5 comments about The Travels of Marco Polo (Wordsworth Classics of World Literature) (Wordsworth Classics).

1. Imagine a very boring person went through something fascinating. This person came up to you, started to talk about this incredible journey of theirs, but talking in this monotonous voice without changing pitch or showing excitement at any moment.
   
   That's essentially what "Travels of Marco Polo" is. It's an INCREDIBLY interesting book and a fascinating tale, but can it possible be said in a more dry and flat way? There is no energetic spark that makes this adventure jump off the page. Perhaps this is due to the times, but I suspect the translation is a bit literal and bland as well. The writing never changes tone, even in parts that are clearly exciting and amazing. All the facts are there, but the reader is forced to put too much energy just to make it interesting.
   
   Marco Polo had a most fascinating journey. Any history buff should snatch this book off the shelves (unless they decide to read the even longer, more annoying records that I'm sure can be found floating around), and anyone interesting in Marco Polo should as well. It may be dull at times, but it's still incredible, fascinating, and a riveting tale.
   
   Recommended to heavier, more able readers.



2. It has been a pleasure to revisit the travels of Marco Polo. I was transfixed by these stories of travel and adventure when I was a child, and never questioned the veracity of the narrative. I know today that the narrative has been corrupted over the centuries, that "The Travels" can scarcely be used as an historical reference, and that a more tantalizing and complete manuscript has probably been lost to the ages. Still, there are glimpses and insights within the narrative that could only have come from first-hand experience, and these describe an enormous, exotic world that titillates even today, while readers in the 13th and 14th centuries must have been enthralled.
   
   I was most keen this time around to Polo's descriptions of the cultures and wildlife he encountered, of the whales and lions and leopards and bears--he even describes a white bear, and the people who hunted it were surely of the group often called Eskimos. He describes dog-sledding in the far north and the cannibalistic practices of the people of Java far to the south, both of which are extant in our current era. There are also the fascinating observations of the Mongol Empire, of that group of nomadic people who somehow rose up, like an event in an Isaac Asimov novel, to conquer much of the known world.
   
   Somewhat depressingly, though, are Polo's observations of the tensions that existed between the Islamic and Christian worlds, tensions rooted in the competition for hegemony over trade in the Far East. Seven hundred years later, these tensions are still acting themselves out.
   
   This translation by Ronald Latham from 1958 includes an introduction that puts Marco Polo's life in context with events and includes footnotes to help the reader make sense of the myriad manuscripts that make up the travels of Marco Polo. This is a somewhat dry read; even Latham comments on the paucity of skill employed by Polo's chronicler. Once I put my mind in context with the narrative, however, I was able to roll with the repetition and sycophancy and enjoy the text.



3. I believe I got what I paid for. There were much better books of great detail, but they cost much more. I would suggest saving your money until you can buy a much more comprehensive book. The reading and information provided in the book was light and was gone over very fast. I question some of the facts contained there in.



4. Marco Polo purportedly spent 17 years travelling to the courts of Kublai Khan and, as an emissary for Kublai Khan, then throughout the Far East. Whether it actually happened or not is up for debate. I went into this text with an open mindset and have accepted that Marco Polo did indeed go on this trip with his father and uncle, but not to the extent as surmised. Instead he travelled and added stories he collected from traders and others to fill in gaps or points of interest to him. The book is broken into four sections now. Part One is his trip to the Great Khan's courts in Cathay (China). Part Two is his travels throughout the provinces of Cathay. Part Three concerns going to Japan, Southern India, and the Islands of the Indian Sea (Java, etc). Part Four is travelling into the 'northern countries' (Russia, etc).
   
   In general, Polo gives very brief descriptions of most regions, accounting for their religious beliefs, money used, fealty to the Great Khan Kublai. There's some intriguing customs (visitors will be taken into a home and the man of the house leaves until they are gone but the visitor has full access to the household including the wives, daughters, sisters, nieces), talks of cannibalism, dress, unfamiliar animals they encountered, and contributes to the whole messy history of Prestor John. It does get repetitive and dry after a while. Polo's talk of Kublai Khan is almost obsessive and he was obviously completely enamoured of this new culture. Overall, it was fascinating to read although I had to push myself through some parts due to repetitive descriptions. Any history buff should read this story about one of the purported most well-travelled explorers ever, not to mention he was possibly the biggest best-selling authors before the printing press was invented.



5. A very remarkable book written in the 13th century. Many secrets were reviled when Marco returned. And may interesting explanations of things like the origin of cinnamon.
   
   Marco writes well enough of his travels and you feel that you are there. You can actually follow the trail if you have a map. He describes the flora and fauna of each region and describes the economics and industry of the region.
   
   Example: "The women of the superior class are in like manner free from superfluous hairs; their skins are fare, and they are well formed."
   
   It is interesting to see how little has changed from Marco Polo's 13th century and now.

2 comments about Tibet's Sacred Mountain: The Extraordinary Pilgrimage to Mount Kailas.

1. This is an extraordinary work, and it is great to see it in paperback. The pictures of Lake Manasarovar itself make it worth purchasing. It pictures a place on this planet where the spiritual, what by some might be referred to as weird, or totally otherworldy, imbues the whole atmosphere. A landscape like no other on earth. Mt. Kailas has been a pilgrimage destination for Hindus, Bon-pos, and Buddhists for centuries,and this book is a must for anyone considering such a journey themselves. For those who grew up reading The Way of the White Clouds by Lama Govinda , or The Sacred Mountain, by John Snelling, this work beautifully sums up Mt. Kailas within the context of the late 20th century, and is illuminating for those who dream of someday attempting to undertake their own pilgrimage in the 21st. Very insightful and wonderful for armchair travelers also. An excellent effort.



2. Tibet's Sacred Mountain is a beautiful book in every respect. Russell Johnson's photos are stunning and amazing, capturing the essence of Kailas and the local people. Kerry Moran's text will transport the reader to "Kang Rimpoche" (Kailas) and Lake Manasarovar - it fully communicates the wonder, sublime beauty and powerful energies of this place and is full of profound spiritual insights. This book is a treasure!

3 comments about Culture Shock! Shanghai: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Culture Shock! At Your Door: A Survival Guide to Customs & Etiquette).

1. I highly reccomend this book to anyone relocating to Shanghai. The chapters on visas, housing & goods relocation offer well written advice that is easily worth the price of the book.
   
   It also provides a great overview on Shanghai's history, Shanghai's people and doing business in Shanghai. While other books cover all of these subjects in much more detail, I find this book offers a great overview for someone who has a billion other things to prepare before any relocation.
   
   The guided walking tours offered in the book were accurate and interesting.
   
   A great airplane read overall.



2. Information covered is broad but shallow. Useful pieces of knowledge are often buried in the middle of long blocks of text instead of being highlighted or placed within easier to find tables. The index is of little help as it is small and cursory. Beware of using contact information as some groups/businesses/locations have changed or no longer exist. Some is just flat out wrong. I tried to pick up a set of the plasticized location flash cards for use with taxis as described on pg 112 from the Am Cham office but they had never heard of them. They even copied the page and book information to tell the publisher that their information was wrong. A far more useful guide for expats moving to Shanghai is Passport Shanghai. It's more difficult to find but it's well worth it.



3. We are planning to move to Shanghai for some years. This book has been excellent (I think. I gues I can really tell by the end of this year). Just what I had been looking for. It's not a travel guide, though it certainly points out places of interest. Information about living areas, things to do, service, expectations, transportation, shopping, etc. Most things I have been "googleing" through on the internet all in one book. Maybe some pictures would have been nice. But I guess that is not in the "nature" of this book.

5 comments about Across the Sabbath River: In Search of a Lost Tribe of Israel (In Search of a Lost Tribe of Israel).

1. First, before starting this book, I recommend that you take a look at the authorýs two page guide to pronunciation, to better understand the Hebrew, Mizo, Thado, and Burmese words in the text. Halkin, a well known translator of Hebrew books, posits that a little-known ethnic group living along the Indian-Burmese border is descended from the ancient Jewish tribe of Manasseh. The fate of the ten lost tribes of Israel has haunted Jewish and Christian imaginations throughout the ages. Hillel Halkin has long been intrigued by the subject. And why not? Many American Jews of a certain age dreamed of an aboriginal, strong, warrior Jew, the type who could win fistfights on the way to and from junior high school. And so, Halkin embarked on a journey. In 1998, he accompanied a Jerusalem rabbi and dedicated lost-tribes hunter to China, Thailand, and northeast India, where the rabbi hoped to discover traces of the lost tribes. Halkin went with a very healthy dose of skepticism. Most look at Rabbi Avichail as a well meaning crackpot. Whatever the Rabbi is, he makes for an interesting story, having traveled to Marranos in Portugal, Karens in Burma, Tatars in Dagestan, Kananites in Kerala, and ýIndiansý in Manipur and Mizoram. The book captures your interest from its first paragraph. The Sabbath is approaching as Halkin and the rabbi are searching out the non-Chinese Chiangýs in Western Szechuan. Then the police arrive at their hotel. Youýll have to read the book to find out what happens. After a variety of adventures and misadventures, Halkin returned several times to the Indian states of Manipur and Mizoram, where 5000 people belive they are a lost tribe of Hebrews. Are these people the victims of a mass cultural delusion, having accepted a myth to promote and reinforce their distinct cultural identity? Or are the actually descendants of some Bnai Menashe? Are these Kuki-Chin-Mizo people, living along the Indian-Burmese border, descended from the ancient biblical tribe of Manasseh. Halkin isnýt a scholar, linguist, or ethnographer, but neither am I, and the story is still fascinating. Why do they have a song about crossing the Red Sea while living in Northeast India, a song they have sung prior to any missionaries showing up and one that contains ancient words? Why do they have a god named Yah(za), a history of brit milah circumcision on the eighth day after birth, a mourning period of 7 days, a Spring festival of unleavened bread (among rice eaters), and the use of the word ýselah.ý There are some who broke away and even started a competing shul (if thatýs not Jewish, what is?) Whatever you decide, the book is an exciting, mysterious and enlightening read. Sign me up for a Bnai Menashe kippah?



2. Hillel Harkin's study of the fabled 10 lost tribes of Israel succeeds because he is not an anthropologist or biblical scholar. Indeed, if one is looking for an in depth study of the lost tribes and their hypothetical present locations, this probably is not the best place to go. However, if you are looking for a story rooted in history, told by a world traveler who writes sweeping narratives and locale descriptions, than this is your best bet.

   The story of the lost tribes is a fascinating one. It is so interesting that thousands of anthropologists and explorers have spent their whole life looking for this group of ancient Jews. The story is as mysterious as it is educational. In the 8th century BC, the Assyrians conquered northern Israel. The ten tribes of Jews that inhabited the area were mostly uprooted and moved, east, to the vast areas of the Assyrian Empire. After that, no one is sure where they ended up. It would be a good guess that wherever they settled, they were assimilated into the native culture, but influenced the natives greatly, possibly with their monotheist religion. This may seem to many as a curious historical footnote, but to some in the Jewish religion, it is one of the most important factors in the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. The location and return of the 10 northern tribes is an integral part of Jewish tradition, even if many have cast it off as a relic of the past.

   Harkin story follows the travels of one Rabbi Avichail, an eccentric but dedicated Jewish scholar. Avichail firmly believes that the tribes and their culture can still be found, in former Assyrian areas such as India, Central Asia, and China. Now, just years ago, this was deemed almost absurd. However, with recent technological and genetic discoveries, the lineage of some of these groups is no longer hypothetical. Roman genes in China and Greek genes in Afghanistan have been discovered, pointing to ancient connections. Avichail believes that he can find these groups, and return them to the promise land. Harkin is skeptical at first, mainly because the often shaky evidence Avichail provides, and the fruitless tribe search in southern China. However, he, and the reader, soon become fascinated by the Mizo people of northeastern India. They passionately claim lineage to the Manasseh, one of the lost tribes. They share some intriguing similarities, such as one God known as Ya (Yahweh), an old song of the Red Sea, and ritual circumcision. The Mizo are constantly split from within, as Christianity and cultural strife strain the relationship between them and their old ways. Avichail and his party, including Harkin, are quickly wrapped up into this intriguing cultural and religious situation.

   The book benefits from Harkins insightful eye, which look into almost every facet of Avichail, the Mizo, and their claims. The sweeping descriptions of the areas the party visits and the surrounding political situations are vivid and entertaining. It is a remarkable hybrid of a travel, history, and religious narrative that synthesizes very well.

   A fascinating read.




3. "Sabbath River" is well researched and well written, but it suffers from the absence of graphics: maps, timelines, and tables. Halkin would better serve his 21st century audience with visuals. Call me intellectually lazy, but I would have been fully on-board this "great adventure" had the author used graphics. As it was, I read the first half and thumbed through the latter half-unable to trudge through the details that could have been fleshed-out graphically. For example, in the final chapters much is made of various obscure texts, but these are never put into perspective on a graphic that shows their temporal and spatial context. In another case, the author cites a "lost," then "found" will of questionable provenance. I wanted to see the picture of the will-a picture of the will with arrows pointing to all its questionable features. This books is attractive to the curious, but it suffers from an insufficient number of graphics.



4. This is an enormously enjoyable book that is both educational and thrilling. In 1999, Israeli journalist Hillel Halkin accompanied the eccentric Rabbi Avichail to Mizoram (in Northeast India near the Burma border) in order to investigate whether the Mizo people who lived there were indeed the descendants of one of the "Lost Tribes of Israel." Halkin is skeptical and constantly has to challenge Rabbi Avichail's fanatic true-believer mindset. Then Halkin's own investigative methods begin to reveal surprising things. This is a fascinating scientific mystery. Halkin entertainingly gives a clear history of the lost tribes as well as the many theories about what happened to them that have been posited by others over the centuries (including the once popular notion that the Lost Tribes wound up in North America, in which belief the Mormon Church is rooted). The Mizo people believe that they are Jews and want to get back to their true roots. They also want to immigrate to Israel for a better life. As a result they throw themselves into the study of Judaism with the zeal of Holy Rollers at a revival meeting. Rival synagogues are founded that try to incorporate Jesus into Jewish teaching. Rabbi Avichail has his hands full when he tries to explain to them that they cannot do that. The Mizo people had thrown off their indigenous religion in favor of Fundamentalist Christianity at the beginning of the 20th Century. There are very few people among them who remember anything about the former religion. Halkin tries to find out what, if anything, their former religion had in common with Judaism. His efforts are hampered, Halkin realizes, by his third-rate con man translator, who is not above creating phony evidence and altering existing evidence. His investigations hit mostly dead ends until several tantalizing clues and his non-academic approach seemingly solve the mystery in which there were next to no clues. Journalist, linguist and scientist, Halkin is a brilliant man who has written a brilliant book. I found ACROSS THE SABBATH RIVER a very satisfying reading experience. Highly recommended. Five Stars.



5. Hillel Halkin has done a marvelous job of consolidating the knowledge of a lost people and weeded out myth, superstition and misplaced information.
   
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   DON'T READ PAST HERE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO FIND OUT THE CONCLUSIONS THAT HALKIN CAME TO IN THE END.
   
   On a trip to NorthEast India, Halkin was bit by the "Lost Tribe" bug that has had Jews looking all over the world for the northern tribes of Israel who were exiled by Assyrian Empire in the 7th century b.c.e. Where did they go? Based on this study by Hillel, part of the tribe of Manasseh migrated across central asia, past Tibet and into the Burma/India border area.
   
   He studied the stories told by " the old people " who predated the Kuki-Mizo-Chin migration into the Mizoram/Assam area of northeast India. Once the area was under British protectorship in the late nineteenth century, many of the stories/storytellers were lost because of the proselytizing of Christian missionaries. The missionaries did their best to destroy the old religion, and force people not to teach it or the language of the priesthood to the next generation.
   
   Luckily, Hillel was able to find one man, who himself was quite elderly, who had spent forty years, collecting and documenting the old stories and religious rites. What he was able to prove in the end was that included in the old stories were parts of stories from the Old Testament that had been passed down in families prior to the OT being translated into the indigenous language or taught by the missionaries (many who considered the OT to be too Hebraic and not 'christian' oriented).
   
   Though these families had 'israelite' traditions, they were a hodgepodge of stories that had been enbedded with local history and myth. Halkin was able to establish the authenticity of the stories. But, it need study by Forensic Anthropologists to prove how much of the story was OT and how much was passed on from another (members of a lost tribe?) people.

No comments about Marco Polo: Overland to Medieval China (Beyond the Horizons).

1 comments about Tibet Style.

1. A delightful photo essay recording the innate sense of style in the way the beautiful Tibetan people have dressed themselves for centuries. The combinations and compositions of textiles, color, animal skins , embellishments and ornamentation is nothing less than spectacular...considering they had no access to any parisian couture salon. Often with many cases of tribal dressing, there is more function than pure design at work, but despite, the aesthetic is stunningly raw, yet eye catchingly oppulent. And their natural rugged, even harsh, environment only enhances the glorious, majestic glamour of their native clothing.

2 comments about China Clipper, Pan American Airways And Popular Culture.

1. Larry Weirather's excellent book about the cultural impact of the China Clipper is a great read. If you're a Clipper enthusiast or interested in popular culture you will enjoy this thoroughly researched book. I was amazed that Weirather could trace back many of what we think of as cultural norms to the era of the Great Flying Boats. The Clipper pilots were analogous to the astronauts of today. Their exploits helped lift American out of the malaise of the Great Depression. A must have book for the serious Clipper buff.
   
   Jamie Dodson, Author
   Flying Boats & Spies, A Nick Grant Adventure
   [...]
   Flying Boats & Spies



2. If you're in to aviation history, and especially PanAm and the Clippers, you'll enjoy this book. Lots of interesting trivia.

1 comments about The Yangzi River and The Three Gorges.

1. I used this when I went on a cruise up the Yangtzi, it was just what I needed.

5 comments about Courting the Diamond Sow: Kayaking Tibet's Forbidden Tsangpo River (Adventure Press).

1. Great adventure story for the kayaking community



2. Anyone interested not only in kayaking, but also in mountain expeditions, exploration and trekking should read this. An account of truly BIG WATER, Tibetan mysteries, individual courage, top-notch kayaking, featuring some of the World's best kayakers.



3. My comments come after finishing the books "The Last River" and "Courting the Diamond Sow", both of which I read over the last 2 weeks, and was provoked to write by a couple of factors. Reading the existing reviews for "The Last River" particularly, I was struck by the number of people who felt it necessary to slam the book.

   First, after reading these books I have a better appreciation for the writing skill needed to write a book that is entirely engaging, brings the personalities to life, allows the reader to become part of the adventure, all the while being true to its subject.

   Second, I appreciate that the writers made the story available so that we could learn about this trip and I don't mean to suggest that either effort was a waste of time and that the writers should hang up their quills.

   Sadly, in my opinion neither of the books written about the same 1998 Tsangpo journey is terribly engaging. Last River is an easier read while I found the first half, particularly, of Sow a literary slog. Not sure if it was bogged down in description or what; I just found it slow going.

   Neither book had much of an ebb and flow in the narrative. Even as the tragic events of Doug Gordon's death neared, there was nothing to indicate that one's blood should be heating up and that now was not the time to put the book down. They were very flat in that regard. I differentiate between sensationalism and a literary tidal cycle; perhaps the authors were extremely cognizant of avoiding the former.

   The Last River spends a greater percentage of ink relating the experiences of the 4 paddlers on the river and off while Sow balances more equally the stories of both paddlers and support team. Also, Wickliffe Walker in Sow deals with the `fallout' from Gordon's death much more comprehensively than does Todd Balf; Walker spends several pages relating the effort needed to battle rumours and judgments that were circulating at home half-way around the world.

   While the actual journey and the salient events I expect to remember, these books I expect to forget quickly (but then, I forgot Into Thin Air fairly quickly also). If there are poignant moments from the tale and thoughts to come away with, the one I recall most easily is the second-guessing of Gordon's paddling buddies as described most clearly in The Last Rivers account of Roger Zbel's "What if" self-flagellation. As a paddler, I pray that I am never faced with that.
   .
   It was disappointing that The Last River did not have any photos at all of the area and only a minimalist map. On the other hand, Sow's small collection of photos was hardly comprehensive though the satellite photo was helpful in placing the story.

   Nether book rates more than a 2.5 - 3, in my mind, nor does one stand head and shoulders above the other.

   My context: Canadian class IV kayaker; 3 Himalayan river trips in Nepal (in fact and unbeknownst, I was on the Tamur River at exactly the time this group was on the Tsangpo); read years ago the American Whitewater article of the Gordon/McEwan trip down the Homothko in BC.




4. Since someone on the expedition died right near the beginning, & they aborted the trip after that, there really isn't enough story here to fill a book. To make it long enough, most of the book is descriptions & history of the region, & past history about the people on the expedition. While some of this was interesting, most of it dragged & was hard to get through. The actualy tragedy was interesting & moving, but was just a few pages of the book. And then there was the usual descriptions of problems with porters (how many adventure books do we need to read about that?), & the people struggling to make sense of their friend's death. There were a few mountaineering quotes from other climbers that were interesting. But over all the book did not flow, was not compelling, & was rather disappointing since nothing really ended up being explored. As a short story it might have been better. And while some of the descriptions were boringly detailed, they didn't explain things like basic kayaking or rapids terms that they used. This made some of the parts that were actually interesting hard to understand for laymen. I did learn some, but while I usually read all the books I own multiple times over the years, I don't expect to be reading this one again.



5. I was disappointed with this book. The story line never really developed. It jumped around and I never got a good feel for the expedition. I like to kayak and was hoping for a more descriptive book. Not that it matters, but the pictures were certainly lacking as well. Very few shots of the actual river itself.

No comments about Northern China Map.