1421 - the Year China Discovered the World

Overall I found this book a very good read. The structure and story are very well thought out. At some stages I questioned the evidence discussed and was dissapointed by the corresponding web site that has not been updated for quite some time. For a different perspective to I would recommend Edward L. Dreyer's "Zheng He: China and the Oceans in the Early Ming Dynasty, 1405-1433" as it shed's light on areas where Gavin Menzies skirts over.

I bought this book as a gift for my father who is very interested in history and expanding his knowledge on all subjects. He enjoyed it very much and said that it presented a side of history he'd never known about before.

This book explores the talents of the Chinese, a nation that for many years has been hidden. Few books are written about China's history, but Gavin has pieced together the events of China discovery and exploration of the world. No doubt this book will challenge many people's ideas about early exploration, but at the the same time enough facts are given to substiantiate this tremendous effort of discovery. This is a well written book that is easy to read, but could benefit from additional charts and explanations.

This is a great book for many reasons. First, it is a great adventure story. The author takes the reader along the voyages of China's great treasure fleets in the 1420s as they sailed around the world. Second, it clearly illustrates how history depends on who is around to tell it, and not on the truth. Third, it is a great detective story. The author shows how different clues have to be pieced together to create a coherent story. And last, it is a perfect example of how achievements are easily forgotten or erased from memory. The flow of the text is good; there are enough references in the text to keep it honest, but not so much as to break up the reading.

The only reason I did not give this book 5 stars is that there should be more pictures and diagrams explaining the various sailing and navigation terms; like how latitude is measured via stars, how a ship sails into the wind, how distance is measured on a sailing vessel, etc...

An extraordinary compilation of years of detailed, world-wide, painstaking research. Simply outstanding. Mr.Menzies' research
will no doubt start some wonderful archeological adventures to
find more items left behind by the Chinese fleets in various
global locations. And high school history texts will have to be
re-written! Mr. Menzies, thank you for taking us on a most interesting journey.