The book is written informally, as a series of vignettes of menzies travels around the globe examining what he claims is evidence for his 1421 hypothesis, interspersed with speculation and. He is married with two daughters and lives in north london. The year china discovered the world which claims that the chinese admiral zheng he discovered america in 1421. Jul 01, 2009 gavin menzies is the bestselling author of 1421. Rowan gavin paton menzies 14 august 1937 12 april 2020 was a british author and retired. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by. Menzies noticed that they kept encountering the year 1421 and, concluding that it must have been an extraordinary year in world history, decided to write a book about everything that happened in the world in 1421. The year a magnificent chinese fleet sailed to italy and ignited the renaissance p. The year a chinese fleet sailed to italy and ignited the renaissance. The result of fifteen years research, 1421 is gavin menzies enthralling account of the voyage of the chinese fleet, the remarkable discoveries he made and the persuasive evidence to support them. Sep 08, 2008 closer to home, china is enjoying another pr success. Menzies and the proponents of the 1421 theory say it does exist.
Gavin menzies made it his lifes work after retiring from the british navy to find out. As a layperson, i was fascinated by 1421 and thought it contained strong evidence for his case that the chinese circumnavigated the globe in 1421. In his follow up book 1434 he claims that the european renaissance was sparked by the chinese. 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. For researchers and fans of gavin menzies books, 1421 and 1434. The year china discovered america, that squadrons from zheng hes fleets, between 1421 and 1423, did indeed get to.
This book is dedicated to my beloved wife, marcella, who has traveled with me on the journeys related in this book and through life. The year china discovered the world take me to 1421. The year china discovered the world gavin menzies published by bantam press, london. The year china discovered the world gavin menzies published by bantam press, london on the 8th of march, 1421, the largest fleet the world had ever seen sailed from its base in china.
The list of discoveries and technologies are staggering. In 1421, he claims china discovered america, australia, antarctica, and took siberia home. Textbooks tell us that it came about as a result of a rediscovery of the ideas and ideals of classical greece and rome. Chiasson mentioned another book 1421 written by gavin menzies, which hypothesised that the chinese sent out huge junks boats in the early 1400s to map the world. Jan 01, 2002 menzies is most known for his book 1421. Jun 21, 2008 chiasson mentioned another book 1421 written by gavin menzies, which hypothesised that the chinese sent out huge junks boats in the early 1400s to map the world. His knowledge of seafaring and navigation sparked his interest in the. The year china discovered america and was surprised about the influence that chinese mapping and navigational technology had on european exploration.
Menzies follows graham hancocks trick of stuffing the book with footnotes, which most of his readers will never. In the course of researching 1421, he visited 120 countries, over 900 museums and libraries, and every major sea port of the late middle ages. The year a chinese fleet sailed to france and ignited. In 1434, gavin menzies combines this longoverdue historical reexamination with the excitement of an investigative adventure.
His ideas have been profiled in the new york times, new york times magazine, and wall street journal, and he has lectured at the library of congress washington, d. His knowledge of seafaring and navigation sparked his interest in the epic voyages of. The year a magnificent chinese fleet sailed to italy. The year china discovered america publishers weekly. Like 1421, this book is a collective endeavor that never. Controversy surrounding the book should be lively, generating sales. The year a magnificent chinese fleet sailed to italy and ignited the renaissance. With verve and unflagging conviction, gavin menzies advances a.
The year china discovered america by gavin menzies in chm, epub, txt download ebook. Gavin menzies had the idea to write his first book after he and his wife marcella visited the forbidden city for their twentyfifth wedding anniversary. Physical evidence for the 1421 theory howstuffworks. This pair of books will do for history what plate tectonics did for geology. With verve and unflagging conviction, gavin menzies advances a thesis that, if. But now bestselling historian gavin menzies makes the startling argument that in the year 1434, china then the worlds most technologically advanced civilization provided the spark that set the european renaissance ablaze. The year china discovered the world bantam new edition by menzies, gavin isbn. The year a magnificent chinese fleet sailed to italy and ignited the. What is your reaction to reading 1434 by gavin menzies.
The year china discovered the world take me to 1421 in 1434, gavin menzies offers a stunning reappraisal of history, presenting compelling new evidence on the european renaissance, tracing its roots to china. Now he presents further astonishing evidence that it was also chinese advances in science, art, and technology that formed the basis of the european renaissance and our modern world. Gavin menzies, a former british royal navy officer, argues in the bestseller 1421. The year china discovered the world, gavin menzies revealed that it was the chinese that discovered america, not columbus. He served for 27 years as a member of the british royal navy, but he dropped out of school when h. Rowan gavin paton menzies was a british author and retired submarine lieutenantcommander who has written books promoting claims that the chinese sailed to america before columbus. Historians have categorised menzies work as pseudohistory. Every bookshop in britain is presenting a book called 1434 by gavin menzies as a major history title. A garment from the nez perce tribe of presentday idaho thats dated at over 300 years old has woven ornaments into it that are believed to be chinese. He brings the reader aboard the remarkable chinese fleet as it sails from china to cairo and florence, and then back across the world. On the 8th of march, 1421, the largest fleet the world had ever seen sailed from its base in china. A couple of years ago, i read gavin menzies book 1421. Gavin menzies has spent 15 years tracing the astonishing voyages of the chinese fleet.
The year china discovered the world, gavin menzies revealed that it was the chinese that discovered america. The year a magnificent chinese fleet sailed to italy and ignited the renaissance, was even more informative. In the pacific northwest of the presentday united states, investigations at eight different sites have uncovered chinese coins. The year china discovered america menzies, gavin on. The year a magnificent chinese fleet sailed to italy and ignited. The year china discovered the world, in which he asserts that the fleets of chinese admiral zheng he visited the americas prior to european explorer christopher c. Gavin menzies has now written another book called 1434 due to be published this month june 2008. I also bought the paperback version of the book to see the illustrations and ancient maps detailed in the narrative. The year china discovered the world, by gavin menzies. By the way, this book is the american edition of 1421 the year china discovered the.
Gavin menzies is the globally bestselling author of 1421. But now bestselling historian gavin menzies makes the startling argument that in the year 1434, chinathen the worlds most technologically advanced civilizationprovided the spark that set the european renaissance ablaze. Feb 01, 2019 this video talks about a famous example of bad history. The year a magnificent chinese fleet sailed to italy and ignited the renaissance by gavin menzies harpercollins is available from telegraph books for. Menzies work have been entirely discredited by historians from china, the usa. He joined the royal navy in 1953 and served in submarines from 1959 to 1970. Colonna thats a pretty good analysis of the book 1421. He credits people in the book that have helped him, they have not even met him. The year china discovered the world, gavin menzies revealed that it was the chinese that discovered. Historians have rejected menzies theories and assertions and have categorised his work as pseudohistory. Greatly expanding on 1421, gavin menzies and ian hudson uncover the complete untold history of how mankind came to populate the americas by multiple seaborne voyages over a period of thousands of years. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
The year china discovered the world, in which he asserts. Is gavin menzies assertions in his books, 1421 and 1434. Is gavin menzies assertions in his books, 1421 and 1434, taken seriously by the history community. In the words of one flair there is no legitimate evidence that china discovered america, had any interest in discovering america, or would have cared if they had discovered america. The year china discovered america, that squadrons from zheng hes fleets, between 1421 and 1423, did indeed get. The first book was great, this one has way more informatiion and is one of several. The year china discovered america by gavin menzies. The brilliance of the renaissance laid the foundation of the modern world. The year china discovered the world take me to 1421 in 1434, gavin menzies offers a stunning. Gavin menzies 19372020 was the bestselling author of 1421. Nov 25, 2003 the result of fifteen years research, 1421 is gavin menzies enthralling account of the voyage of the chinese fleet, the remarkable discoveries he made and the persuasive evidence to support them. The ships, huge junks nearly five hundred feet long and built from the finest teak, were under the command of emperor zhu dis loyal eunuch admirals. Closer to home, china is enjoying another pr success. The year china discovered america gavin menzies, author.
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