I read a brisk and fascinating biography of G. Kahn six or eight years ago—the guy was a genius, a deadly merciless genius, but a genius and a titan among leaders nonetheless.
I just did some looking and I think it was the bio “Genghis Kahn and the Making of the Modern World,” by Jack Weatherford.
“the guy was a genius, a deadly merciless genius, but a genius and a titan among leaders nonetheless.”
Yes, I agree with your assessment but he made one, small mistake. He let the women and children live so that they could breed more evil. Had he done it correctly, we wouldn’t have this Muslim problem today because all of them would have been killed by him and his armies.
You are right. Too many in the West are quick to simply label him as a savage when in reality he was the best combination of bad ass and intellect that ever lived. He also had a knack for picking out others who shared his same leadership abilities. (e.g. Generals like Subedai).