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1434: The Year a Magnificent Chinese Fleet Sailed to Italy and Ignited the Renaissance Audiobook
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(3.01) - 558 listener ratings
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The brilliance of the Renaissance laid the foundation of the modern world. Textbooks tell us that it came about as a result of a rediscovery of the ideas and ideals of classical Greece and Rome. But now bestselling historian Gavin Menzies makes the startling argument that in the year 1434, China—then the world's most technologically advanced civilization—provided the spark that set the European Renaissance ablaze. From that date onward, Europeans embraced Chinese ideas, discoveries, and inventions, all of which form the basis of Western civilization today.
The New York Times bestselling author of 1421 combines a long-overdue historical reexamination with the excitement of an investigative adventure, bringing the reader aboard the remarkable Chinese fleet as it sails from China to Cairo and Florence, and then back across the world. Erudite and brilliantly reasoned, 1434 will change the way we see ourselves, our history, and our world.
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"I enjoyed it very much. The premise was that the Chinese were sailing around the world, had visited the Americas, and had detailed maps of the entire globe before Columbus set sail in 1492. In addition to this the book suggested that many of the diagrams drawn by Da Vinci that have established him as a great inventor wre drawn by earlier Europeans and also by the Chinese before them. 1434 is the year that a Chinese fleet sailed to Italy and brought with it maps, sailing knowledge, and scientific and engineering information that had a great influence that led to the period of European enlightenment referred to as the Renaissance."
— Phil (4 out of 5 stars)
1434 Listener Reviews
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" So there were some interesting bits. I enjoyed the first few pages, the last chapter, and some bits in the middle about DaVinchi. The rest was monotinous and slow and boring as all hell. The author kept telling the reader to visit his website for more information. It read more like a series of articles that should be in a magazine rather than a book. This tried to be many things, and got lost along the way. Just not my style of history book. "
— Hope, 2/16/2014 -
" This history was very interesting and revealing. The scholarship was quite astonishing, but the book seemed a bit pedantic. It was great historical scholarship but a little intense for pleasure reading. Gavin Menzies' research should be incorporated into every world history and American history textbook. "
— Donna, 2/10/2014 -
" better than the first one! math, art, inventions, astronomy... "
— Bill&Sue, 2/5/2014 -
" Fascinating to read about the body of evidence which turns traditional understanding of world history during the Renaissance on its ear. The book is much more archaeological than a traditional history--that is, much more attention is given to the means by which the evidence of Menzies' contentions is gathered than in creating a historical narrative. But Menzies does a good job of making this as interesting as possible. And the circumstantial evidence that Menzies presents to support his claims--that China already had extensively explored the globe and had developed extensive trading networks on virtually every inhabited land; that there was already a great deal of interaction between China and the Mediterranean world, including a sizable Chinese population in the region; and that the "discoveries" and "inventions" of the Renaissance were largely the synthesis of Chinese knowledge given to Venice and Rome in 1434--is very extensive and compelling. I'm interested to go back and read the prior book 1421. "
— Derek, 2/3/2014 -
" Great story, but too dry for me. "
— Beth, 1/27/2014 -
" Must read for anyone interested in real history. It is insightful. The author gives lots of proof of his own investigation which you can corroborate in museums around the world. "
— Mauricio, 1/22/2014 -
" So far? Totally weak. If you're interested, I'd rec 'The Island of Seven Cities' over Menzies' books, any day. "
— Candace, 1/20/2014 -
" Like 1421 this is a very enlightening book, the Chinese not only discovered America, the circumnavigated the world... "
— Chris, 1/19/2014 -
" i'm astonished at how little coverage this & its companion book 1421 have gotten. Mr. Menzies presents a cogent, tight argument to support his thesis. I believe what he has said. The Chinese are truly amazing! I'd recommend them both. "
— Ed, 12/9/2013 -
" Very good, but not nearly as interesting as the first book. "
— Lisa, 1/16/2013 -
" Very weak in literary and in historical terms. "
— Jesus, 12/12/2012 -
" This book was interesting but after reading 1421 I was overloaded with details. I had a hard time staying awake reading it. These two book make some things seem around the world make much more sense. "
— Joe, 3/29/2012 -
" I could not finish this book. Menzies writes like an over enthusiastic amateur and his style grated on my nerves. It is rare that I don't finish a book. I was hoping for more... I guess that I should not have expected much from an author who claims that Atlantis existed. "
— Todd, 2/28/2012 -
" Props to the Chinese for discovering everything. "
— Kristina, 9/15/2010 -
" Very weak in literary and in historical terms. "
— Jesus, 8/6/2010 -
" Very good, but not nearly as interesting as the first book. "
— Lisa, 7/13/2010 -
" might be controversial, but fascinating nonetheless. "
— Cyndee, 6/26/2010 -
" "It is time for an agonizing reappraisal of the Eurocentric view of history." <br/> <br/>Zheng-He kickstarted the Renaissance. "
— Josh, 5/13/2010
About Gavin Menzies
Gavin Menzies was born in 1937 and lived in China for two years before the Second World War. He joined the Royal Navy in 1953 and served in submarines from 1959 to 1970. 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. He is married with two daughters and lives in North London.
About Simon Vance
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.