The Travels of Marco Polo [The Venetian]

xxxii+370 pages with index. (8 3./4" x 6") bound in original publisher's black cloth with gilt lettering to spine in original jacket. Revised from Marsden's translation and edited with introduction by Manuel Komroff. Third edition.

Description of the World" in English commonly called "The Travels of Marco Polo", is a 13th-century travelogue written down by Rustichello da Pisa from stories told by Italian explorer Marco Polo, describing Polo's travels through Asia between 1271 and 1295, and his experiences at the court of Kublai Khan. The book was written in Old French by romance writer Rustichello da Pisa, who worked from accounts which he had heard from Marco Polo when they were imprisoned together in Genoa. From the beginning, there has been incredulity over Polo's sometimes fabulous stories, as well as a scholarly debate in recent times. Some have questioned whether Marco had actually traveled to China or was just repeating stories that he had heard from other travelers. Economic historian Mark Elvin concludes that recent work "demonstrates by specific example the ultimately overwhelming probability of the broad authenticity" of Polo's account, and that the book is, "in essence, authentic, and, when used with care, in broad terms to be trusted as a serious though obviously not always final, witness.

Condition: Jacket edges chipped, 2" loss to spine heal, fold over edges chipped and rubbed with loss, soiled.