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1434: The Year a Chinese Fleet Sailed to Italy and Ignited the Renaissance by: Gavin Menzies List Price: £20.00 City Travel Guides Price: £10.00 You Save: £10.00 (50%)Prices subject to change. |
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Binding: Hardcover EAN: 9780007269372 ISBN: 0007269374 Label: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd Number Of Pages: 384 Publication Date: July 01, 2008 Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd Studio: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd Sales Rank: 1019 Related Items:
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 Rating: - Definitely worth readingGavin Menzies is neither an academic nor a lawyer, so his writing may occasionally be repetitive and he does not produce a watertight case, but do not let this put you off - in the core of this book is the fascinating theory that the Chinese donated their encyclopedia of knowledge to the Venetians as a gesture of magnamity and to prove to the world that the Chinese were the most advanced society in the world. The world would be a different place today if the next emperor, a few years later, had not decided to cut China off from the world. Left with a repository of mechanical drawings explaining hydraulics, astronomy, weapons, manufacture etc, but no-one to explain the (Chinese) instructions, the handful of Italians with this gold dust ... Read More: Rating: - A compelling new alternative history from Gavin Menzies!In this follow up to '1421' Gavin Menzies convincingly argues that much of the basis of the European Renaissance was heavily reliant on Chinese influences. Menzies argues that the Chinese delegation that visited the Pope in Florence in 1434 handed over a wealth of knowledge which was to provide the spark which set the Renaissance, and subsequently the development of our modern world, ablaze. The book is well written and illustrated, though I found some aspects rather complex (astro-navigation is not one of my strong points!) All-in-all, a thoroughly engaging and plausible alternative history. Bravo Gavin (again)! |
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