Kenneth W. Harl is Professor of Classical and Byzantine History at Tulane University, New Orleans. He is one of the world's foremost experts on steppes civilizations, Roman history and numismatics, and has written extensively on Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Viking culture. Empires of the Steppes will be his first full-length narrative history book for the trade.
"The author covers an impressive amount of ground... Harl observes
that the nomads had a lasting effect on the world. The Mongols, for
one, brought gunpowder and the arts of papermaking and printing to
Europe, and Tamerlane inadvertently shifted the seat of power to
the north and west of his homeland from Kiev to Moscow... An
ambitious, impressively researched study that will interest
advanced students of world history." --Kirkus Reviews
"Harl examines in this comprehensive and accessible chronicle the
substantial impact of nomadic peoples from the Eurasian Steppes on
the development of modern civilization in Europe, the Middle East,
and Asia from 3000 BCE to 1400 CE. Harl demonstrates how nomad
invasions shaped history: the Hun invasions of the mid-400s drove
Germanic tribes to seek new homes within the Roman Empire, leading
to the toppling of Rome; Avar incursions into Byzantium in the 500s
and 600s dramatically influenced the subsequent growth and spread
of Islamic influence in the Middle East; and Genghis Khan and his
descendants created a Mongol Empire that spread from Russia to
Japan, drawing new borders in the Middle East and Asia that are
still recognized today. While the steppe nomads could carve out an
empire, it was not possible to rule from horseback, resulting in a
pattern of conquest and collapse that defined Eurasian civilization
for millennia; even the Age of European Discovery, Harl contends,
can be attributed to the power and riches of the steppe empires
that enticed travelers from the West. Marked by its meticulous
detail and broad sweep, this is a major contribution to the
understanding of how the modern world came to be."--Publishers
Weekly
"From Attila to Genghis Khan via Prester John, and from the
terracotta army of Qin Shi Huang to the walls that Alexander built
to hold back the hosts of Gog and Magog, this is a history of epic
scope. Bringing together the empires of the steppe land with the
caravan cities of the Silk Road and imperial China, Kenneth W.
Harl's encyclopedic account spans two thousand years of Eurasian
history. It is a reminder that what happens in Central Asia seldom
stays there but can have consequences that turn the tide of human
affairs." --Martyn Rady, author of The Habsburgs
"Harl has written a terrific, fast-pasted, history of the nomadic
peoples of the Eurasian Steppes. It is full of colour and crackles
with vitality - one almost feels the thundering of horses' hooves.
One thing is certain, Harl leaves little doubt that civilization is
not just built from brick walls and marble edifices, but from
canvas tents and felt saddlecloths too."--Professor Lloyd
Llewellyn-Jones, Cardiff University, author of Persians: The Age of
the Great Kings
"[A] wonderful addition to your library....When you read [Empires
of the Steppes], even if you're interested and have read a lot
about this subject, you're going to marvel at [Harl's] ability to
dredge up even things like personal names of some of these early
leaders, things that were considered legendary... I am overwhelmed
at the comprehensiveness of [Empires of the Steppes]."--Dan Carlin,
host of Hardcore History
"There is no doubting the range and depth of Harl's knowledge of
steppe history."--The Spectator "A vibrant account of how roaming
warlords shaped technology, religion and culture... Much of this
book is energetically written traditional history, describing
battles between kings ...Harl's exhaustively researched book will
ensure they rejoin the narrative of world history."--The Guardian
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