Laurence bergreen is a prizewinning biographer and historian. The illustrations are so beautiful that they are likely to draw in the reader. The million, deriving from polos nickname emilione, in english commonly called the travels of marco polo, is a thcentury travelogue written down by rustichello da pisa from stories told by italian explorer marco polo, describing polos travels through asia between 1271 and 1295, and his experiences at the court of kublai khan. The book helped europeans to learn about asian peoples and goods. The travels of marco polobook 3chapter 9 wikisource. Marco polo was born in 1254 and died on january 8,24. But not for long, because stefano plans to reach his famous cousin, marco po. The travels of marco polo by marco polo, translated by henry yule. More than seven hundred years ago, marco polo traveled from the medieval city of venice to the fabled kingdom of the great kublai khan, seeing new sights and riches that no westerner had ever before witnessed. Marco also had another uncle who lived in constantinople and crimea and was engaged in commerce. The illuminated manuscript on marco polo s fascinating and adventurous travels ranks among the most famous manuscripts of the middle ages and is considered a highlight of french book decoration.
During the middle ages the italian merchant marco polo spent many years in china. Marco polo was known for the book, travels of marco polo, where he talked about asia. Marco polo also revealed the wonders of xanadu, the summer capital of mongol emperor kublai khan. Marco polo s travel accounts, primarily drawn from the yulecordier translation, are accompanied by supplementary texts with illustrations on pages that have distinct borders from those that chronicle the travel accounts. The book of ser marco polo, the venetian internet archive. Marco polos stories about his travels in asia were published as a book called the description of the world, later known as the travels of marco polo. They may have moved with the court from shangdu, to the winter residence, dadu, or taidu modern beijing. Marco polo was a venetian explorer known for the book the travels of marco polo, which describes his voyage to and experiences in asia.
Check out the new look and enjoy easier access to your favorite features. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Marco polo s reports offered the ideal background for illustration, as people in europe had always been curious to know about the marvels of the. A sparkling new translation of the most famous travel book ever written. It is the story of a drainage engineer called henry yule in the 1800s. The text is comprised of a prologue and four subsequent books. Written in the th century, the travels of marco polo details italian explorer marco polo s movements through asia between 1271 and 1295. The book was cowritten by rustichello da pisa, an italian writer who met polo while the two were in prison in genoa, italy. Polo explores everywhere from baghdad, armenia and russia to the caspian sea, the gobi desert and the small fishing villages of china, describing the geography, architecture and customs of these exotic places. While imprisoned in genoa, marco polo dictated his stories of persia, china, mongolia, the far east and india to a fellow prisoner, rustichello da pisa, who wrote them down into what became medieval europes bestseller, the travels of marco polo. From venice to xanadu by laurence bergreen is an enjoyable account of the life and adventures of marco polo 125424.
This is not merely another adventure story, it is the adventure story of all time. The travels of marco polo by marco polo, alex struik. Of the deeds of kublai khan, the emperor now reigning polo relates how the title of kublai khan translates into english as lord of lords 1844 and says that the great khan deserves that title for in respect to number of subjects, extent of territory, and amount of revenue, he. List of books and articles about marco polo online research. Bergreen based this book on the travels of marco polo which was dictated by polo to the writer rustichello da pisa. Polo by no means stands alone in giving the name of java to the island now called sumatra. He returned with stories of exotic people, tremendous riches, and the most powerful ruler in the world kublai khan. Marco polo 125424 was one of the greatest explorers of the middle ages and the first person to make europe aware chinas extraordinary power and culture.
Marco polo 125424 was a venetian merchant believed to have journeyed across asia at the height of the mongol empire. For the next 16 or 17 years the polos lived in the emperors dominions, which included, among other places, cathay now north china and mangi, or manzi now south china. The travels of marco polo marco polo, giovanni battista baldelli boni full view 1852. The travels of marco polo arvindguptatoys books gallery. Marco polo was seventeen when he set out for china, and fortyone when he came back. He was one of the first europeans to explore central asia and east asia. His travels are recorded in the travels of marco polo also known as book of the marvels of the world and il milione, c. Many people say marco polo was the greatest explorer that ever lived, traveling 33, miles by land and sea from venice, italy, to modernday beijing, china. In fact, the italian title of his book was il libro di marco polo detto il milione, which means the book of marco polo, nicknamed milione. Marco polo by milton rugoff nook book ebook barnes. Marco polos voyages began in 1271 with a visit to china. Marco leaves and stefano remains all alone in venice.
The travels of marco polo volume 1 by marco polo and. I have read everything written on marco polo, and john mans book is, by far, my favorite work on the subject. It was translated into multiple languages and read throughout europe. Marco polo simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The travels of marco polo is one of a handful of books that can truly be said to have changed the world. They spent the next 20 years in the service of the kubilai khan, travelling throughout the mongolian empire. However, he was also nicknamed milione during his lifetime which in italian language litteraly means million.
With the addition of new matter and many new illustrations. The travels of marco polo volume 1 by marco polo and rustichello of pisa free ebook project gutenberg. They traveled the silk road to china where he met the great ruler kublai khan. Unfortunately, because marco s book il milione is only. Laurence bergreen remedies that by bolstering polos reputation and arguing for his historical importance in a book as enthralling as a rollicking. Book of the marvels of the world in english commonly called the travels of marco polo, is a thcentury travelogue written down by rustichello da pisa from. Introduction marco polo was a merchant in venice before he became the famous explorer we know today. The travels of marco polo is the classic account of marco polo s journey to china from venice, and his discoveries as an emissary to the great kublai khan. While he was under arrest, marco told detailed stories of his journeys to a writer named rustichello who wrote them all down in a book called the travels of marco polo. Marco polo in venice marco polo 125424 was a venetian merchant believed to have journeyed across asia at the height of the mongol empire. Marco polo, venetian merchant and adventurer who traveled from europe to asia in 127195, remaining in china for 17 of those years. The terms jawa, jawi, were applied by the arabs to the islands and productions of the archipelago generally e. His adventures were recounted in a book that made him famous.
The book starts out with the statement of marco polo, that he is only able to record the very least portion of all the strictly adult rated, but what kid is willing to plow through all of the cultural and historical fiction. Marco polo, europes greatest ever traveller, suffered. Search for library items search for lists search for. How the two brothers polo set forth from constantinople to traverse the world. Marco polo was born in 1254, the son of a venetian merchant, and made his first visit to china with his father and uncle in 1271. Marco polo was seventeen when he set out for china. His account of those travels, known in english as the travels of marco polo, is a classic. He allegedly travelled from europe and throughout asia from 1271 to 1295. Sadly this book seems to have little or nothing to do with marco polo. The travels of marco polo book 2, chapters 4 summary. Almost 750 years later, acclaimed author john man traveled in marco polo s footsteps to xanadu then on to beijing and through modern china in search of the history behind the legend. Marco polo has 382 books on goodreads with 22178 ratings.
Marco polo john man paperback harpercollins publishers. The polos traveled thousands of miles through unknown and hostile territory in order to reach lands hitherto only vaguely rumored to exist. He first set out at age 17 with his father and uncle. Marco polo s thirteenthcentury journey from italy to asia marked a turning point for western civilization. Marco polo september 15, 1254 january 9, 24 was a venetian merchant traveler whose travels are recorded in il milione the millions, now known as the travels of marco polo, a book which did much to introduce europeans to central. Marco polo was a thirteenthcentury venetian explorer, arguably the worlds most welltraveled explorer, and the travels of marco polo chronicles his journey through asia as a special envoy to. More than seven hundred years ago, marco polo traveled from the medieval city of venice to the fabled kingdom of the great kublai khan, seeing new sights. Many other explorers, including christopher columbus, looked up to him. Rarely have secular topics had such an intensive echo. The travels of marco polo became a very popular book.
The book was wellwritten and contained additional information on topics such as if you lived in europe at the time of marco polo, to china by land and sea, the silk secret, genghis kahn, if you were mongolian at the time of marco polo, sera battles and gutenbergs new printing press. The lives of marco and stefano change completely the day that matteos and niccolos ship returns. In polos day and even today, there has been some doubt about whether polo really went to china. Marco polo s book was nicknamed il milione or one million lies, as it described. How marco polo went to china marco polo was born in venice in the year 1254. His famous book, the travels of marco polo, indicates that he was a man of extraordinary bravery, brilliance, and. Marco polo s stories about his travels in asia were published as a book called the description of the world, later known as the travels of marco polo. The wealth of new geographic information recorded by polo was widely used by european navigators. His books have been translated into fifteen languages worldwide. Marco traveled much of china and the east, and his stories were written into a popular book.