Temujin comes into the world on the day the Mongols suffer a catastrophic defeat in battle. He isn't the hero type, but he has expectations...
...to live up to, and he has a cause: freedom for his way of life, unity against China, where a nomad is an animal.
'In hazards he tied his head behind him with his bags; for safety from spillage he kept his blood in his flask. With his sleeve for his cushion, with his coat-skirts for his couch, he ate the flesh between his teeth for supper and swallowed his spit to slake his thirst. In his efforts for us the sweat of his brow ran to his feet; the sweat of the soles of his feet ran to his brow.'
From The Secret History of the Mongols, the original I make a novel of. Its quirky Mongol poetry is one of its charms. The Secret History is the portrait of a legend-in-the-make, left us by his comrades. It tells his story intimately, from unlikely beginnings, early mistakes, through split loyalties and the tragedy of friendships pulled apart – a marvelously human story, which I try to do justice to.
We have seen the steppe peoples' history through Chinese eyes, and I'd like to do a little justice on their behalf too. Wrongs to right.