Liebster is a nice little contagion going around blogs. A germ of love (it’s from German liebe, love) for lesser-known blogs – under 300 followers – given from blogger to blogger. When you get one, the idea is to share the love with three to five other worthy blogs. At this rate, of course, there won’t be a blog left. But then no blog ought to go unloved. It’s a nice germ, and the fact there’s a person who chose my blog means a lot to me.

My giver is C.P. Lesley, and here’s her blog: blog.cplesley.com, titled Historical Novelist Tackles the Internet Age. Historian by day, she has written The Not Exactly Scarlet Pimpernel, a take on the story, and The Golden Lynx, first of five set in the times of Ivan the Terrible.  Find out about these on her site. We have a common interest in steppe history, and I enjoy her Tatar heroes from the second-mentioned novel.

And now to hand on. This took me a while, because I don’t get out and about much in blog-world – not nearly enough, as I’ve learnt. For when I set out with the task to discover blogs to love, I did. I did discover blogs to love, three of them, and so worthy are they, I won’t search further to make five. This Liebster Award has done wonders for me, in the discovery of blogs.

Now, ignorant as I am in blog-world, I didn’t rudely inquire into what hordes of followers these blogs have, or not. Me, I don’t even have a follow button. But this Liebster Award is a germ, like I say, freed into the world by nobody knows who, and qualifications and protocols… I Googled for them, but obviously to me, follow the spirit and otherwise make up your own. Blogs whom I award: feel free to ignore this whole affair. Or whatever. I’ll notify them as I’m meant to.

The first one I found: mongolianecologyculture.wordpress.com
Titled Mongolian Climate, Ecology & Culture
By fieldworkers in Mongolia who study the environment – with an eye to history. Their latest project is to determine whether a wetter, warmer climate in the 13th century led to the Mongol surge under Chinggis Khaan. It has great info, great images (don’t miss the photographs of ancient Siberian pines), lots of general enlightenment beyond the specific study, natter about Mongolia. Thanks for doing a blog, people.

Next I found the Silk Road Blog of Hans van Roon: mongolschinaandthesilkroad.blogspot.com.au
Titled Marco Polo, Genghis Khan, China and the Silk Road
It’s fantastic, a treasure-house: covers museum exhibitions, alerts you to new books, trawls the archaeological news, directs you to other resources – as rich as the Silk Road. For any person with an interest in these areas.

Thirdly I stumbled on Pamela Toler’s blog:
www.historyinthemargins.com
Titled History in the Margins
This came up in my searches because Pamela has an old post on my guy Genghis, which begins: ‘I want to make it clear right from the beginning that I think Genghis Khan and the Mongol hordes have gotten a bum rap in the annals of history…’ and goes on ‘…the man I like to call Genghis the Great…’ Now this is the way to my heart. But the more I delve the more I like the blog, and the mind behind the blog, and the way she talks. Her interests and knowledge are nothing if not far-flung.

That’s it from me. Three very worthy, and again, C.P. Lesley, thanks for the experience.