1421: The Year China Discovered America, (Paperback)

from lorax

This was a fascinating but frustrating book. Menzies argues that between 1421, when a large fleet set out from China to explore the world, and 1423 when they returned to a much-changed society (where their logs were destroyed and further exploration halted) the fleet discovered just about every b...

from RicDay

A speculative series of claims that the great Admiral Zheng He's fleet explored far more of the world than it probably did. Much of the "evidence" is flimsy at best. The Levathes book on Zheng He's voyages is far better and more reliable. About the only reason to wade through this massive constru...

from ElAlce

A transfixing read. Very well written, combining the author's personal experience with an interesting theory. But, of course, it's complete malarkey. Archaeologists pour over the slightest details of ancient burial sites, yet we're expected to believe that great hulking sunken Chinese junks are d...

from tuckerresearch

This is book is so horridly bad. Now maybe the Chinese went farther than they are recorded to have gone, maybe they accidentally washed up on the shores of the Americas. But this book is not the answer. Menzies mistranslated the size of Zheng He's fleet. One of Zheng He's admirals was back in Chi...

from zugnush

Just awful. If you believe everything you read this book will fill your head with nonsense. If you have a skeptical bone in your body the authors giant leaps of faith and proofs based on the flimsiest of evidence will drive you completely nuts. Such a pity because there is obviously a great untol...