John Man is a British historian and travel writer whose work concentrates on Mongolia, China, Central Asia and the history of written communication. He studied German and French at the University of Oxford before completing postgraduate courses in the history of science at Oxford and Mongolian at the School of Oriental and African Studies. After working in journalism and publishing, he became a full-time writer, combining historical research with journeys through the regions and landscapes associated with his subjects.
Man is particularly known for accessible biographies and narrative histories of Eurasian rulers and empires. His books include Genghis Khan: Life, Death and Resurrection, Kublai Khan, Attila, The Mongol Empire, The Great Wall, The Terracotta Army, Saladin, Samurai and Ninja. He has also examined the development of writing and printing in Alpha Beta and The Gutenberg Revolution. His work places prominent leaders within their geographical and cultural settings, making complex histories of conquest, communication and imperial exchange accessible to a general readership.
