Jul 2, 2015

GENGHIS KHAN - Frank McLynn

The man who conquered the world.

Genghis Khan was by far the greatest conqueror the world has ever known. So how did an illiterate nomad from the steppes of Central Asia rise to such colossal power, eclipsing Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Napoleon?

When designing the cover we tried to stay away from a portrait of Genghis himself, as his name is powerful enough on its own. Inspired by found artifacts and textiles from the 12th century Inner Mongolia, we wanted to create an image which would befit one of the most powerful men ever to have lived.

The dragon is based on a pattern featured on a rounded box used by the Mongol people. We created the illustration in-house, using an intricate orange foil to add an element of fire and destruction to the cover. We wanted the dragon to continue across the book echoing the extent to which the Mongol Empire conquered a large part of the world. Finally we printed on to a cord paper stock to add some texture to the final overall design.

Genghis Khan is out now from The Bodley Head.

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