Review by Library Journal Review
Man's (Kublai Khan) latest provides a thorough review of Marco Polo's relationship with the great Kublai Khan and the explorer's truthful statements and clear embellishments. Listeners will feel as though they are walking through China and Mongolia in the past and in the present as Man describes what it actually looked like (using archaeological evidence and Polo's descriptions) and what it looks like now (based on the author's own journeys). The author often discusses his experiences in the region and includes "but, wait" statements and questions that invite listeners to think more deeply about the events and people being discussed. -Simon Vance's narration is excellent, and his pronunciation of names and other words in Chinese and Mongol is impressive. VERDICT Fans of East Asian history (Mongolian and -Chinese history in particular), European history, and Marco Polo-particularly those who liked the Netflix series based on this work-will love this audiobook. ["An enjoyable read that is recommended for anyone with a general interest in the subject": LJ 11/1/14 starred review of the Morrow hc.]-Jason L. Steagall, Gateway -Technical Coll. Lib., Elkhorn, WI © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
British historian Man (Samurai: A History, 2014, etc.) chronicles his journey to Asia where Marco Polo first led the Western traveler. The book was first published in the U.K. in 2009 as Xanadu.Interest in Polo's 13th-century travel account seemingly never wanes, as more knowledge is gained about the Mongol Empire in particular. The author has sifted through Polo's fanciful taleghosted by his fellow inmate in the Genoa prison, romance author Rustichello da Pisaseparating fairy-tale self-aggrandizement from truth. Moreover, Man has trekked across China in pursuit of the site of Kublai Khan's legendary "upper capital" and summer palace, Shangdu ("Xanadu" in English, thanks to Samuel Taylor Coleridge's dreamy poem), where Polo would have stayed. Man even reconstructed the "Pleasure Dome," virtually and in painstaking description. Marco's 17-year stay at the court of the khan was preceded by a first visit by his father and uncle, and the khan greeted them rapturously, eager to learn about Europe and Christianity (he tolerated the Nestorians, as well as Buddhists and Daoists). Marco was 17 when he made the three-and-a-half-year trip back to Xanadu with his relatives, through eastern Turkey, Armenia, Iraq and into Persia, a route carefully plotted by Man (with useful maps). Polo's observations are compelling, but his omissions are intriguing, and Man rushes to fill them with accounts of his own travels with a guide across the Asian steppes and desert. Polo's admiration for Kublai Khan is remarkable. He was amazed by the beauty of the women and paper money, yet he did not mention foot binding or the Great Wall and lied about providing the engineering prowess for the catapult necessary to break the siege of Xiangyang in 1273. Marvelous tales that first inspired the Western traveler to see and learn more. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
