Book description
Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have
transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have
inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened,
outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and
destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great
thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook
civilization and helped make us who we are.
A profound influence on medieval Europe's view of the wider world,
this thirteenth-century account of a Venetian merchant's amazing
experiences in the court of the great Mongol leader, Kubilai Khan,
remains one of the most fascinating tales of exploration ever written.
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. They spent
the next 20 years in the service of the Kubilai Khan, travelling
throughout the Mongolian empire. They returned home to Venice in 1292
and towards the end of the century, Marco Polo was taken prisoner in
Genoa during the Civil War. It was probably while in prison that he met
Rustichello of Pisa, a romance writer, with whom he wrote The Travels.
He died in 1324, leaving the possessions he had amassed on his travels
to be divided by his three daughters.
