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1421: The Year China Discovered the World

By Gavin Menzies

(30)

| Hardcover | 9780593050781

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Book Description

Compelling evidence that the Chinese were the first great maritime explorers -- not the Europeans. Rewrite the history books!

In 1421, the largest fleet the world had ever seen sailed from its base in China. The ships, huge junks nearly 500 feet long and built from the finest teak, were underContinue

Critics

1421: The Year China Discovered the World

As a work of historical fiction, 1421: THE YEAR CHINA DISCOVERED THE WORLD would have been thought-provoking and a good yarn: intrepid Chinese admirals sailing the seven seas, meeting exotic alien peoples, boldly going where no civilized man had gone ... (read full critics)

asianreviewofbooks published on Tue, 31 Aug 2010

3 Reviews

3 people find this helpful

Surely there's more than this

This disappointed and annoyed me on all levels:
Menzies grabs every trivial or unexplained factoid that he can possibly link to support his thesis and in the end comes across as as the Von Daniken of Chinese History. He doesn't include anything like enough details or story about the real great ... (continue)

This disappointed and annoyed me on all levels:
Menzies grabs every trivial or unexplained factoid that he can possibly link to support his thesis and in the end comes across as as the Von Daniken of Chinese History. He doesn't include anything like enough details or story about the real great voyages the Chinese admirals undertook which is the history that is worth telling. A lot of the side stories about inter-cultural communications around the Indian Ocean that are potentially fascinating get distorted by the need to support his thesis.
Definitely all hype and to be avoided.

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huntch said on Apr 4, 2007 | Add your feedback

America discovered by the Chinese

The author of this book writes about his theory that America was actually discovered by the Chinese in 1421 just before the next emperor decided to close off China to the world.
Well researched and a very compelling read.

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jacoutofthebox said on Sep 16, 2008 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

Zero stars!
A book of historical fiction where facts and factoids are blended together. Unfortunately, it was marketed as true History.
Gavin Menzies is just another Dan Brown.

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Doppelganger said on Sep 3, 2008 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback