The Mongol Objective

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

You know what they say about sequels: up the stakes, up the body count. In writing this book I felt you could also say, double the research. I think I read every book out there (and there are hundreds) on the life and legacy of Genghis Khan. The one I found invaluable, with vivid first-person descriptions and even interviews with a living Darkhad, was Genghis Khan: Life, Death, and Resurrection, by John Man. I also followed the exploits of Chicago millionaire and professor Maury Kravitz, who has been visiting Mongolia for years with a research team, narrowing the search for the lost tomb. Good Luck Maury! (But beware those traps if you ever find it.)

I confess to feeling some pressure writing this, as teams from several countries are currently on the hunt to solve this archaeological mystery. If they find him somewhere else, then I may look a little silly. But then again, if he’s where I’ve got him, I expect a share of the treasure.

I’ll also acknowledge here the usual bits about historical accuracy. The Westcar Papyrus is real, as is its prophecy related to the secret chamber. So too is the description Herodotus gave of the Great Pyramid’s origin — the legend that a shepherd prince, not an Egyptian Pharoah, had been its engineer. And as for HAARP, there are many books on the subject of what’s going on up in Alaska. I only scratched the surface here; much more to come in Book 3.

Of course, thanks goes out again to all the fine people who helped make Pharos so successful, and did it again here — Stan Tremblay, Shane Thomson and Tim Schulte from Variance Publishing.

And I’d also like to thank my best Buckeye friend, Kim Klever — world-renowned adventurer in her own right, for the pictures and descriptions of Bodrum, Turkey, after her trip there in 2008. And thanks again, as always, to my faithful first readers (you two know who you are!). And finally, thanks go to everyone who came along for this thrill ride. May the Morpheus Initiative continue to entertain (and enlighten) you!

— DJS, 2011