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Barbarians at the Wall
Barbarians at the Wall
Oct 9, 2024 2:16 PM

Author:John Man

Barbarians at the Wall

'Man does for the reader that most difficult of tasks: he conjures up an ancient people in an alien landscape in such a way as to make them live.' - Guardian

The people of the first nomadic empire left no written records, but from 200 BC they dominated the heart of Asia for 400 years. They changed the world. The Mongols, today’s descendants of Genghis Khan, see them as ancestors. Their rise cemented Chinese unity and inspired the first Great Wall. Their heirs under Attila the Hun helped destroy the Roman Empire.

We don’t know what language they spoke, but they became known as Xiongnu, or Hunnu, a term passed down the centuries and across Eurasia, enduring today in shortened form as ‘Hun’. Outside Asia precious little is known of their rich history, but new evidence reframes our understanding of the indelible mark they left on a vast region stretching from Europe and sweeping right across Central Asia deep into China.

Based on meticulous research and new archaeological evidence, Barbarians at the Wall traces their epic story, and shows how the nomadic cultures of the steppes gave birth to a ‘barbarian empire’ with the wealth and power to threaten the civilised order of the ancient world.

Reviews

Man does for the reader that most difficult of tasks: he conjures up an ancient people in an alien landscape in such a way as to make them live.

—— Guardian

His ability to put us in the picture, to feel, smell and almost touch the surroundings he describes, is matched by his ability to tell a good story.

—— Michael Palin

A fascinating fact-laden expedition through the ages. Oliver's erudition shines off every page.

—— Anna Pasternak

A mix of dispatches from the front line of dating plus expert advice: expect everything from how to understand your attachment type to why 'conscious celibacy' could be the best thing you try this year.

—— Sunday Times Style

Dating in 2022 is far from easy - but luckily Lala has written the bible for single women everywhere. It aims to empower women to know their worth and help them enjoy their single status.

—— Sunday Mirror

Lala's guide is a must-read for every modern dater.

—— OK! Magazine

A completely brilliant and utterly original account of humanity's transit from crude beginnings to a deeply divided planet. A vastly readable insight into why our world is as it is. A book for our epoch

—— Jon Snow, former presenter of Channel 4 News

A masterful sweep through the human odyssey, from the origin of our species to the making of the modern world, that answers the ultimate mystery: what accounts for the staggering inequality in the wealth of nations today? Exquisite, eloquent and effortlessly erudite - if you liked Sapiens, you'll love this

—— Lewis Dartnell, author of Origins

Astounding in scope and insight, The Journey of Humanity provides a captivating and revelatory account of the deepest currents that have shaped human history, and the keys to the betterment of our species

—— Nouriel Roubini, author of Crisis Economics

I am in awe of Oded Galor's attempts to explain inequality today as a consequence of such profound forces. A remarkable contribution to our understanding of this mammoth dilemma

—— Jim O'Neill, author of The Growth Map

A wonderfully clear-sighted perspective on progress, past and future, which is essential to tackling today's big challenges - potentially catastrophic climate change and inequality

—— Diane Coyle, former Vice Chair of the BBC Trust, author of Cogs and Monsters

Big Science at its best ... Galor's erudition and creativity are remarkable

—— Prof. Steven N. Durlauf, University of Chicago, on Unified Growth Theory

An engaging and optimistic answer to anyone who thinks that poverty and inequality will always be with us

—— Ian Morris, author of Why the West Rules – For Now

Galor's project is breathtakingly ambitious

—— Robert Solow, Nobel Laureate in Economics

A magisterial account of the evolution of human civilization from its prehistoric origins into the present day. It's a page-turner, a suspense-filled thriller full of surprises, mind-bending puzzles and profound insights

—— Glenn C. Loury, author of The Anatomy of Racial Inequality

In lucid, accessible prose, Galor ingeniously traces obscure influences over centuries ... This engrossing history reveals that subtle causes can have astounding effects

—— Publishers Weekly

A tour de force. This deeply argued book brilliantly weaves the threads of global economic history to deconstruct the rich tapestry that is the modern world

—— Dani Rodrik, author of Straight Talk on Trade

One of the hottest books of the year ahead

—— Irish Independent

Reading Oded Galor's upbeat book I...[was] taken aback by his imagination and verve... great sections of Galor's book are to be applauded... his optimism about humanity shines through

—— Observer

The Journey of Humanity is a good summary of growth theories and is an elegantly written and accessible book

—— Irish Times

Galor argues that climate policy should not be restricted to cutting carbon but should also involve "pushing hard for gender equality, access to education and the availability of contraceptives, to drive forward the decline in fertility". India will do well to heed that advice

—— New Indian Express

The Journey of Humanity stretches from the emergence of Homo sapiens to the present day, and has a lot to say about the future, too. In just over 240 pages it covers our migration out of Africa, the development of agriculture, the Industrial Revolution and the phenomenal growth of the past two centuries. It takes in population change, the climate crisis and global inequality ... There will be inevitable comparisons with Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens ... If you need an evidence-based antidote to doomscrolling, here it is ... Galor builds his case meticulously, always testing his assumptions against the evidence, and without the sense of agenda-pushing that accompanies other boosterish thinkers - the Steven Pinkers or Francis Fukuyamas of this world

—— Guardian

Incredibly wide-ranging and detailed historical and even anthropological examination of the myriad factors that have brought success and failure to nations ... Lively and learned

—— Tim Hazledine, Emeritus Professor of Economics, University of Auckland , Inerest.co.nz

An optimist's guide to the future ... Oded Galor's 'Sapiens'-like history of civilisation predicts a happy ending for humanity

—— Guardian

Enjoyable and intriguing

—— Steven Poole , Guardian

An antidote to doomscrolling

—— Guardian, *Summer Reads of 2022*

A great historical fresco

—— Le Monde

Breathtaking. A new Sapiens

—— L'Express

Ambitious and deep ... the product of genuine scholarship

—— Jason Furman, economics professor at Harvard, former advisor to Barack Obama , #1 Best Economics Book of 2022, FiveBooks.com
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