Description

On March 8, 1421, the largest fleet the world had ever seen set sail from China to "proceed all the way to the ends of the earth to collect tribute from the barbarians beyond the seas." When the fleet returned home in October 1423, the emperor had fallen, leaving China in political and economic chaos. The great ships were left to rot at their moorings and the records of their journeys were destroyed. Lost in the long, self-imposed isolation that followed was the knowledge that Chinese ships had reached America seventy years before Columbus and had circumnavigated the globe a century before Magellan. And they colonized America before the Europeans, transplanting the principal economic crops that have since fed and clothed the world.

Synopsis

Title: 1421 - the Year China Discovered the World
Author/Publisher: Gavin Menzies (Transworld Publishers Ltd)
Publication Year: 2002
Format: 544-page Hardcover

1421 - the Year China Discovered the World by Gavin Menzies presents a compelling and controversial reinterpretation of global exploration history. This First UK Edition, a significant work of non-fiction, posits that Chinese mariners, under the command of Admiral Zheng He, circumnavigated the globe and discovered the Americas and Australia decades before European explorers.

Menzies challenges established historical narratives by proposing that, on 8th March 1421, a vast Chinese fleet embarked on an ambitious voyage "to the ends of the earth," reaching distant lands and mapping significant portions of the world. The book explores the evidence Menzies assembled to support this radical proposition, inviting readers to reconsider the timeline and protagonists of global discovery.

• The Voyages of Zheng He: Delves into the scale and ambition of the Chinese maritime expeditions, detailing the purported routes and discoveries made by Admiral Zheng He's armada across the globe.
• Reimagining Global Discovery: Explores the implications of these alleged Chinese voyages for our understanding of world geography and the early encounters between different civilisations, spanning a global reach.
• Evidence and Argument: Menzies presents a wide array of evidence, including ancient maps, archaeological findings, and astronomical observations, to construct his argument for China's early global exploration.

As a First UK Edition, this book remains a thought-provoking and significant contribution to historical debate, offering an alternative perspective on the age of discovery that continues to spark discussion among historians and enthusiasts alike.

Condition

This item has been professionally inspected and is in Very Good condition. Please refer to the photographs for detailed visual assessment.

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