The life and times of the founder of China's great Yuan Dynasty. His grandfather was the bloodthirsty Mongol leader Genghis Khan, his mother a Christian princess. Groomed for authority from childhood, Khubilai snatched the position of Great Khan, becoming overlord of a Mongol federation that stretched from the Balkans to the Korean coast. His armies conquered the Asian kingdom of Dali and brought down the last defenders of imperial China. Khubilai presided over a glorious Asian renaissance, attracting emissaries from across the continent and opening his civil service to 'men with coloured eyes'. His story is contemporaneous with the legends of Prester John, the pinnacle of the samurai, and Marco Polo's extraordinary journey to Xanadu. It is also the story of one of the greatest dynasties in Chinese history. 13 cm x 20 cm 274 page paperback.