It's as if, he suggests, China poured all its knowledge into Italy, triggering the Renaissance. The seafarers ultimately wound up in Venice in 1434, where courtiers and businessmen learned from them about astronomy, mathematics (including calculus and trigonometry), cartography, physics, architecture and weaponry. Menzies argues that a massive fleet, sent on behalf of Emperor Zhu Zhanji under the command of Grand Eunuch Zheng He, left Nanjing, China, in January 1431. In the meantime, it makes for largely fascinating reading.ĭespite Menzies' excessive detail - the chapter linking da Vinci and contemporaries Francesco di Giorgio Martini and Mariano di Jacopo ditto Taccola (I hadn't heard of them either) is the last word in exhaustive - his thesis is certainly provocative. Whether it stands up as history is a matter for experts to settle.

In 1434, Gavin Menzies offers a stunning reappraisal of history, presenting compelling new evidence on the European Renaissance, tracing its roots to China.This roguish work is sure to spur discussion, much as its predecessor, 1421: The Year China Discovered America, did upon publication six years ago. The journey would last over two years and circle the globe…”ġ434 – The year a magnificent Chinese fleet sailed to Italy and ignited the Renaissance Their mission was ‘to proceed all the way to the end of the earth to collect tribute from the barbarians beyond the seas’ and unite the whole world in Confucian harmony. The ships, huge junks nearly five hundred feet long and built from the finest teak, were under the command of Emperor Zhu Di’s loyal eunuch admirals.

“… On the 8th of March, 1421, the largest fleet the world had ever seen sailed from its base in China. Reading like a real-life Indiana Jones story The lost empire of Atlantis take us on an epic journey around the world to finally uncover the truth behind the mystery of Atlantis.ġ421 – The Year China Discovered the World

Columbus was 40, 000 years late! The peopling of these great continents by ancient man from around the world has helped to create the great, rich and diverse tapestry of cultures which can still be seen to this day. Greatly expanding on the blockbuster 1421 Gavin Menzies and his co-author Ian Hudson uncover the complete untold history of how mankind came to populate the Americas by multiple sea voyages, over several millenia.

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