongols is one of the literary wonders of the world. Writing in the thirteenth century, the Secret Historian - whose identity remains unknown - combines insider history and verse to chronicle the life of Genghis Khan and the empire he founded. Following Genghis from his early years, through feasts and fights, alliances, rivalries and betrayals, we witness the birth of a new regime, and a unified Mongolia whose hordes swept across the steppe and remade the medieval world. It was a world of vast nomad tent cities and warrior horse lords, governed by a distant Heaven, a world which draws near in this vivid new translation.
“A spectacular text and a wonderful edition”
—Peter Frankopan, author of The Earth Transformed: An Untold History
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Available for sale non-exclusive:
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•     Cape Verde
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•     Sth Terr. Franc
•     Sudan
•     Suriname
•     Svalbard
•     Sweden
•     Switzerland
•     Syria
•     Tadschikistan
•     Taiwan
•     Thailand
•     Timor-Leste
•     Togo
•     Tokelau Islands
•     Tunisia
•     Turkey
•     Turkmenistan
•     Ukraine
•     Unit.Arab Emir.
•     Uruguay
•     Uzbekistan
•     Vatican City
•     Venezuela
•     Vietnam
•     Wallis,Futuna
•     West Saharan
•     Western Samoa
•     Yemen

Not available for sale:
•     Antigua/Barbuda
•     Australia
•     Bahamas
•     Bangladesh
•     Barbados
•     Belize
•     Bermuda
•     Botswana
•     Brit.Ind.Oc.Ter
•     Brit.Virgin Is.
•     Brunei
•     Cayman Islands
•     Christmas Islnd
•     Cocos Islands
•     Cyprus
•     Dominica
•     Falkland Islnds
•     Fiji
•     Gambia
•     Ghana
•     Gibraltar
•     Grenada
•     Guernsey
•     Guyana
•     India
•     Ireland
•     Isle of Man
•     Jamaica
•     Jersey
•     Kenya
•     Kiribati
•     Lesotho
•     Malawi
•     Malaysia
•     Malta
•     Mauritius
•     Montserrat
•     Mozambique
•     Namibia
•     Nauru
•     New Zealand
•     Nigeria
•     Pakistan
•     PapuaNewGuinea
•     Pitcairn Islnds
•     S. Sandwich Ins
•     Seychelles
•     Sierra Leone
•     Solomon Islands
•     Somalia
•     South Africa
•     Sri Lanka
•     St. Helena
•     St. Lucia
•     St. Vincent
•     St.Chr.,Nevis
•     Swaziland
•     Tanzania
•     Tonga
•     Trinidad,Tobago
•     Turks&Caicos Is
•     Tuvalu
•     Uganda
•     United Kingdom
•     Vanuatu
•     Zambia
•     Zimbabwe

Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. The Influence of the Secret History and its Preservation
2. The World of the Secret History 
3. Date and Authorship
4. Title, Genre, Composition
5. Mongolian Terms and their Translation
Note on Spellings and Pronunciation
Note on Chapter, Sub-chapter and Section Divisions
Figures
Maps
THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE MONGOLS
1: The Origin of Chinggis Khan
2: The Youth of Chinggis Khan
3: The Early Battles of Chinggis Khan
4: Chinggis Khan and Ong Khan
5: Completing the Unification of Mongolia
6: The New Regime
7: The Foreign Conquests
8: The Reign of Ökodei Khann
Colophon
Afterword: The Transmission and Translation ofthe Secret History
Appendix A: Alternative Mouse Year Theories and the Question of the Secret History’s Unity
Appendix B: Socio-political Organization of the Pre-Chinggisid Mongols
Appendix C: The New Aristocracy under Chinggis Khan
Appendix D: Chronologies of the Foreign Conquests
Bibliography
Notes
Glossary of Names

About

An inventive translation of a great historical epic, and the oldest surviving literary work in the Mongolian language, recounting the turbulent life and times of Genghis Khan and his Dothraki-like, nomadic horse lords

A Penguin Classic


The Secret History of the Mongols is one of the literary wonders of the world. Writing in the thirteenth century, the Secret Historian - whose identity remains unknown - combines insider history and verse to chronicle the life of Genghis Khan and the empire he founded. Following Genghis from his early years, through feasts and fights, alliances, rivalries and betrayals, we witness the birth of a new regime, and a unified Mongolia whose hordes swept across the steppe and remade the medieval world. It was a world of vast nomad tent cities and warrior horse lords, governed by a distant Heaven, a world which draws near in this vivid new translation.

Praise

“A spectacular text and a wonderful edition”
—Peter Frankopan, author of The Earth Transformed: An Untold History

Rights

Available for sale exclusive:
•     Canada
•     Guam
•     Minor Outl.Ins.
•     North Mariana
•     Philippines
•     Puerto Rico
•     Samoa,American
•     US Virgin Is.
•     USA

Available for sale non-exclusive:
•     Afghanistan
•     Aland Islands
•     Albania
•     Algeria
•     Andorra
•     Angola
•     Anguilla
•     Antarctica
•     Argentina
•     Armenia
•     Aruba
•     Austria
•     Azerbaijan
•     Bahrain
•     Belarus
•     Belgium
•     Benin
•     Bhutan
•     Bolivia
•     Bonaire, Saba
•     Bosnia Herzeg.
•     Bouvet Island
•     Brazil
•     Bulgaria
•     Burkina Faso
•     Burundi
•     Cambodia
•     Cameroon
•     Cape Verde
•     Centr.Afr.Rep.
•     Chad
•     Chile
•     China
•     Colombia
•     Comoro Is.
•     Congo
•     Cook Islands
•     Costa Rica
•     Croatia
•     Cuba
•     Curacao
•     Czech Republic
•     Dem. Rep. Congo
•     Denmark
•     Djibouti
•     Dominican Rep.
•     Ecuador
•     Egypt
•     El Salvador
•     Equatorial Gui.
•     Eritrea
•     Estonia
•     Ethiopia
•     Faroe Islands
•     Finland
•     France
•     Fren.Polynesia
•     French Guinea
•     Gabon
•     Georgia
•     Germany
•     Greece
•     Greenland
•     Guadeloupe
•     Guatemala
•     Guinea Republic
•     Guinea-Bissau
•     Haiti
•     Heard/McDon.Isl
•     Honduras
•     Hong Kong
•     Hungary
•     Iceland
•     Indonesia
•     Iran
•     Iraq
•     Israel
•     Italy
•     Ivory Coast
•     Japan
•     Jordan
•     Kazakhstan
•     Kuwait
•     Kyrgyzstan
•     Laos
•     Latvia
•     Lebanon
•     Liberia
•     Libya
•     Liechtenstein
•     Lithuania
•     Luxembourg
•     Macau
•     Macedonia
•     Madagascar
•     Maldives
•     Mali
•     Marshall island
•     Martinique
•     Mauritania
•     Mayotte
•     Mexico
•     Micronesia
•     Moldavia
•     Monaco
•     Mongolia
•     Montenegro
•     Morocco
•     Myanmar
•     Nepal
•     Netherlands
•     New Caledonia
•     Nicaragua
•     Niger
•     Niue
•     Norfolk Island
•     North Korea
•     Norway
•     Oman
•     Palau
•     Palestinian Ter
•     Panama
•     Paraguay
•     Peru
•     Poland
•     Portugal
•     Qatar
•     Reunion Island
•     Romania
•     Russian Fed.
•     Rwanda
•     Saint Martin
•     San Marino
•     SaoTome Princip
•     Saudi Arabia
•     Senegal
•     Serbia
•     Singapore
•     Sint Maarten
•     Slovakia
•     Slovenia
•     South Korea
•     South Sudan
•     Spain
•     St Barthelemy
•     St.Pier,Miquel.
•     Sth Terr. Franc
•     Sudan
•     Suriname
•     Svalbard
•     Sweden
•     Switzerland
•     Syria
•     Tadschikistan
•     Taiwan
•     Thailand
•     Timor-Leste
•     Togo
•     Tokelau Islands
•     Tunisia
•     Turkey
•     Turkmenistan
•     Ukraine
•     Unit.Arab Emir.
•     Uruguay
•     Uzbekistan
•     Vatican City
•     Venezuela
•     Vietnam
•     Wallis,Futuna
•     West Saharan
•     Western Samoa
•     Yemen

Not available for sale:
•     Antigua/Barbuda
•     Australia
•     Bahamas
•     Bangladesh
•     Barbados
•     Belize
•     Bermuda
•     Botswana
•     Brit.Ind.Oc.Ter
•     Brit.Virgin Is.
•     Brunei
•     Cayman Islands
•     Christmas Islnd
•     Cocos Islands
•     Cyprus
•     Dominica
•     Falkland Islnds
•     Fiji
•     Gambia
•     Ghana
•     Gibraltar
•     Grenada
•     Guernsey
•     Guyana
•     India
•     Ireland
•     Isle of Man
•     Jamaica
•     Jersey
•     Kenya
•     Kiribati
•     Lesotho
•     Malawi
•     Malaysia
•     Malta
•     Mauritius
•     Montserrat
•     Mozambique
•     Namibia
•     Nauru
•     New Zealand
•     Nigeria
•     Pakistan
•     PapuaNewGuinea
•     Pitcairn Islnds
•     S. Sandwich Ins
•     Seychelles
•     Sierra Leone
•     Solomon Islands
•     Somalia
•     South Africa
•     Sri Lanka
•     St. Helena
•     St. Lucia
•     St. Vincent
•     St.Chr.,Nevis
•     Swaziland
•     Tanzania
•     Tonga
•     Trinidad,Tobago
•     Turks&Caicos Is
•     Tuvalu
•     Uganda
•     United Kingdom
•     Vanuatu
•     Zambia
•     Zimbabwe

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. The Influence of the Secret History and its Preservation
2. The World of the Secret History 
3. Date and Authorship
4. Title, Genre, Composition
5. Mongolian Terms and their Translation
Note on Spellings and Pronunciation
Note on Chapter, Sub-chapter and Section Divisions
Figures
Maps
THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE MONGOLS
1: The Origin of Chinggis Khan
2: The Youth of Chinggis Khan
3: The Early Battles of Chinggis Khan
4: Chinggis Khan and Ong Khan
5: Completing the Unification of Mongolia
6: The New Regime
7: The Foreign Conquests
8: The Reign of Ökodei Khann
Colophon
Afterword: The Transmission and Translation ofthe Secret History
Appendix A: Alternative Mouse Year Theories and the Question of the Secret History’s Unity
Appendix B: Socio-political Organization of the Pre-Chinggisid Mongols
Appendix C: The New Aristocracy under Chinggis Khan
Appendix D: Chronologies of the Foreign Conquests
Bibliography
Notes
Glossary of Names