Xanadu: Marco Polo and Europe's Discovery of the East
The respected historian and travel writer, John Man, tells the remarkable story of the world's most famous traveller -- Marco Polo -- and the moment when East met West for the first time.
Marco Polo's journey from Venice, through Europe and most of Asia, to the court of Kublai Khan in China is one of the most audacious in history. His account of his experiences, known simply as The Travels, uncovered an entirely new world of emperors and concubines, great buildings -- 'stately pleasure domes' in Coleridge's dreaming -- huge armies and imperial riches. His book shaped the West's understanding of China for hundreds of years.
John Man travelled in Marco's footsteps to Xanadu, in search of the truth behind Marco's stories; to separate legend from fact. Drawing on his own journey, archaeology and archival study, John Man paints a vivid picture of the man behind the myth and the true story of the great court of Kublai Khan.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
311 pages, 2 editions
English edition · First published 2009 by Bantam · ISBN 9780593061763
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Editions
2 editions
English
- Xanadu: Marco Polo and Europe's Discovery of the East · Bantam · 2009 · ISBN 9780593061763 This page
- Xanadu · Penguin Random House · 2010 · ISBN 9781409045656
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