The Travels of Marco Polo (1928)

Sydney

Phew, finished it! My first comment would be that I had the cheapo Wordsworth Classics version, with minimal notes, and had to have computer going whole time to reference the places and people mentioned (most place names have changed hugely since thew 1200s) If you're planning to read it, DO get a better version!
It IS actually pretty interesting- to be transported into such an ancient, remote world by a European. In 3 (or in some versions 4) volumes, the reader is transported into the Polos' adventures.
Vol 1 starts with Marco's father and uncle taking off for a trading venture to Constantinople (leaving the pregnant wife of former in Venice)...and somehow just keeping going and ending up in Beijing with Kublai Khan. When they finally go home, the wife is dead and the unborn babe a 19 year old youth! They soon resume their travels with young Marco in tow. And here I'd have loved more info on the people involved- what was the motivation? Adventure, money (living gratis at the Great Khan's court)? Or missionary zeal? (The Khan wanted to learn more of the Church of Rome)? Vol 1 continues with short chapters on many places of Iran, Central Asia etc.
Vol 2 is given up to China, where they were based. Kublai Khan is treated with utter awe and respect; Marco is sent by him on various missions throughout the kingdom and continues the reports, many pretty samey and dull. Apparently Marco never actually got to many of the places included and relies on information from others.
Vol 3 takes us into SE Asia, Japan, Java, India, Zanzibar etc, as Marco is sent further afield. Those mongols surely did control,a ginormous realm!
And latter Vol 3(or Vol 4) focusses on battles between warring Mongol factions- uncle against nephew etc-through Turkey and beyond.
It's quite a read...interesting (somewhat) . ( )

Reprint. Third volume of set originally a separate title (London : John Murray, 1920). 3 v. ( )

descubrimiento del Oriente, palabras espléndidas que
abarca la aurora y tantas y famosas naciones.

Herodoto Alejandro de Macedonia, la Biblia, Vasco de Giama, Las mil
y una noches, Clive y Kipling son diversas etapas de esa
aventura, que no ba cesado aún. Otra etapa (la esencial para
Mesefieid) es este libro.

Venturosamente para nasotros, los genoveses apresaron
en 1296 una galera veneciana. la comandaba un bombre,
gue seria un poco distinto de los demás porque babia esta-
do muchas años en Oriente. Ese bombre, Marco Polo, dictó
en latin a su compañero de cautiverio, Rusticiano de Pisa,
la larga crónica de sus viajes y la descripción de los reinos
explorados por el. Las carceles parecen propicias a la literatura;
recordemos a Verlaine y a Cervantes. El becho de dictar
en latin, no en la lengua vernácula, sugiere que el
autor se dirigia a muchas lectores.

Marco Polo era un mercader, Nro en los tiempos medievales
un mercader podia ser Simbad. Por el camino de la
secda, por el arduo camino que farigaron antiguas caravanas
para que un paño con figuras llegara a manos

MARCO POLO ( LA DESCRIPCIÓN DEL MUNDO)

Uno de los bechos capitales de nuestra bistoria es el
descubrimiento del Oriente, palabras espléndidas que
abarca la aurora y tantas y famosas naciones.

Herodoto Alejandro de Macedonia, la Biblia, Vasco de Giama, Las mil
y una noches, Clive y Kipling son diversas etapas de esa
aventura, que no ba cesado aún. Otra etapa (la esencial para
Mesefieid) es este libro.

Venturusamente para nasotros, los genoveses apresaron
en 1296 una galera veneciana. la comandaba un bombre,
gue seria un poco distinto de los demás porque babia esta-
do muchas años en Oriente. Ese bombre, Marco Polo, dictó
en latin a su compañero

MARCO POLO ( LA DESCRIPCIÓN DEL MUNDO)

Uno de los explorados por el. Las carceles parecen propicias a la literatura;

MARCO POLO ( LA DESCRIPCIÓN DEL MUNDO)

Uno de los bechos capitales de nuestra bistoria es el
descubrimiento del Oriente, palabras espléndidas que
abarca la aurora y tantas y famosas naciones.

Herodoto Alejandro de Macedonia, la Biblia, Vasco de Giama, Las mil
y una noches, Clive y Kipling son diversas etapas de esa
aventura, que no ba cesado aún. Otra etapa (la esencial para
Mesefieid) es este libro.

Venturosamente para nosotros, los genoveses apresaron
en 1296 una galera veneciana. la comandaba un bombre,
gue seria un poco distinto de los demás porque babia esta-
do muchas años en Oriente. Ese bombre, Marco Polo, dictó
en latin a su compañero de cautiverio, Rusticiano de Pisa,
la larga crónica de sus viajes y la descripción de los reinos
explorados por el. Las carceles parecen propicias a la literatura;
recordemos a Verlaine y a Cervantes. El becho de dictar
en latin, no en la lengua vernácula, sugiere que el
autor se dirigia a muchas lectores.

Marco Polo era un mercader, Nro en los tiempos medievales
un mercader podia ser Simbad. Por el camino de la
secda, por el arduo camino que farigaron antiguas caravanas
para que un paño con figuras llegara a manos de
Virgilio y le sugiriera un hexámetro, Marco Polo, atravesando
Cordilleras y arenas, arribó a la China, a Catbay, y mereció la protección
del Emperador, que le confió intrincadas misiones
y lo nombró gobermador de Sung...

Fact or fiction? As once the most well-travelled man in the world, who would contradict Marco Polo? When, 750 years or so ago, he told the West of his travels through a thousand lands and cities between Venice and the farthest East. Of an Oriental city with 12000 bridges, where dogs are eaten, and paper used is money, of unicorns, enchanters, of Xanadu, and Kublai Khan who rules a third of the earth, exotic manners and customs, of deserts filled with spirits, and on an island in the Arabian sea colossal eagles that pick up elephants and dash them to the earth.
Part of the poetic license is excused by the nature of this work’s recording. While imprisoned, Marco Polo narrated his adventures to a famous travelling romance writer, Rusticello, who had the good fortune to be sharing the same prison, and jotted them down. So the stories were embellished along the way, and blame for any exaggeration can at least be shared.
As an historical record then it cannot all be taken at face value, however considering that there is no evidence of anyone from the West travelling as widely as Marco Polo did until about 100 years ago, this remains a unique document of considerable historical interest. Albeit one that must be interpreted with caution. For pure entertainment however, this is difficult to surpass as far as historical travel writings are concerned. There is also a lot of material of interest in terms of history, culture, anthropology, sociology, and politics. By reading this we see the many ways in which societies can be structured, and the many permutations, real or fictitious, that humans can create. ( )