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Marco Polo: The Journey That Changed the World Audiobook
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Publisher Description
In 1271, a young Italian merchant named Marco Polo embarked on a groundbreaking expedition from Venice, through the Middle East and Central Asia to China. His extraordinary reports of his experiences introduced medieval Europe to an exotic new world of emperors and concubines, amazing cities, huge armies, unusual spices and cuisine, and imperial riches. Marco Polo also revealed the wonders of Xanadu, the summer capital of Mongol emperor Kublai Khan.
Almost 750 years later, acclaimed author John Man traveled in Marco Polo's footsteps to Xanadu and then on to Beijing and through modern China in search of the history behind the legend. In this enthralling chronicle, Man draws on his own journey, new archaeological findings, and deep archival study to paint a vivid picture of Marco Polo and the great court of Kublai Khan.
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“This first-person account of retracing the travels of Marco Polo works well in audio, and Simon Vance is a capable and engaging narrator….Author Man adopts an almost lyrical tone in some of the landscape descriptions, and Vance captures the emotion nicely. The author integrates history and Polo’s accounts into his travelogue, and Vance makes them easy for listeners to follow.”
— AudioFile
Quotes
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“I have read everything written on Marco Polo, and John Man’s book is, by far, my favorite work on the subject…An entertaining ride every step of the way.”
— John Fusco, creator of the Netflix original series Marco Polo -
An enjoyable read.
— Library Journal Starred Review -
“Beautifully charted…An in-the-footsteps-of-Marco-Polo journey through Europe to China which really makes you feel you are wearing Polo’s slippers as you go.”
— Scotsman (Edinburgh) -
“[Man] cultivates the sense of wonder in describing unknown lands and unknown peoples, making it easy to imagine being at the court of Kublai Khan, the most powerful man of the time, and experiencing the wonders of another time and place.”
— San Francisco Book Review -
“A very companionable journey of exploration.”
— Guardian (London) -
“An erudite and lively piece of travel writing.”
— Sunday Telegraph (London) -
“Fascinating…Man’s erudition and hands-on approach to solving historical questions is endearing and keeps the pages turning.”
— Asian Review of Books -
“An enjoyable read that is recommended for anyone with a general interest in the subject.”
— Library Journal (starred review) -
“[A] breathlessly admiring account…Man’s boundless enthusiasm for his subject is infectious, and he effectively conveys the sense of novelty and wonder that Polo experienced…A fine retelling of a great and vital adventure in human history.”
— Booklist
Awards
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A Scotsman Pick for Best Book of the Year
Marco Polo Listener Reviews
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Matthew M. , 1/5/2024
About John Man
John Man is a historian and travel writer with a special interest in Mongolia. His writings include such works as Gobi: Tracking the Desert, The Gutenberg Revolution, and Genghis Khan: Life, Death, and Resurrection. He lives in London, England.
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.