One story I did not use is that his mother, Hoelun, showed her boys how an arrow could be snapped, but a bundle of them resisted- the classic metaphor for group strength.

Temujin’s alliance with Togrul of the Kerait allowed him to build his followers into a successful raiding group under the protection of a powerful khan. If Temujin had not come to see the Chin as the puppet-masters of his people for a thousand years, he may well have remained a local phenomenon. As it was, however, he had a vision of a nation. The incredible martial skills of the Mongol tribes had always been wasted against each other. From nothing, surrounded by enemies, Temujin rose to unite them all.

What came next would shake the world.

CONN IGGULDEN is the acclaimed author of four previous Emperor novels: Emperor: The Gates of Rome; Emperor: The Death of Kings; Emperor: The Field of Swords; and Emperor: The Gods of War. He lives with his wife and three children in Hertfordshire, England.