Conn Iggulden is an amazing writer--from Rome, to Genghiz Khan and his descendents, to War of the Roses, to Athens--

he started writing on a borrowed computer in the corridor of his father-in-law's office, and is descended from Irish wandering storytellers--it shows--believe you me.

His books are what most historical fiction writers would give their right hands and half their brains to write like.

He takes you right there. The early years of Genghiz Khan, the very difficult childhood after his tribe abandons their mother and the children after his father Yesugei was poisoned, and his doubt about his eldest son Jochi's paternity after his wife Borte was kidnapped--because the rest of the family left her behind--are some of the most moving portions.

Also Genghis, i.e. Temujin's, rise to the top.

The battle scenes are also amazing.

The last book on Kublai Khan though is a bit of a disappointment, because although it shows Bagan on both the front and back covers, it stops before the Mongol incursion into Burma--which Marco Polo might have come along on-- at least he mentions it in his Travels.

I highly recommend Conn Iggulden's novels.

I've only read the volume about Caesar in his Emperor series and only one each in his War of Roses and Athens series, so I can't comment.

I am really more interested in non-Western, non-European, non-American novels--

A female cousin likes to read about the Tudors--

I like the rebels--and am more interested for instance in Russian history.

I can't realy "read the whole world" though I loved Aztec by Gary Jennings and wierd coincidence,I got off one carriage on the Red Line metro and stepped into another to change trains and I saw 2 difft people reading Aztec in 15 minutes.

But these days you can't see what people are reading bc they are maybe reading e-books.

You can watch on planes on other people's TV screens--silent movies with the sound turned off.

But it reminds me too much of watching Mulan while getting intravenous chemo.

Oh,and also the medical instructions tell you Not to eat your favorite foods while on chemo bc you will end up hating those foods.

It's like my sister's mentor in the Commerce Dept. telling his wife to cook foods he hated while he was trying to lose weight.

Cheers,

May this day be a good reading and writing day for you,

Kyi May Kaung

7-26-2026