Book description
A powerful account of the life of Tamerlane the Great (1336-1405), the
last master nomadic power, one of history's most extreme tyrants, and
the subject of Marlowe's famous play. Marozzi travelled in the footsteps
of the great Mogul Emperor of Samarkland to write this wonderful
combination of history and travelogue.
The name of the last great warlord conjures up images of mystery and
romance: medieval warfare on desert plains; the clash of swords on
snow-clad mountains; the charge of elephants across the steppes of Asia;
the legendary opulence and cruelty of the illiterate, chess-playing
nemesis of Asia. He ranks alongside Alexander as one of the world's
great conquerors, yet the details of his life are scarcely known in the West.
He was not born to a distinguished family, nor did he find his
apprenticeship easy - at one point his mobile army consisted only of
himself, his wife, seven companions and four horses - but his dominion
grew with astonishing rapidity. In the last two decades of the
fourteenth century and the beginning of the fifteenth, he blazed through
Asia. Cities were razed to the ground, inhabitants tortured without
mercy, sometimes enemies were buried alive - more commonly they were
decapitated. On the ruins of Baghdad, Tamerlane had his princes erect a
pyramid of 90,000 heads.
During his lifetime he sought to foster a personal myth, exaggerating
the difficulties of his youth, laying claim to supernatural powers and a
connection to Genghis Khan. This myth was maintained after his death in
legend, folklore, poetry, drama and even opera, nowhere more powerfully
than in Marlowe's play - he is now as much a literary construct as a
historical figure. Justin Marozzi follows in his path and evokes his
legacy in telling the tale of this fabulously cruel, magnificent and
romantic warrior. 'Using many contemporary sources, Marozzi creates a
convincing portrait of a complex man…An engaging mixture of history,
travelogue and contemporary reportage. Well written and skilfully put
together.' Jonathan Sumption, Sunday Telegraph, Books of the Year
'He has brought the mighty warrior in from the cold and allowed him to
stalk these pages with bloody magnificence.' Sunday Times
'Walking…about the dazzling buildings that are Tamur's legacy,
[Marozzi] brilliantly conveys how everything goes in cycles, both in
nature and in human affairs.' Daily Telegraph
'Excellent…Provides a superbly rounded and vivid portrait of one of
history's most fascinating personalities.' Evening Standard
'As well researched in libraries as with boots on the ground in some of
the world's more impenetrable places, this is a fine study of a
neglected but linchpin historical figure.' Daily Mail
'Robust, enthusiastic and richly detailed…full of fascinating, if often
gruesome, anecdotes.' Literary Review Justin Marozzi is contributing
editor of the Spectator. He used to sell tobacco to Libya and was the
Financial Times's correspondent in the Philippines for two years. He
writes regularly for the Financial Times and has also written for The
Times and The Economist and broadcast for the BBC World Service and
Radio Four. He is the author of South from Barbary, an account of a
journey along the old slave routes of the Libyan Sahara.
