De Rachewiltz Igor (ed.). The Secret History of the Mongols: A Mongolian Epic Chronicle of the Thirteenth Century (2 Volumes)

Translation and edition by Igor de Rachewiltz. — Brill, 2004. — 1347 p. — (Brill's Inner Asian Library 7).The 13th century Secret History of the Mongols, covering the great Činggis Qan’s (1162-1227) ancestry and life, stands out as a literary monument of first magnitude. Written partly in prose and partly in epic poetry, it is the major native source on Činggis Qan, also dealing with part of the reign of his son and successor Ögödei (r. 1229-1241). This true handbook contains an historical introduction, a full translation of the chronicle in accessible English, plus an extensive commentary. Indispensable for the historian, the Sino-Mongolist, the Altaic philologist, and anyone interested in comparative literature and Central Asian folklore. The first two of these volumes provides a full English translation of the 13th century Middle Mongolian text known as the Secret History of the Mongols, with lengthy introduction explaining the nature and origin of that text (with much background information) plus detailed commentary on details in this new translation. After these come seven appendixes, full bibliography, and indexes of names, subjects, grammar and lexis. The volumes include also various maps and illustrations, and a table showing the genealogy of the man named Temü†in who became Činggis Qan – better known in the west as Genghis Khan. Publishing such a massive work must, of course, have been very expensive, and Brill can scarcely be blamed for passing such expense on to purchasers. But the high price for all three books makes it likely that most copies will remain in libraries or be owned by specialists or one sort or another. The de Rachewiltz translation deserves a much broader audience, for unlike earlier attempts in English, it is pleasant and easy to read while remaining close to the spirit of the original.