Caravan To Xanadu A Novel Of Marco Polo

The book opens with Marco Polo, a Venetian, as a young orphan boy. His father had died before he was born and his mother before he could speak. He lives, a ragged urchin alongside other similar boys, and has adventures on the many canals of his home city, which he loves unreservedly. One day, out on the water in a gondola with his friends, he sees a group of wild-looking men, clearly from another country. One holds up a jewel and beckons to Marco to get it. This is the beginning of his journey.

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.

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.

"Examines the life of Italian explorer Marco Polo, including a childhood in Venice, his travels in China and the Mongol empire, his service to Kublai Khan, and his imprisonment in Genoa"--Provided by publisher.

Interesting topics Include: Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales; Chinese porcelain; The crusades; The hajj; Medieval monsters; The Norse sagas; The search for spices; Sir John Mandeville's Travels.