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1434

The Year a Magnificent Chinese Fleet Sailed to Italy and Ignited the Renaissance

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1434

By: Gavin Menzies
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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About this listen

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 listener 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.

©2008 Gavin Menzies (P)2014 HarperCollinsPublishers Asia China Europe Italy Renaissance World Ancient History
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plenty of interesting positions, but too repetitive and too many claims hard to believe. However certainly exposes lack of respect given to Chinese explorers and intellectuals.

too long

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So much of our global history is uncovered in 1434 which is a great education that opens so many more windows into our past.

An excellent insight

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