Lords of the Bow

Name: Lords of the Bow
Rating: 4.6 (3297 reviews)

by Conn Iggulden Book 2 in the Conqueror series.

First published 2008

Amazon

4.6(3,297)

Recognised as Genghis Khan, Temujin must turn rival tribes into a disciplined nation capable of fighting beyond the steppe. His first great external campaigns take the Mongols against the fortified kingdoms of northern China, where cavalry alone cannot overcome walls and cities. As Genghis learns siege warfare and expands his command, disputes among his brothers, generals and sons begin to expose the succession problems created by conquest.

Northern China forces the Mongols to adapt. Steppe cavalry can destroy field armies, but fortified cities require engineers, siege machines and sustained supply, pushing Genghis toward techniques borrowed from conquered peoples.

That adaptation also changes his followers. Commanders and sons acquire independent reputations and interests as the empire expands, making succession harder to control. The novel presents conquest as both the source of Mongol strength and the process that begins to strain the unity created by Genghis.