As the first European to travel extensively throughout Asia, Marco Polo was the earliest bridge between East and West. His famous journeys took him across the boundaries of the known world, along the dangerous Silk Road, and into the court of Kublai Kahn, where he won the trust of the most feared and reviled leader of his day. Polo introduced the cultural riches of China to Europe, spawning centuries of Western fascination with Asia. In this lively blend of history, biography, and travelogue, acclaimed author Laurence Bergreen separates myth from history, creating the most authoritative account yet of Polo's remarkable adventures. Exceptionally narrated and written with a discerning eye for detail, Marco Polo is as riveting as the life it describes.
Drawing on original writings and walking in the footsteps of Marco Polo himself, Laurence Bergreen's Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu is the most definitive biography of the legendary traveler to date, separating the man from his considerable myth.
Look inside Marco Polo (Click on thumbnails to see a larger image):
Marco Polo: a traditional portrait; Granger
Frontispiece of an early published edition of Marco Polo's Travels, Nuremberg, Germany, 1477; Granger
Kublai Khan, emperor of the world's largest land-based empire; Granger
Marco Polo commanded a Venetian galley similar to this in the Battle of Curzola; Granger
Stone carving on the Marco Polo bridge; Laurence Bergreen
Marco Polo's vivid and occasionally misinterpreted descriptions of his travels inspired this medieval artist to depict dragons in China; Granger
Marco Polo timeline (All dates given in the Julian calendar):1215 - Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan and Marco Polo's mentor, is born. 1254 - Marco Polo born in Venice, although one tradition locates his birthplace in the Venetian colony of Dalmatia. 1260 - Kublai Khan becomes leader of the Mongols and in 1271 founds the Yuan ("Origin") Dynasty. 1271 - Young Marco Polo leaves Venice with his father Niccolo and uncle Maffeo, bound for the court of Kublai Khan. 1274 - Kublai Khan oversees a failed Mongol invasion of Japan, as the Mongols, masters of the Steppe, meet their match at sea. 1275 - The three Polos arrive in Shang-du, Kublai Khan's summer palace immortalized by Samuel Taylor Coleridge as Xanadu; Marco begins his years in the service of the Khan. 1276 - 1293 - Marco travels throughout Asia, reaching the coast of India, and possibly Zanzibar, gathering intelligence for Kublai Khan and serving as a tax collector for the Yuan (Mongol) dynasty. 1281 - Kublai Khan's second failed invasion of Japan, a serious blow to his prestige. 1292 - The Polos escort Princess Kokachin to Persia to marry, their last formal service to Kublai Khan before departing. 1294 - Kublai Khan dies, freeing the Polo family, who undertake a dangerous return voyage by sea. 1295 - Marco, his father, and uncle, arrive in Venice after their 24-year absence. They have been away for so long that their fellow Venetians do not recognize them. 1298 - Marco is captured by the Genoese in the Battle of Curzola, according to some accounts, and confined to a cell in Genoa with a romance writer, Rustichello of Pisa, to whom he dictates his adventures in China, his reminiscences of Kublai Khan, his life among the Mongols. 1300 - Safely back in Venice, Marco Polo marries Donata Badoer; the couple has three daughters. 1324 - As manuscript versions of his exploits spread throughout Europe, Marco Polo dies in Venice, claiming that he did not reveal the half of his experiences in his remarkable Travels.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
needs maps:
Very good book. I enjoyed it very much, but it really should have had some maps! There is just one miniature map at the beginning, and then nothing. I realize that it is not always clear where he was, but some educated guesses would have been helpful.
Too bad:
I gave it a hundred pages. I wanted to know about the subject. But page after page of paraphrasing Polo's own account is not entertaining. Nor is the occasional trite professorial snide throwaways concerning the unsophistication of Polo, of Europeans, and especially of Christendom. Polo's journey was remarkable, with risks and obstacles we can't today imagine. Sitting back today and judging the thoughts of Polo and his contemporaries through the eyes of our own post-modern awesomeness is tiresome.... more info
The Best Marco Bio:
Marco Polo is something of a hero of mine. I think of him as an archetype of the "Intrepid Merchant" figure that travels through both real life and literature and still exists today in some of the more dangerous parts of the world. People like Marco brought knowledge and wealth back and forth and could be credited with a great part in the develpment of democracy.
In the old "eat your spinach first" tradition I will deal with the faults first. The first is simply presumption. The author makes so many... more info
A fair intro to Marco Polo:
Didn't like this as much as his Magellan bio. Seemed a little bit scattered - sometimes he would say the same thing twice in a row, other times contradict himself without explanation - and you don't get the sense he's bringing anything new to the table. Still, he's got an enjoyable writing style. For someone looking for a quick overview of Marco Polo, this will get the job done.
