THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE MONGOL QUEENS: HOW THE DAUGHTERS OF GENGHIS KHAN RESCUED HIS EMPIRE. by Weatherford, Jack - 2010

New York: Crown, 2010. 317 pp, 9 1/2" H. B&w map, family trees, drawings. "The Mongol queens of the thirteenth century ruled the greatest empire the world has ever known. Yet sometime near the end of the century, censors cut a section from 'The Secret History of the Mongols', leaving a single tantalizing quote from Genghis Khan: 'Let us reward our female offspring." Only this hint of a father's legacy for his daughters remained of a much larger story. The queens of the Silk Route turned their father's conquests into the world's first truly international empire, fostering trade, education, and religion throughout their territories and creating an economic system that stretched from the Pacific to the Mediterranean. Outlandish stories of these powerful queens trickled out of the empire, shocking the citizens of Europe and the Islamic world. After Genghis Khan's death in 1227, conflicts erupted between his daughters and daughters-in-law; what began as a war between powerful women soon became a war against women in power as brother turned against sister, son against mother. At the end of this epic struggle, the dynasty of Mongol queens had seemingly been extinguished forever, as even their names were erased from the historical record. One of the most unusual and important warrior queens of history arose to avenge the wrongs, rescue the tattered shreds of the Mongol Empire, and restore order to a shattered world. Putting on her quiver and picking up her bow, Queen Manduhai led her soldiers through victory after victory. At the conclusion of his magnificently researched and groundbreaking narrative, the author notes that despite their mystery and the efforts to erase them from our collective memory, the deeds of these Mongol queens inspired great artists from Chaucer and Milton to Goethe and Puccini, and so their stories live on today. With (this book, he) restores the queens' missing chapter to the annals of history." Wrinkling at top of spine, very small red remaider dot on bottom of text block. Dust jacket has light wrinkling at top/bottom of spine and at top of rear flap.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good.