Seinfeld

SEINFELD BLOG

1434: The Year a Magnificent Chinese Fleet Sailed to Italy and Ignited the Renaissance

by: Gavin Menzies

: 1434: The Year a Magnificent Chinese Fleet Sailed to Italy and Ignited the Renaissance
See Larger Image
List Price: $26.95
You Pay Only: $17.79
You Save: $9.16 (34%)
Prices subject to change.



Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours




Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 945.05
EAN: 9780061492174
ISBN: 0061492175
Label: William Morrow
Manufacturer: William Morrow
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 384
Publication Date: June 01, 2008
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: June 03, 2008
Sales Rank: 25148
Studio: William Morrow



Related Items:

Editorial Review:

Product Description:


The New York Times bestselling author of 1421 offers another stunning reappraisal of history, presenting compelling new evidence that traces the roots of the European Renaissance to Chinese exploration in the fifteenth century



The brilliance of the Renaissance laid the foundation of the modern world. Textbooks tell us that it came about as a result of a rediscovery of the ideas and ideals of classical Greece and Rome. But now bestselling historian Gavin Menzies makes the startling argument that in the year 1434, China—then the world's most technologically advanced civilization—provided the spark that set the European Renaissance ablaze. From that date onward, Europeans embraced Chinese intellectual ideas, discoveries, and inventions, all of which form the basis of western civilization today.



Florence and Venice of the early fifteenth century were hubs of world trade, attracting traders from across the globe. Based on years of research, this marvelous history argues that a Chinese fleet—official ambassadors of the emperor—arrived in Tuscany in 1434, where they were received by Pope Eugenius IV in Florence. The delegation presented the influential pope with a wealth of Chinese learning from a diverse range of fields: art, geography (including world maps that were passed on to Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan), astronomy, mathematics, printing, architecture, steel manufacturing, military weaponry, and more. This vast treasure trove of knowledge spread across Europe, igniting the legendary inventiveness of the Renaissance, including the work of such geniuses as da Vinci, Copernicus, Galileo, and more.



In 1434, Gavin Menzies combines this long-overdue historical reexamination with the excitement of an investigative adventure. He brings the reader aboard the remarkable Chinese fleet as it sails from China to Cairo and Florence, and then back across the world. Erudite and brilliantly reasoned, 1434 will change the way we see ourselves, our history, and our world.





Customer Reviews
Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars - 1434
This book begins with a lot of technical stuff. If you majored in Latin to avoid taking math, don't ... Read More


Rating: 1 out of 5 stars - "Worlds in Collision" for the 21st Century
A waste. I bought this in an airport, hoping for an interesting history to pass a long flight. What I ... Read More


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - This is a BRILLIANT book! A MUST read for educator and student alike
To understand the controversy over Menzies's books 1421 and 1434, you have to understand the politics ... Read More


Rating: 1 out of 5 stars - more stuff and nonsense
It is tedious to critique Menzies work because it consists of little more than a tissue of error and self ... Read More


Rating: 1 out of 5 stars - Would have been better classified under "Fiction"
Menzies has really gone off the deep end with this one. His first book pushed the boundaries of feasibility ... Read More

More 1434: The Year a Magnificent Chinese Fleet Sailed to Italy and Ignited the Renaissance Reviews

Browse for similar items by category:







Copyright ©2003, Mark Carey.