HarperCollins Tamerlane: Sword of Islam, Conqueror of the World

This book was entertaining and very helpful. The author does not just go through the life and exploits of Tamerlane. He goes over the whole region and explains what happened to these areas that were previously so prominent in world events and culture. I did read one review were someone complained about that and stated that he was simply showing off where he traveled. However the reality is that most people that are interested in Tamerlane, including myself, are also interested in the region and what has become of it. So I found it incredibly helpful and informative. I did learn everything I could want to know about Tamerlane. He was an amazing individual and one of the only people who was truly “Invictus“ in his exploits. It is a worthy read if you are interested in this era of history.

One of the best book to fertile ur knowledge with the the History of legendary conquerer Taimur the great

When people talk of the greatest generals of all time in the West it invariably boils down to Napoleon or Alexander the great. Some may point towards the like of Genghis Khan, however all pale into comparison to Tamerlane (correct name Temur).Alexander was undefeated in 8 years, Tamerlane undefeated in 30.This is a man who went from nothing to creating one of the largest empires the world has ever seen, all in one lifetime. He successfully captured the likes of Delhi and Moscow and even had the Ottoman Sultan locked into a cage after a key battle. Added to this fact is in early adulthood he suffered injuries that led to him not being able to use 1 arm and 1 leg (hence how Temur the lame got mangled to Tamerlane or Tamburlane). Yet he was still a fearsome warlord just further adds to this amazing tale.Justin Marozzi however does not shy away from the other side of all war mongers- death and destruction, because just like all steppe nomad warlords, unless capitulation was total and immediate then horrific acts of barbarity ensued. Indeed where as Attila was the start of the period of invasion from the steppe nomads, Tamerlane nearly a thousand years later was to be the last however the barbaric treatment of various civilian populations (particularly in Persia) are not forgotten or glossed over.There is a careful balance between the man and the campaigns, between the Timurid society and the details of war. The use of source materials from all over the world is highly impressive and really brings the man alive, flaws and all. It is first and foremost a cracking read which really sucks you in and the story is so much larger than life that you can't wait for the next ludicrous (but true) turn of events. Any tale that includes armour plated war elephants with flamethrowers on their backs has to be a must read!If you liked this there's more historical debate and fun at @HistoryGems on Facebook and Twitter

Good book quality and excellent informative work

This is a very good book, a highly efficient biography (in so far as this can be achieved) and history of the Emperor Timur/Tamerlane, about whose astonishing conquests in vast swathes of central Asia, India, and the borders of Europe and China too little is generally known. Interspersed with these are Marozzi's impressions of modern cities in present-day Uzbekistan, such Samarkand, Shakrisabh and Bokhara, to give some relief from the history of brutal sieges and massacres, and some sense of Timur's legacy (although, having recently travelled to the country, I can say that these impressions from before 2004 already seem a little dated).The writing style is readable and lively, making effective use of near-contemporary sources like Arab historians or the Spaniard Clavijo. The analysis of both the reasons for Timur's staggering military successes (rewarding his troops well, exploiting the element of surprise and a range of ingenious ruses, as well as instilling utter terror among his enemies),and the other sides to his character (intellectual interests and architectural ambition)make for a balanced assessment.Plenty to commend it, then, but for me a less impressive book than travel writing on the area,such as by Colin Thubron, which manages to be more evocative of today's Central Asian places and persons, or than histories of neighbouring powers, such as Michael Axworthy's impressive history of Iran. And the battles and massacres, though very vivid at times (the Indian campaign) do sicken the reader. Four stars, not five - good but not great.