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The Royal Hunt in Eurasian History. By Thomas T. Allsen. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2006. ISBN 0-8122-3926-1. Illustrations. Notes. Bibliography and modern scholarship. Index. Pp. x, 405. #55.00.
This study is an impressive examination of the royal hunt throughout the Eurasian continent and its uses. Allsen, one of the leading historians of the Mongol Empire, places more emphasis on the Mongol period, but gives ample attention to other areas and time periods. The work's value is not only in the content, but also because of Allsen's clear, precise writing and ability to weave a solid analytical narrative on a topic that spans centuries and cultures.
Allsen argues that in addition to their obvious role in procuring food, the royal hunts served two other purposes: military training and diplomacy. The use of hunting as military training varied...