John Man
AUTHOR

John Man

Tap the gear icon above to manage new release emails.
I write mainly about Mongolia. Why Mongolia? It’s a long story. Here’s a shot version. I am the child of Kentish villages, Rolvenden and Benenden. I’ve been escaping ever since. At the King’s School, Canterbury, I had an inspiring German teacher. So: German (and French) at Oxford and a year in Vienna, which left me intrigued by the Iron Curtain, and what it hid. During a post-grad in the History of Science, I helped plan an expedition to Mongolia, because in the 1960s the far side of the Soviet Empire sounded truly exotic. To join the expedition, I became the sole student of Mongolian at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies. The trip was a crazy idea, and never happened, but it left me yearning to go. Ambitious to know the world, I joined Reuters. A year in Bonn revealed a profound ignorance of recent history. So I joined a magazine, The History of the 20th Century, working with two great historians, AJP Taylor and JM Roberts. Publishing with Time -Life Books led to life as a freelance writer, first in Oxford, raising a wonderful family, now grown and flown, then raising another in London, ditto. I wrote forgettable books for forgotten companies. I lived with a jungle tribe in Ecuador, ghosted, wrote two thrillers, drafted several un-makable film-scripts, and at last, in the 1990s, after the Soviet Union and its empire collapsed, I went to Mongolia. I discovered an amazing land, amazing people, and world-changing history that is remarkably under-appreciated. I try to bring the past alive by combining history with personal experience. This 25-year passion has inspired a score of books and driven me to the outer limits of the Mongol Empire in China, Japan, Central Asia and Hungary.
Read more Read less

Try Audible membership today. Start enjoying the benefits.

Try Audible for free with an audiobook of your choice.
Automatically renews at AUD $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Most Popular

Product list
    • The Sultan Who Vanquished the Crusaders and Built an Islamic Empire
    • By: John Man
    • Narrated by: Bruce Mann
    • Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins
    • Release date: 25-06-2024
    • Language: English
    • 4.5 out of 5 stars 3 ratings

    Non-member price: $24.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $24.99 or 1 Credit

    • The Journey That Changed the World
    • By: John Man
    • Narrated by: Simon Vance
    • Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins
    • Release date: 05-05-2015
    • Language: English
    • Not rated yet

    Non-member price: $27.99 or 1 Credit

    Sale price: $27.99 or 1 Credit