"The Mongol Warlords"

My most recent readings concerned the Mongol Warlords, specifically, Genghis, Kublai, and Hulegu Khan, as well as Tamerlane (or more appropriately, Timur the Lame).

I decided I wanted to know a little more about Central Asia, so I looked back, way back.

The Mongol empire ruled nearly all of Asia in the 13th through the 15th centuries, and theirs was a brutal and highly effective empire. Their skills were matched by few, and consequently, they instilled fear everywhere they went. In fact, many lands immediately gave up upon the Mongols coming.

What I found most interesting about the book is that, despite the fact that they were utterly dominant in the region, to include all of the Muslim lands east of Arabia, ultimately, they had largely converted from shamanists to Muslims. How bizarre is it that conquerers accept the relgion of the people they conquer? I am sure there is a good answer out there, but it was an interesting anamoly.

My next bood is, "In the Land of Magic Soldiers," which is about the civil war in Sierra Leone, a nation in Western Africa. It, like the above is a quick read, as I will probably finish it in 4 days.

I'll soon let you know the details of this.