The Travels of Marco Polo

By: Marco Polo

Narrated by: Walter Covell

Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

The Travels of Marco Polo by Marco Polo Read by Walter Covell. Take a fascinating journey through strange and exotic countries. Marco Polo (1254-1324), is probably the most famous Westerner who traveled on the "Silk Road." With his 24-year journey through Asia he surpassed all other travelers in his determination, his writing, and his influence. He reached further than any of his predecessors, beyond Mongolia to China. He became a confidant of Kublai Khan (1214-1294). He traveled the whole of China and returned to tell the tale, which became one of the world's greatest travelogues.

©1991 Jimcin Recordings; cover design © 2003 Brian J. Killavey (P)16 Jimcin Recordings; 1991 Jimcin Recordings; 2003 Jimcin Recordings

Interesting but perhaps better in print.

A very interesting book, but not a great audiobook. It is better suited for print as it is established more like a synoptic history text that stirs collaboration with other sources. A highly intriguing topic will be introduced, described in a few sentences and then left alone, this was constantly inspiring me to cross validate and pull other resources to better understand what Marco was talking about, but as you can imagine it is difficult to mark and reference parts of an audiobook.

It is a great pice of work

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Even with all the mysteries and questions that exist around the figure of Marco Polo, on the existence and veracity of what supposedly dictated to his amanuensis, Rustichello of Pisa, or if Rustichello get carried away by hes own imagination. This is a fantastic work that allows us to awaken our imagination to visualize how could be the medieval Asia, that was visit by Marco, even though Marco omitted ovais things of the customs of China (Cathay and Mangi) as the characters of Chinese writing, printing or chopsticks. but he discussed other aspects of the life in Asia, such as paper currency, the Grand Canal, the structure of the Mongol army, a large number of animals including tigers and panthers, the existence of Japan (Cipango) and the system of the imperial postal.

What did you like best about this story?

The facts that have captured my imagination are the descriptions of deserts, the great battles, description of places like Island of Women or the Isle of Man, trade routes such as the silk route, the way armies organized before a battle, the vastness of deserts, as well as the extension of the cities that came to be more than a million and a half inhabitants. Or the opulence in which the rulers lived, also the descriptions of palaces and harems and the tragic way women were elected for the harems. Or the women warriors who only marry with the man who was able to defeat them in combat. Or as he explains acupuncture and hospitals.Other things that have like me, are the supernatural stories like those of Prester John, or the acts of levitation, telekinesis, Mirages, evil spirits, weather manipulation; all these phenomena made by Geniuses, Monks, Shamans, Healers, Demons and a great etc.

Which scene was your favorite?

I find it disconcerting that are not important the description of the behavior as we headed south of the Star Polar or North Star, and how he explain their movement geting close to the horizon or even disappears. For me this is a great point for Marco because as merchant had sailed enough to have heard of this phenomenon and not have to discuss it as something that surprises him.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

The New Yawk accent got a little tedious ...but

The New Yawk accent got a little tedious...but I always wanted to read this book

Read with confidence and authority

Great book. Even though first written around the year 1300, it fits the structure of many travelogues written today: what I did when I traveled there, what I saw, retelling stories I heard from locals. I found many of the antidotes and slices of history fascinating. The authenticity of facts has always been in question for this book, but worth a read regardless. It was well presented by the narrator, with a voice of authority and confidence. I was given a free review copy of this book and have voluntarily left this honest review.

Polo understood Muslims immediately. Why can't we?

Polo understood people for what they are. We seem unable to see what is right before us and obvious.

Powerfully educative

Marco Polo had formed our imagery of the far world for centuries. He corrected far fetched conclusions erroneously made of Mongolians & their world changing exploits. A collector's item

A glance to the news local at that time

I was amazing how he saw weird locations, animals, battles, cannibals people, huge tigers, place where diamonds are extracted from rivers and mountain, people with face or shape diferentes than humans, the resting place of diferentes christian patriots

An educational experience.

This book was not what I expected. I thought it would be a narrative travelogue of the travels of Marco Polo, however it turned out to be more of a catalog of the cities and provinces he had visited. The first chapter was an introduction and provided background to the writing of his books but the subsequent chapters were just a recitation of provinces, their cities, none of which I knew or could find in my Atlas, and the nature and customs of their peoples. After about a couple of hours of this I was about to give up but when the section on the empire of Kublai Khan started I found the description of the government and the culture fascinating. The latter chapters on the region of Cathay were also a revelation to me. I had no idea of the magnitude of the civilization in this region in the 13th century. The book seemed to end abruptly with no conclusion or wrap up however I was very glad I persevered and felt that I learned much from it.

Fascinating

You have to be a bit of a history and travel buff combined but absolutely fascinating! To hear what Asia was like first hand in the late 1200s is great. The degree of detail amazing, also Marco P put in fascinating characters whenever he could. It may offend some, as it is written from the middle ages Christian perspective so is often quite rude about Islam and Eastern religions. However he does seem quite objective and positive about "pagan" rulers when they were doing a good job for the people they ruled. (I'm pretty sure Marco P would have been hard on the Christian Inquisition if it was his time to write about it.) I'm writing this as I load part 2, which I can't wait to listen to.

Facinating but not very engrossing

It's a recant of the travel not really a story or adventure which would have been more interesting