The Secret History itself, written for the information of Mongol princes, is not comprehen sible except to the specialist. Hence Mr. Lister's great service in retelling the story as it might have been written if the scribe had an intelligent Western audience in mind. The result is a biography very unlike the ones we are accustomed to, yet entertain ing, informative, and most authoritative. In read ing Lister's work, we have the benefit of first expo sure to a work that may become an authentic classic.