A
n authority on the Mongol empire, May (The Horse and the Origins of Horse Medicine in China
) combines exhaustive research and accessible prose for this authoritative study of one of history’s most feared and successful armies. Following a brief discussion of the rise of the “largest contiguous empire in history,” which stretched “from the Sea of Japan to the Black Sea,” May dissects the sundry elements of the Mongol army—recruitment and organization, training, logistics, leadership and tactics—that account for its remarkable success. Perhaps the best horse archers in history, the Mongols’ greatest strength was their mobility, and their tactics—hit and run attacks, preliminary arrow showers, feigned retreats and double envelopments—exploited that strength. May also profiles colorful Mongol military leaders like Chinggis Khan—the “self-styled scourge of God” and the founder of the 13th-century empire—as well as the Mongols’ opponents—from the Jin Empire of China to the Muslim Mamluks—from whom the Mongols adapted tactics and weapons. May concludes this definitive study by tracing the Mongol legacy of “high mobility” to the German blitzkrieg of World War II and modern mechanized warfare. History Book Club Selection.
(June 21)
