To set a reading intention, click through to any list item, and look for the panel on the left hand side. The journeyer by gary jennings goodreads share book. Read the excerpt from chapter 8 of the travels of marco polo. The explorer told of inventions ranging from gunpowder to paper money. It is ruled by a count, who maintains strict justice in his domain. Marco polo was seventeen when he set out for china. In part 2, chapter 40, marco polo reports what he describes as huge serpents. Many other explorers, including christopher columbus, looked up to him. Let us go on now to tell of a large city which forms part of the province of aden but has a petty ruler of its own. In this excerpt, marco describes kublai khans summer palace in shangdu, on the border of mongolia and china.
Cambridge university press rq ehkdoi ri school of oriental. The travels of marco polo by marco polo, alex struik. Excerpt from the travels of marco polo in the prosecution of this task, it soon appeared that there was room for much more than a mere reprint and access has been obtained to important materials, unknown to mr marsden, or any former british edi tor. One among the first europeans to set foot on china, marco polo was the th century explorer, who as a teenager travelled along. Excerpt from the travels of marco polo penguin random house. Having travelled much of the silk road i was intrigued to know how it had been in polo s times and this book brought the places and people marco polo encountered to life. Each chapter is about the military, farming, religion, and culture of a certain area. Chapter primary source marco polo at the mongol court 12.
He was one of the first europeans to explore central asia and east asia. If youre behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains. He returned with stories of exotic people, tremendous riches, and the most powerful ruler in the world kublai khan. Marco polo s father and uncle were merchants eager to meet new people and trade for new goods. The assessment of marco polo s character and integrity is complicated by the production of his description of the world, which soon became known as the travels of marco polo. The descriptions given sound in many ways no different than descriptions given of the dinosaurs in the text books. Laurence bergreen remedies that by bolstering polos reputation and arguing for his historical importance in a book as enthralling as a rollicking travel journal. Your children will love coloring pages, solving puzzles, matching games, completing word searches, and much more. The book of ser marco polo, the venetian internet archive. It is a fine city on the seacoast 600 miles northwest of dhofar. Marco polo was seventeen when he set out for china, and fortyone when he came back. Thoughtful, unsettling, but not apocalyptic analyses of world affairs flow steadily off the presses, and this is a superior example.
The travels of marco polobook 2chapter 49 wikisource, the. Marco polo had to walk along the silk road for over 5000 miles. A boy who lived in venice, italy a teenager who traveled to china and came back twentyfour years later the author of a travel book that inspired christopher columbus. The resulting book, called the description of the world. While he was imprisoned, he met a writer from the city of pisa who encouraged marco to write of his travels in asia. Chapter primary source marco polo at the mongol court.
Nov 22, 2008 the travels of marco polobook 2chapter 49. Marco polos thirteenthcentury journey from italy to asia marked a turning point for western civilization. Here is a selection of some interesting excerpts i marked when reading the travels of marco polo. Marco polo was a venetian explorer known for the book the travels of marco polo, which describes his voyage to and experiences in asia. Marco polo was a venetian trader who visited mongol china in 1275 with his father and uncle.
The venetian concerning kingdoms and marvels of the east volume 1, translated and edited by colonel sir henry yule london. There were real quotes from some of the original documents and the whole book was very readable to a layman like myself. Here is a collection of marco polo quotes and sayings on exploration, culture, travel, story, law, china, india, book, flavor, men, atheism, food, kings, science etc. More than seven hundred years ago, marco polo traveled from the medieval city of venice to the fabled kingdom of the great kublai khan, seeing new sights and riches that no westerner had ever before witnessed. The wealth of new geographic information recorded by polo was widely used by european navigators. Concerning the palace of the great kaan you must know that it is the greatest palace that ever was the roof is very lofty, and the walls of the palace are all covered with gold and silver. This gave marco polo the chance to see many different people, places and goods. You can use the genres below to navigate to genrespecific titles in fantasy, romance, nonfiction and more. May 21, 2019 the return of marco polos world is another work by robert d. Marco polo, the great explorer, recorded seeing dragons. Primary source marco polo at the mongol court marco polo, a venetian merchant and traveler, reached kublai khans court in about 1275 and remained in china until 1292. We have gathered few of his sayings from his book and life. Here you will find excerpts and first chapters from the latest books. Mar 22, 2017 on his deathbed, marco polo simply said.
During marcos stay in china, kublai khan sent him on special government missions around china. Marco polo is known for traveling along the silk road to china, where he explored and documented much of asia not yet explored by europeans. After marco returned home, he was captured during a war between venice and. Kalhat is a large city lying inside the gulf which is also kalhat. His account of those travels, known in english as the travels of marco polo, is a classic.
The following is an excerpt from marco polo s book in which he describes a dinosaur. Marco was released from prison in 1299 and returned to venice, where he married. Mortons old house is 250 miles, how many round trips would you have to make. They traveled the silk road to china where he met the great ruler. Marco polo september 15, 1254 january 9, 24 was a venetian merchant traveler whose travels are recorded in il milione the millions, now known as the travels of marco polo, a book which did much to introduce europeans to central asia and china. Marco polo opened asia to european trade, so were told, but we generally dont know much else.
The prosperity, riches, and political importance of the state of venice having arisen entirely from its commerce, the profession of a merchant was there held in the highest degree of estimation, and. The venetian concerning kingdoms and marvels of the east book second. Marco polo on kubilai khan for the great khan their king is, i tell you, the wisest and most accomplished man, the greatest captain, and best to govern men and rule an empire, as well as the most. The travels of marco polo questions and answers discover the community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on the travels of. Read and learn for free about the following article. In 1298, marco captained a galleyship in a battle against venices rival city, genoa, and was captured as a prisoner of war. The venetian concerning kingdoms and marvels of the east, volumes i and ii, translated and edited by colonel sir henry yule london. The following is an excerpt from marco polos book in which he describes a dinosaur. How marco polo went to china marco polo was born in venice in the year 1254. Marco polo was a merchant in venice before he became the famous explorer we know today. In the excerpts that follow, marco polo or his arab sources describes the cities and urban life of yuandynasty china.
Marcos thoughts on travel, culture are purely based out of his life and experiences. For the book was not written by polo, but narrated by him to a writer of arthurian romances named rustichello of pisa while they languished together in a genoese gaol. Gary jennings was known for the rigorous and intensive research behind his books, which often included hazardous travelexploring every corner of mexico for his aztec novels, retracing the numerous wanderings of marco polo for the journeyers, joining nine different circuses for spangle, and roaming the balkans for raptor. What you can learn from the travels of marco polo youtube. Grade 5 literary nonfiction miniassessment marco polo. Marco polo was born in 1254 and died on january 8,24. Marco polo, venetian merchant and adventurer who traveled from europe to asia in 127195, remaining in china for 17 of those years. If youre seeing this message, it means were having trouble loading external resources on our website. Marco polo and his travels peter jackson keele university the year 1998 marks the sevenhundredth anniversary of the initial composition of the book associated with marco polo, le. Selected document excerpts with questions from the book of ser marco polo. I just read italo calvinos invisible cities which is a short book about an encounter between marco polo and kublai khan. You must know that it is the greatest palace that ever was. Marco polo, the great explorer, recorded seeing dragons while.
Marco polo on kubilai khan for the great khan their king is, i tell you, the wisest and most accomplished man, the greatest captain, and best to govern men and rule an empire, as well as the most valiant, that ever existed among the tribes of. Find an answer to your question p what impresses marco polo most about the island of zanzibar. Messer maffeo and messer marco polo dwelt a whole year in this city when on a mission. In marco polo s venice, few edificeswith the exception of one huge byzantine basilica and other large churchesstood entirely straight. The travels of benjamin of tudela more than a century before marco polo packed his bags, a spanish jew embarked on a 14year journey through france, italy, greece and into the middle. Marco polo simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Marco polo described the importance of the port city laiassus the contemporary site located in southern turkey, near syria. Polo traveled extensively with his family, journeying from europe to asia from 1271 to 1295 and remaining in china for 17 of those years. This shows what he did say and what you can learn from it. Apr 17, 2012 the travels of marco polobook 1chapter 44. Marco polo 1254 to january 8, 24 was a venetian explorer known for the book the travels of marco polo, which describes his voyage to and experiences in asia. Marco polo was a thirteenthcentury venetian explorer, arguably the worlds most welltraveled explorer, and the travels of marco polo chronicles his journey through asia as a special envoy to. Read this biography to learn more about his profile, childhood, life and timeline. Adventures of marco polo, the author mentions one piece of actual evidence from polos book that may prove marco actually did spend time in china. He went back to venice to join his father and uncle. Each chapter of the book covers a specific region of china. Circle the sentence in text 2 that best supports the authors claim that polo was telling the truth about his visit to china. That book reminded me that id read jennings the journeyer several decades ago. Marco polo was the legendary italian merchant, explorer and traveler, who travelled to china and worked under emperor, kublai khan. Marco also had another uncle who lived in constantinople and crimea and was engaged in commerce.
Then all the charm is brokenall that phantomworld so fair. This city, which lies about 400 miles northwest of the port of aden, is called shihr. His father, nicolo, and his uncle, maffeo, were merchants who had seats in the great council and were enrolled with the noblemen of venice. P what impresses marco polo most about the island of zanzibar. Although not attributed to marco polo, this note provided by historian john masefield describes venices merchant class at the time. Marco polo was known for the book, travels of marco polo, where he talked.