Temujin the outcast
Through historical allegory, Weatherford manages to humanize Genghis Khan. He wasn't always the godlike dominator of ancient China; first, Genghis Khan was a man whose life was tragic, painful, and difficult. He was outcasted with his family from their tribe, and only when he was attacked by the various communities of his surrounding area did he begin his quest for global domination. Back then, there was no Genghis Khan; his name was simply Temujin.
Ancient China before nationalism
There was a time before what the modern reader might call "China," so to understand this history correctly, the author takes time to establish a more accurate understanding of the political dynamics of the ancient Far East. There was Mongolia, Manchuria, and Khwarazm, among many, many others, and these communities were not unified politically, but rather, they were civilizations in the tribal sense, and many of them were already advanced.
The Mongol World War
Instead of understanding Genghis Khan as a random warlord, the book shows that actually, the world was in flux during his time, and although he did conquer much of Asia, he did so during a time of heightened conflict. He didn't suddenly cause war in Asia, but rather, he came out of a Mongolian World War as a victor. His domination was incited by an unstable world economy that was ripe for change.
The Awakening
In the final section of the book, the author details what he calls "The Global Awakening," which occurred when plague called the Black Death swept into the Mongolian empire, catalyzing serious changes in social customs. Suddenly, the ancient world which had not changed in many, many generations was changing drastically, and the empire that was united under Genghis Khan split again, marking a turning point in Asian history that would mean the modernization of Asia.
The ancient world
Weatherford explains how the empires of the ancient world underlie much of the modern world around us. He says that to understand the history of the earth as trivia would be a drastic mistake, because that same history is still unfolding, and although various wars between people groups might seem instant or temporary, he shows that it is all part of a process through which various kingdoms rise and fall. He shows that the life of Genghis Khan is still causing ripples into the present day.
