The 13th century
Secret History of the Mongols, covering the great Činggis Qan’s (1162-1227) ancestry and life, stands out as a literary monument of first magnitude. Written partly in prose and partly in epic poetry, it is the major native source on Činggis Qan, also dealing with part of the reign of his son and successor Ögödei (r. 1229-41).
This true handbook contains an historical introduction, a full translation of the chronicle in accessible English,
plus an extensive commentary. Indispensable for the historian, the Sino-Mongolist, the Altaic philologist, and anyone interested in comparative literature and Central Asian folklore.
The Secret History of the Mongols has been selected by
Choice as
Outstanding Academic Title (2005). All volumes of the print edition will become available in individual e-books: 9789004531741 (volume 1) - 9789004531758 (volume 2).
Igor De Rachewiltz, Ph.D. (1961) in Chinese History, The Australian National University, has published extensively on the political and cultural history of China and Mongolia in the 12th-14th centuries, and on Sino-Mongolian philology. He is at present an Emeritus Fellow in the Pacific and Asian History Division of the ANU.
"…de Rachewiltz sweeps the board in a most convincing way." – D.O. Morgan, in:
Social Anthropology, 2005
Historians of China and Central Asia in the 12th-13th centuries, Sino-Mongolists, Altaic philologists and anyone interested in the literature and folklore of nomadic peoples.