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1434: The Year a Magnificent Chinese Fleet Sailed to Italy and Ignited the Renaissance | 
 enlarge | Author: Gavin Menzies
Creator: Simon Vance
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks, Inc.
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
Buy New: $20.80
You Save: $9.15 (31%)
New (6) Used (1) from $20.76
Avg. Customer Rating:  26 reviews
Sales Rank: 206045
Media: CD-ROM
Edition: Unabridged
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.5
ISBN: 1433214652
Dewey Decimal Number: 945.05
EAN: 9781433214653
ASIN: 1433214652
Publication Date: June 3, 2008
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Product Description
The New York Times bestselling author of 1421 presents compelling new evidence that the European Renaissance was spurred in large part by Chinese advances in science, art, and technology.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 21 more reviews...
 Dispelling Myths of History September 8, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is an excellent presentation of fact, conjenture, and connections that dispel much of the myths foisted upon much of western history. For those who are open minded, it is a must read especially for those who have had the foresight to read two other books;1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann and
1421: The Year China Discovered America (P.S.) by Gavin Menzies. Much of the conjecture in these three books has now been proved by research since publication dates.
 how ideas spread September 8, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
1434: The Year a Magnificent Chinese Fleet Sailed to Italy and Ignited the Renaissance
As usual in science new ideas will create havoc and will be heavily scrutinized. The concept presented here is certainly revolutionary but the evidence presented is suggestive and once the typical concept of European supremacy is abandoned, the sequences presented seem logical and trustworthy. Thrilling to say the least and highly recomendable.
 Dangerous Revisionist Tripe August 25, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I'm glad I borrowed this book instead of buying it. I wouldn't want to contribute in any way to the enrichment of this crook. As other reviewers have pointed out, a review of the original Chinese sources themselves shows that they lend no support to the author's premise at all. Most of this, the author has simply made up. What wasn't made up consists of carefully selected facts presented in a very misleading light.
This is propaganda of a caliber that would have made the Nazis proud. I might even be tempted to laugh, but for the truth that many people will take this "book" at face value. Due to the current PC mind virus which states that it's wrong to question any anti-western fantasy that comes along, many historians who know the truth will be hesitant to argue otherwise. This reminds me of Bernal's "Black Athena" and other afrocentrist silliness which was heavily propagated in the 80's and 90's. Most serious historians, archaeologists, and linguists were scared to death that if they pointed out how absurd some of these claims were, they would be labeled as "Racist," ruining their academic careers or worse. Such is the situation now with China and Islam. Oh well...
Just to be clear, I have the highest regard for Chinese civilization, its history, and its current potential (in fact, I have quite a bit of my stock portfolio betting on Chinese civilization to thrive). China has made many important contributions through history. It's just a shame that books such as this have to cheapen it. This charade of a book is deeply disrespectful of the great minds of both China and Europe, and the REAL things they accomplished.
Menzies Tops His First Book August 22, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Menzies returns to face his critics with a sequel better than the original. He builds on is first book by uncovering the history of contacts between China and Europe. Most of this, to some extent, are known facts. But now Menzies solidifies where Europe found maps of the New World and that Chinese contacts were, up to this point, an unconsidered factor in the Renaissance. One of his strongest evidences is finding the Chinese sources that have the same inventions that da Vinci and others would later become famous for publishing. No longer a lone voice, Menzies' first book, and now this one, have unleashed a flood of researchers on Chinese exploration, a subject formally looked down upon.
 Very disappointing August 10, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
His earlier book, 1421, was very good but this one falls very short of the mark. Mostly, it's about navagation and mathematics--pretty dull stuff. The basic thesis is: the Chinese has major fleets that sailed to Venice(and elsewhere) early in the 15th Century, and in doing so they conveyed aspects of their more developed technologies which, in turn gave a jump-start to the Italian Renassance.
While the theory is plausable, the book is just badly written. It's more about navagation technology and mathematics than the thesis itself. (I think a "professional" historian would have done a better presentation).
Most of the nay-sayers seem to be basing their criticism on their own assumption that the thesis is absurd; they assume that the Chinese did not travel the distances described. Personally, I think his earlier book, 1421, did a good job showing that they did. (And I have seen others support this theory as well). Read is first book; it's MUCH better. This one is a disappointment.
Not recommended.
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