The Horde: How the Mongols Changed the World by Marie Favereau
The narration of this audiobook makes it difficult to follow. It explores the life and culture of the Mongols. They were nomadic, yet they had an advanced culture. They were capable of concurring much of Asia and made incursions into Europe. They would adopt the parts of the people they ruled rather than attempt to instill their culture. The book had some interesting content, but suffered from delivery.
Mid 19th-century Thailand was quite different from Victorian England. There were many different morals, beliefs and customs. A woman learned that the hard way. As a widow, she had used connections to seek employment as a governess and English teacher in the Siamese court. She struggled to learn how things worked there. Eventually, she was able to use some of her influence to help people that were in trouble and thus build up a strong reputation. In spite of these, she still continued to struggle with Siamese customs and taboos.
