
1434
The Year a Magnificent Chinese Fleet Sailed to Italy and Ignited the Renaissance
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Narrated by:
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Simon Vance
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By:
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Gavin Menzies
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 HarperCollinsPublishersListeners also enjoyed...




















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Zheng He Visits Florence, Italy
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Enlightenment is Exciting
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Menzies started this book wondering how it's possible that education is still teaching the same old "Columbus sailed off into the blue" line that us old folks were raised on; I spent much of my listening time thinking about the mentality of the people who gave this incredibly intelligent and well-researched book one star, claiming it was all conjecture and nonsense.
Maybe I should write a book about why most people will not change they believe no matter how much logical and consistent evidence you present.
No, I'd better forget it. I haven't got a clue -- and I don't think I want to know.
Oh, I almost forgot. The narrator is absolutely first class. Delightful voice with a very light touch.
Very challenging!
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A contrary view that has some merit
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A bunch of disconnected ideas with no historic or logical background
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Ridiculous
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What disappointed you about 1434?
This book was blowing my mind... until I found out it isn't really true.Or, rather, some of it's true, some of it isn't, which's arguably worse, because then you can't tell the difference. If it were all fiction, that'd be fine, it'd be literature. But sadly, when you look at actual historical scholarship, many of the things Menzies writes about (like the Chinese fleet getting to Venice, the crux of the book) are crank speculations lacking any evidence. It's too bad, because even without that, the parts of the book that are factual would've already been mind-blowing enough, there's no need to turn it into fiction just to make it a few percent sexier.
My advice: go read some credible historical texts about the Chinese treasure fleet. It's mind-blowing enough.
Would you ever listen to anything by Gavin Menzies again?
NoIf you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from 1434?
All of the inaccuraciesAny additional comments?
I wish I could get my money back.Fiction pretending to be history
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