Wolf of the Plains is a magnificent first part to the Conquerer series. Exploring the incredibly tough upbringing and rise to power of Temujin (the later Genghis Khan) Wolf is historical fiction of the highest order. Based mainly on the Secret History of the Mongols and following much of the same path as the also tremendous film Mongol, Iggulden brings to life the nomadic lifestyle, the bitter warring, and thirst for revenge that are the backdrop for the rise to power of one of the greatest conquerors in history.

Iggulden is clearly a man with an affinity for the Mongolian plains. Spending time there to research was well worth the effort as his descriptions of the scenery, of the people, of the nomadic lifestyle are drawn so that any outsider can feel the experience. The narrative that begins with Temujin's journey to find a wife and the death of his father is fast paced and gripping. Each chapter flows rapidly by and the whole joins together as at times a heartrending tale but one of overcoming the odds, of coming of age, and ultimately triumph.

Generally Iggulden does not hold back in describing the cultural values of the Mongol people. He rarely sensitises for the more fragile western mindset though there are occasions where western values creep in and those are jarring at times. The most notable is the concept of nationhood. The thought process behind this jumps out suddenly and doesn't really follow from what happens before. I mention this because otherwise the characters are so incredibly well developed that each of them is clearly distinguishable from the others including in motive and in action. While some more space for the accumulation of loyalty from those without tribes would have been nice this is an area of Temujin's story that is simply not recorded anywhere so this oversight is understandable.

As well as Mongolia, Iggulden also clearly understands young men. Throughout, Wolf is a coming of age story set in some of the most difficult environs imaginable. Temujin not only has to survive but also to learn the skills he needs for manhood including in building and protecting a family. Being wrenched away from his tribe puts Temujin at a massive disadvantage in a communal society and the decisions he has to make are hard but to be Genghis Khan means having to be a leader who can make those decisions and the boy cast adrift into the wild fights on to become a Khan commanding the loyalty of millions.

The book concludes (as do each in the trilogy) with a note on the historical facts. I really appreciated that as during the novel I'd been telling myself that it was Merkits that captured Borte, not Tartars. Iggulden clarifies where he has taken dramatic licence for the storyline's sake and throws ina couple of anecdotal historical snapshots that help only to build the world the story exists within. ( )

Conn Iggulden does a wonderful job of weaving a believable story around the historical facts surrounding the rise of Genghis Khan. From his carefree childhood with his brothers, to the leadership he had to develop out of necessity in order that his family survive being cast out of their tribe after his father's untimely death, and later to building a strong alliance among wanderers and tribes alike to fight and defeat the Tartars, Temujin of the Wolves stands out for being intelligent, eager learn from others, kind and ruthless.

The richness in detail makes this a thrilling read. The battles read like well choreographed epic movie scenes while the daily rigors of life on the plains provoked images of hardship and yet pleasure and happiness surfaced every now and again.

This is not a book you'll want to read if you know you don't have time to devote to it, because you'll miss all your deadlines and get yourself fired from your job. Having said that, this is not a ponderous tome and the words flow like silk. ( )

One of the best historical fiction novels I've ever read. Conn's historical research, character developement and dialog combine to leave the reader living in a hard land with an amazing family struggeling to survive. ( )

Great book! One of the best in tis genre. ( )

By chance i fetched the second book of the series first and bought the first book after i was infected with this series.

Where the second book tells the story of his conquest of the Chin empire the first book tells us about Genghis hard youth and hard it was indeed. Starting out gloriously by being the second oldest son of the khan his life gets quickly turned upside down as his father meets an untimely end. Abandoned by their tribe the family is forced to survive without any means in hte harsh mongolian winter. This struggle forges ghengis in the ruthless warrior he needs to becom to fulfill his destiny and unite the clans… ( )