5 comments about Did Marco Polo Go To China?.

1. About Frances Wood's Did Marco Polo Go To China?

   In 1995 Dr Frances Wood published a book titled Did Marco Polo Go To China?, which became Marco Polo Did Not Go To China in the German version. This book, purporting to unmask Marco Polo as a fraud, has enjoyed considerable attention - which it fully merited as an entertaining piece of light reading. Unfortunately, Wood's argument appears to have been taken at face value in some academic circles, so much so that a word of warning now seems appropriate: Wood's story is neither original, nor is it scholarly. The gist of Wood's argument has been commonplace through the ages and, especially, in the 19th century. In its present form it was suggested in a lighthearted way some years ago by the eminent German sinologist Herbert Franke who now categorically rejects Wood's thesis. As for the scholarship of Wood's book, it is impugned on a series of counts, notably in an exhaustive study published in 1997 by Igor de Rachewiltz of the Australian National University wherein Wood's arguments are discussed one by one, not infrequently on the basis of documents that the author overlooked, or even deliberately ignored as inimical to her story. One case in point shall suffice here to cripple Wood's thesis. It concerns the accounts in a 15th century Chinese encyclopaedia (publ. in 1941 by Yang Chih-chiu) and in the Persian historian Rashid al-Din's Collection of Histories (discussed by F.W. Cleaves in 1976) of the 1291-3 naval expedition conveying the Mongol princess Kokecin from China to Persia - of which Marco Polo bears detailed witness as a participant. It really should be incumbent on authors in Dr Wood's position, as a matter of intellectual correctness, clearly to signal the distinction between historical fancy and the reporting of serious research. Canberra, Australia




2. Marco Polo, whose very name is a byword for travel and adventure, is worth reconsidering; but the case Frances Wood builds against him is primarily negative: Polo didn't mention the Great Wall, or cormorant fishing, or binding women's feet. All these matters are more than adequately answered in John Larner's MARCO POLO AND THE DISCOVERY OF THE WORLD, a book I recommend for balance. The thesis of Marco Polo not going to China is compelling, and Wood's style is fast-paced and keeps at a high level. But she seems to rebut her own argument in some places -- for instance, even mentioning a name close to "Polo" where Marco was said to have been, but dismissing it just as quickly by saying it couldn't have been him (the answer comes in a later chapter, but by the time you reach it, the author has made the argument look specious).

   Marco Polo may indeed have exaggerated his own importance. Instead of being ruler of a province, being a major player in the salt business, on the face of it, was probably more likely his position. But Marco was a businessman brought up in a mercantile family. Unlike the author's idea, a seventeen year old in the thirteenth century was not considered a "boy" -- in fact, he was coming up on half his life expectancy. Even if the "great wall" of that day was the wall we see today (it wasn't, the impressive brick facade came later), we can hardly expect boyish wonder.

   Without positive evidence, Frances Wood runs across the problem of those who believe Shakespeare didn't write his plays, or that he didn't exist. They can only argue from negative evidence, and a negative can't be proven. It cannot be proven that, because the Khan of Khans didn't mention a Venetian traveller, that the traveller who says he was there was lying -- although it can may suggest that he wasn't as important in the Khan's court as he intimates.

   This book is only for those who wish to find out all aspects of the Polo problem. It's not recommended for the general reader, especially one who just wants to see famous people debunked. Debunking western European figures is a cottage industry at the turn of the twenty-first century, but in the case the evidence is very thin for the revisionists.

   For someone who wants a good, solid, general overview of Polo and his mystique, check the John Larner book.




3. Frances Wood provides a semi-revisionist view on the travels of Messer Marco Polo. Wood offers a number of contentions (chopsticks, the Great Wall, cormorant fishing, Chinese writing, paper, tea, foot binding, not being mentioned in Mongolian and Chinese historical records, not learning Chinese, and the who invented ice cream/spaghetti debate) that make it seem highly unlikely that Polo actually went as far east as China. I will list each of Woods main arguments and then offer my own explanation.

   Chopsticks: this is a good argument, however, there are many people in Central Asia that use chopsticks. In the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China for example, most if not all Uighurs use chopsticks when eating noodles and dumplings. Perhaps Polo would have been surprised to see people in Central Asia using chopsticks at first, but by the time he traveled all the way eastward to China he had become accustomed to seeing the use of chopsticks and so this was not such an exciting thing. And what about the Middle East where people eat with their right hand and wipe with their left? Why is'nt this mentioned by Polo?

   The Great Wall: another decent argument. However, there is absolutely no way to verify the exact route Polo took and so how can we discern if he ever had the chance to actually see the wall or not? Many travelers have tried to trace his route but none have succeeded. Wood describes the Wall as being made of yellow sand and mud. If you have ever been to China, you will see how well the old original parts of the wall blends in with the countryside. Only now can we really make out the wall with all of its brick renovations/restorations. It would be like someone coming to visit New York City and seeing the Empire State Building. Impressive? Yes. But would that person be so excited about it that they would write about it? Probably not.

   Comorant fishing: It's not like all of China fishes with cormorant birds. This is a very specialized brand of fishing in a very small portion of China. It's very possible that Polo never even had a chance to visit this area.

   Chinese writing : Woods argues that Polo never mentions anything about Chinese writing/caligraphy. But if Polo was a sycophant of Kublai Khan and Mongolia being the dominant country at the time, there would be no reason for Polo to learn Chinese. But surely he must have learned some Chinese but he just did'nt mention it. Besides, Mongol script is very similar to Arabic script and so again, this would not be anything new to Polo having traveled throughout Persia and the Middle East.

   Paper: what is so exciting about paper when the great Khan gives you a golden tablet for unmolested travel back to Venice?

   tea: tea was available everywhere in the Middle East and India. Why would this be a revelation?

   Foot binding: most Chinese women who had their feet bound were of the upper class. Supposedly done to make women look more sexy, it was in reality more or less a sinister way of not allowing women freedom and the opportunity to cheat on their husbands. If a woman was unhappy in her marriage, there was absolutely no way for her to "walk out" so to speak. Most foot bound women stayed at home inside so Polo may not have had much opportunity to see this practice.

   Not being mentioned in historical records: Polo probably exaggerated greatly his importance within the Imperial Court. He was also not the the first European to visit Mongolia/China. And even if he was a high official, was it not more the responsibility of the Mongols to document this as opposed to China as Mongolia was the ruling country?

   Who invented Ice Cream and Spaghetti, Italy or China?: I think it is pretty obvious that these two foods originated in Central Asia, if not the Middle East. Woods admits this herself. Having been to Central Asia, it seems to me highly likely or quite possible that these could have originated in West/Central Asia. Dumplings are a regular staple of many within Central Asia.

   After 17 years in a foreign land, it would have been very difficult to remember every single thing that Polo saw. Polo himself said that he had not told the half of what he saw.

   All in all, this is an excellent book worth reading. Wood says that this is not the ultimate answer or authority on whether Polo actually visited China, but a book to read so that people can think more analytically and critically about Marco Polo.

   A very readable book with a number of passages that describe the power and ferocity of the Mongols: "like the reprisal against Burma (1277) when the Muslim general of the Mongol army Nasir al-Din, aware that he was outnumbered , ordered his archers to fire on the two thousand Burmese war elephants, covering them with arrows and causing a frenzied stampede."

   A book well worth reading but buy it used!




4. As with any book of historical perspective, the reader should take into account the historian's viewpoint, but also what is not said. Indeed history is interpreted through it's interpreters, historians, through facts that they believe to be accurate. There are, however, other viewpoints or perspectives that can be as well supported through facts.
   "Did Marco Polo Go to China?" piques the issue and raises some considerable debatable questions on whether one of history's greatests myths is indeed fact and to what level cultural diffusion took place between the east and west during that specific time period.
   Please read this book with objectivity and do not consider it to be the answer, as the answer should be found after reading all different viewpoints through a self-exploration process.



5. Any book that stirs up the kind of response this one has is worth reading. When an author/historian challenges any history that is such an integral part of our catechism s/he's going to get a reaction. Did Marco Polo Go to China? I don't know but it sure is intriguing to go back in time and try to figure it out.

No comments about Fodor's Provence and the Cote d'Azur, 7th Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides).

4 comments about SmartFrench For Travelers.

1. That object is beautifull as much as it is helpful. I went to the smatfrench website to download the audio recordings of the whole book and I can polish my French phrases before my trip. The book is spiral bound so that when you are at the page of the situation you choose, like the hotel for example, the book stays flat and you can easily put it back in your shirt pocket. What I like also is that each sentence is recorded on a different track, so you can find it in a second. Very cool!



2. I like the color coding. It makes the sentences so easy to pronounce. I have had travel guides but they are generally too thick, with too many sentences and finally unusable. This one is just right.



3. This is an excellent tutorial to learn French. I highly recommend it for anyone who is studying/has studied French and wants to know how to *speak* French. It doesn't include grammar. This you will find elsewhere. SmartFrench, unlike other popular teaching methods, teaches how to listen to the spoken French just as it is used in real conversations. I found it to be a great confidence builder.



4. This is a high end French phrase book built to last. Weatherproof, too. Convenient, smartly laid out, and enjoyable to use. The French is written to show you how to pronounce it as it is actually pronounced by the French. This is its' ultimate selling point. Great product.

5 comments about Paris Cafe: The Select Crowd.

1. Worth buying for the elegant b/w drawings alone. Tulka's caricatures magnificently capture the essence of every individual depicted... as you look at each page you feel that you are actually sitting with him observing the staff and patrons. A great book for artists, people-watchers and Francophiles.



2. Fitch's etched words and Tulka's loving illustrations provide a no-hassle jet to Paris and one of its treasures. This is an account to be sipped, savored and saved. Le Select's bracing aroma and eye-pleasing sights permeate every page of the francophiles' extended love letter.
   
   Those who've roosted there over a cup of coffee or tingled after a wine will re-experience their warm pleasure; those who've yet to make it to Le Select will find a delicious foretaste of Paris at its best.
   
   A votre sante!



3. When I learned my cousin had illustrated a book written on a Paris Cafe, Le Select, I thought, "How nice. I'll have to get a couple copies to take with me so I can get his autograph!" I really didn't intend, necessarily, to read it...
   Well I got the book and started flipping through and then was just lured right in and read the whole thing in a rather brief period and enjoyed every minute! What a pleasant and illuminating book! And the illustrations are out of this world! To be expected from this seasoned MAD caricaturist.
   Whether or not you are going to Paris, this is a must read if you, not only love Paris and, but also want to get a true understanding of the significance of the Paris Cafe!



4. The moment you open PARIS CAFES, you're transported to one of the most prestigious and traditional cafes in all Paris. Le Select is unchanged and unadulterated, still serving the same food by the same waiters and run by the same owner.
   Turning the pages generates that special "je ne sait quoi" ambience that we all think of as Paris.
   And Rick Tulka's drawings capture the subtle Parisien look, the Parisien style and humor impossible to experience in any other city in the world. Cafes exist everywhere, but none of them feels quite like sitting in a cafe in Paris. That's the special fun of reading PARIS CAFES.



5. Author of a number of histories of literary Paris, as well as a study of Europe's "literary cafés," Noël Riley Fitch now does the trend of Americans writing about their favorite Parisian neighborhood one better by giving us a warm and charming portrait of her favorite Parisian café, Montparnasse's Le Sélect. Accompanied by wonderful illustrations (or, as the cover says, just "drawings") by Rick Tulka, this short book is an experience to savor, much like a trip to the café itself would be.
   
   I've read a number of books over the last few months about Paris cafés, as my vicarious substitute for actually being in one. There's a great variety of such books, all trying in their own way to capture some of the ineffable (and perhaps exaggerated?) romantic charm of Parisian café-dom. Some are glossy photo albums, portraying cafés, brasseries, and restaurants in all their visual diversity. Others focus on the history of various cafés and their neighborhoods, while still others give us recipes designed to recreate café flavors and smells in our own homes. But "Paris Café: The Sélect Crowd" is the first such book I've seen that really takes a close, personal look at an author's own chosen café (in this case, one she shares with her illustrator). I found it a remarkably successful effort, and I feel like were I to visit Le Sélect someday, it wouldn't feel entirely foreign to me.
   
   If I could improve anything, I might wish for more discussion of the people depicted in Tulka's evocative portraits, though there may not have been a way to do that while still respecting their privacy -- Le Sélect is, after all, a neighborhood institution. I also didn't particularly care for the odd covers and binding Soft Skull Press chose to clad this thing in: the cover is uniformly a quarter-inch wider than the pages inside, which made this somewhat awkward to hold. Besides that one wish and one complaint, however, this short book was a fine way to spend a few hours. I hope other authors rise to the challenge and produce similar looks at their own chosen café haunts.

No comments about Michelin the Green Guide Burgundy Jura (Michelin Green Guide: Burgundy/Jura English Edition).

1 comments about Floating Through France: Life Between Locks on the Canal du Midi (Travelers' Tales Guides).

1. This was a very enjoyable travelogue written by a group of adventurous women. It tells of their experiences while cruising on the canals in France. Their story brought back many wonderful memories. I made a similar trip on the canals and rivers of Brittany in 1999 with five female friends. This is the book we talked about writing after our trip and never got around to doing. I enjoyed it so much that I purchased a copy for each of my fellow travelers. My thanks to Barbara Euser and her friends for a delightful book.

5 comments about Fodor's French for Travelers (CD Package), 2nd Edition (Fodor's Languages/Travelers).

1. Having had a year of French in college, I was concerned that this Audio book would be too basic for me, but I found out it wasn't! It does cover some very basic things (greetings, numbers, etc.) which would be more helpful for beginners, but it also covers typical situations in a trip (airport, restaurant, accommodations, etc.), for which the vocabulary and grammar may not be learned until advanced level courses.

   It comes with 2 Audio CD's of about 70 minutes each, broken into 12+ lessons. The book has all the phrases/conversations in the CD's, plus some additional tips/info, as well as a dictionary section with vocabulary targeted for travelers. The book has 260+ pages and it is of very small size, so it is ideal for carrying it around in your trip.

   I listened to the CD's while driving, though I recommend reading the corresponding lessons afterwards or in advanced to listening to the disc, as it helps to associate the spelling to the pronunciation. The CD's mostly have words and phrases in them, but they also have small conversations at a bank/restaurant/hotel/airport depending on the lesson. Each word/phrase in the disc is spoken once in English and then twice in French, so you can't miss it if you're paying attention.

   I strongly recommend this item, even if you already have basic understanding of French, as it will help you communicate and get around in your trip!




2. Get this set if you plan on having a bad time. Barely will you be in to 'Good evening' when the lessons quickly turn to "Stop thief!" or "He stole my watch" or better yet, "I want an attorney" -- all of which are phrases I have NEVER used in France. Fodor's should have had the good sense to give practical lessons first, etiquette, directions, service, culture etc. before launching into rude commands and pick-pocket paranoia.



3. This book is not for someone who just wants to pick up enough French to get them through a trip unless they have a good ear and memory. I found "French in 10 Minutes a Day" much better as you must write what you learn in a workbook.



4. I went through three lessons before canning this CD. The lessons were terrible! Sometimes they stated the French word before the English word and sometimes afterward, which meant you could be learning the wrong word! The pronounciations were nowhere near the way the French speak; they were like what a HS French teacher who'd learned from a book and never been to France would speak.



5. We used the book while we were in Paris quite a bit to help with vocabulary. The CDs weren't the most useful part of the package and were a little boring. We all have some fluency with French. However, if you are completely new to the language, it may be good to hear the proper pronunciation.

5 comments about Paris Out of Hand: A Wayward Guide.

1. This book is a georgous book, from its looks (plush cover, ribbon bookmark, illustrations) to its content. It describes a slew of fictional places (and a few non-fictional) creating a surrealistic, dreamlike landscape. As nice as it is, this isn't a sit down and read sort of book, more of a coffee table type, wonderful to flip through and see what you find.



2. This imaginary guide to Paris is full of surreal imagination that will just make you smile. Helpfully divided up into sections on hotels, restaurants, the nightlife, sights, etc., you'll read about places and services you've never dreamed of! What a shame, they don't really exist! Peppered thoughout the text are helpful French expressions translated into English such as "Do you have a ladder so I can reach your airmail clerk suspended from the ceiling?" You can read some guest comments for the hotels which of course, are also bizarre, and learn about special services such as a kidnapping service or a food tasting service (so you don't get poisoned). The book has some quotes from real people too and the lavish artwork gives it an other worldly feel. It will transport you immediately to a wonderful alternative reality Paris.



3. Lovely useless french phrases that just beg you to use them.
   "there is a frog in my bidet". How great is that.
   
   Superb imagination. On both the behalf of the writer and the illustrator.



4. This book did not come close to the Griffin and Sabine series despite its recommendation for people who like Bantok's work. While parts are funny, other parts are too hard to follow or just too outrageous to get what the author is trying to convey.



5. As an off-beat book that sems to be about Paris this was amusing but of limited value. The book is too cheeky and cute to serve as a useful guidebook. I felt lost on some entries - as if it was necessary to already be an insider to get the references made on some places.
   
   If I already knew Paris well, I might have appreciated this book. Don't know. But it did not seem to be very useful as a travelogue that I'd carry with me next time I trek over to the City of Light.
   
   A bit too wayward, and not enough of a guide. Beautifully typeset, I might add, which means a lot to me, But not sufficient for me to keep it and pop it in the laptop's carrying case.

1 comments about Home & Dry in Normandy: A Memoir of Eternal Optimism in Rural France.

1. This is no dry description of the cold hard facts and potential pitfalls of buying a property in France, it is a humourous, poignant and very readable chronicle of the whole process, and the people encountered during it, from the first wish to the eventual fulfilment of a dream that many, many people share. The insights into the very different attitude to life and mind set of their growing circle of friends and neighbours is educational in itself, I wish I had read it before we bought our property in Normandy, we would have understood more about what was happening, laughed a lot more and would have probably been a lot less stressed!
   
   This is an enjoyable read for anyone and not just for people who are buying or thinking about buying property in France, it is a book for anyone who can enjoy reading about some of life's characters in a story about a couple actually getting up and doing something that most others only dream about.
   
   I laughed out loud at some parts and felt their sorrow at others in a book that explains, with insight and humour, a lot of things about France and the French that I, for one, have never quite grasped before, putting all this into a story that held me from page one.
   
   By the time you finish you feel that you know George & Donella West and that you would instantly recognize any one of the characters described in the book. You are able to sense their changing attitudes to the local people and, in turn the locals attitude to them as the story progresses. It is the first in a series and I really look forward to reading the rest.

5 comments about Exploring the Flea Markets of France: A Companion Guide for Visitors and Collectors.

1. I roadtested this book on a recent trip to Provence and it was just what I needed. Not only did it tell me about the markets and their wares, but it also directed me to the best meal of my trip. The other big plus was useful French phrases for transactions with vendors who had little English.



2. Thank you, Sandy, for this great book! Just returned from Paris where 3 other antique dealers and I visited all the markets listed for Paris that were available in November. The information was accurate and honest and the directions very complete. This is a great time saver for serious shoppers like we are and enabled us to maximize our limited time in Paris. We plan to use the other sections of the book on a future trip (soon we hope!) and recommend it to others we discover that are planning a shopping trip in France. Well worth the modest price!



3. Would never sell this book! Would never loan this book! But you can come to my house and look at it. Every bit of information (and there is a lot) is absolutely accurate!
   My friend Joann and I had planned two weeks in Paris, just for Flea Markets, when my "brilliant" friend Annie in California sent me this book. I can't image my "hunt" without it. It made preparing for the trip a blast and the actual running around a breeze. Thank you Sandy. I would buy anything that you wrote. To the rest of you: Don't even think about it. Just buy the book and hop on a plane. Take along Sandy's advice and extra suitcases!



4. This book gives prices in FF (French Francs). France changed from Francs to Euros in 2000. Does that give you a hint of how out-dated this book is? Granted, a lot of the information will still be valid, but much will not; needs another edition with a serious update. Also, could use lots of photos or drawings to illustrate the points she's making (for examples, Price discusses various types of French pottery; it would be nice to see what she's talking about)
   This is probably a better book for armchair travel than for actually guiding you through French flea markets. Good luck!



5. Every time we go to France, I pull out this book and read about the flea markets in the area or city we will be visiting. It has been a kick to visit flea markets here and there in our travels in France. Albeit it's quite dated now, but I still found it amazingly accurate on a trip to Brittany in June 2007. I knew what days to look for markets in what towns. I'd love to see another addition and like the idea of photos or drawings in the first section of the book where she writes about the kinds of items to look for.