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Drawing on original writings and walking in the footsteps of Marco Polo himself, Laurence Bergreen's Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu is the most definitive biography of the legendary traveler to date, separating the man from his considerable myth.

Look inside Marco Polo (Click on thumbnails to see a larger image):

Marco Polo: a traditional portrait; Granger	Frontispiece of an early published edition of Marco Polo's Travels, Nuremberg, Germany, 1477; Granger	Kublai Khan, emperor of the world's largest land-based empire; Granger
Marco Polo commanded a Venetian galley similar to this in the Battle of Curzola; Granger	Stone carving on the Marco Polo bridge; Laurence Bergreen	Marco Polo's vivid and occasionally misinterpreted descriptions of his travels inspired this medieval artist to depict dragons in China; Granger

Customer Reviews (16)

well-written
This is a very well written account on the life of Marco Polo and the places he traveled. It chronicles interesting cultural aspects of Arabs, Persians, Tibetans, Mongols, Chinese, Indians and other peoples of Asia. The book discusses Islam, Buddhism, pagan religions, Nestorian Christianity as a mosaic of the spiritual life of the Mongol Empire. It details the process of Mongol conquest and administration of the empire; the failed attempts to conquer Japan and Java. Marco Polo is portrayed as an explorer/adventurer turned greedy businessman, but most importantly a story-teller; not that he was so much a ground-breaker or mythical bringer of macaroni to the Italians-for others traveled East before him. Rather, Marco inspired a fascination with Orientalism (i.e. Kublai Khan by Coleridge); exotica and adventure. He brings East to West and inspires Columbus and Magellan. He brings forward a new dawn in the Medieval World; a much larger, global world of unfathomable diversity. Marco Polo represents the coming Renaissance as an age of discovery. The author juxtaposes the two sides of Marco; part sensualist in his vivid accounts the opulence of Kublai Khan's inner world and the varieties of Asian plants, animals and female beauties; also part spiritualist in his gradual interest and near-tolerance of Buddhism.

Needs an editor
Interesting in places, but only by fits and starts.Other reviewers have mentioned the lack of maps, an incomprehensible editorial decision.Granted, much of Marco's route is speculation, but it would have helped immensely to have some sort of graphical representation.Furthermore, many points are made over and over again, indicating slapdash editing.I found myself skimming large chunks of it; often the details weren't interesting enough in themselves: they needed to be incorporated into a larger and more cohesive structure. As it is, there's a patchwork, unstructured quality to the book that probably mirrors Marco's own work.You can see this in the way the text is chopped up into little sections, often with little connection to each other.A discerning editor could have made something out of the considerable research that Bergreen has done, but as it stands, the book is a disappointment.

Very well done - but no maps?
First, the reason for four stars - no maps! How can a book of this magnitude, of a journey that these three men take over a span of years, not contain a single map! This is a pet peeve of mine when I am reading non fiction; why there is this hesitation to include at least one decent map baffles me. Fortunately I have a good atlas to use when I am reading, but the reader shouldn't need that.

Now to what I loved about the book: It took me a while to read this, not because it was difficult to read, but because the author fills it with so much from the Travels, as well as with what we know of the history, culture, and mores of the places and time.This book is not just an historic account, but a travelogue and an antropological journey. I appreciated the amount of research that he did on this book (the bibliography is a wealth of information to anyone interested in the subject) But dont be put off by that - its not overly academic, in fact I found it very readable.Very much recommended.

Well-written
A fascinating story organized well so that you get a sense of the chronology of Polo's trip. In the "exotic" of the court, you see
a world never taught in our Western History courses.Well worth
the time and money.

NICELY DONE - A PLEASURE TO READ AND INFORMATIVE.
For the most part, this was a pleasing book and a very interesting read.We have plenty of blow by blow reviews already posted here, most of them quite well done, so I won't go into the page by page details with this review which has already been done.Simply stated, the author, Laurence Bergreen, has taken many of the surviving manuscripts (there are, I understand, well over 100 variations at this time, but I suspect there have been many, many more over the years) and attempted to tell the story of the adventures of Marco Polo and his travels from Europe to China, and beyond, during the 13th century.The author has done a very nice job of this.

Polo's journey, by ship and by land, lasted well over twenty years.He became quite involved with the court of the almost mystical Kublai Khan.Now the author is quick to point out that there are many discrepancies in the Polo papers but is also quick to point out that much of what was written has since proven to be true.I am one of those that feel that Marco Polo did actually make the journey he wrote about, but also feel that there was a tremendous amount of exaggeration on Polo's part and I feel the reader must remember that the world was being viewed through the eyes of a man of the 13th century.I think the author has made a good case for Polo and has done a very good job of pointing these facts out.This was a world so different than ours, that I personally, find it a bit difficult to comprehend, at times.What is fact and logical for us, was simply not so during the time of Polo's travels.The reader must remember this.

Overall the book was quite well written and certainly held my interest, for the most part.His observations and explanations as to what Polo wrote are quite logical and well stated.The author has an easy style and can indeed hold the reader's interest.This is the first book by Bergreen I have read, so I cannot compare this work with his other works as several reviewers have.I can only judge this book as a stand a lone, and to be honest, I was impressed.If his other works are better, then they must be quite good.

I did have a couple of problems with this work, ergo, the four stars and not five.I found it quite frustrating that there were really no maps available in the book.Fortunately I have a rather large collection of period maps in my collection, but to be honest, going back and fourth from book to map, was a real pain and distracted from the reading.I feel it quite impossible to gain the full impact of Polo's travels without an intimate knowledge of the geographical areas concerned, or a set of very good maps.I feel the author should have provided these.I also felt that some of the book was just a bit repetitive at times which caused it to drag a bit.

All in all, I learned much from this book, enjoyed reading it and feel richer for having done so.What more could you ask.I do recommend this one for those that have an interest in this particular subject.
... Read more

Book Description
His pilgrimage through the East began in 1271 when, still a teenager, he found himself traversing the most exotic lands-from the dazzling Mongol empire to Tibet and Burma. This fascinating chronicle still serves as the most vivid depiction of the mysterious East in the Middle Ages.Download Description
IN a western direction from Pi-an-fu there is a large and handsome fortress named Thai-gin, 1 which is said to have been built, at a remote period, by a king who was called Dor. 2 Within the walls of the fort stands a spacious and highly-ornamented palace, the hall of which contains paintings of all the renowned princes who, from ancient times, have reigned at this place, forming together a superb exhibition. A remarkable circumstance in the history of this king Dor shall now be related. He was a powerful prince, assumed much state, and was always waited upon by young women of extraordinary beauty, a vast number of whom he entertained at his court. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Marco's journey
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.

The Size of the World
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.

Dry, but interesting
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.

straight & plain narration
This is just a straight & plain narration on what Marco Polo came across.At times it's quite boring.But I mean no disrespect for Polo as he would still be a remarkable explorer & adventurer even today, not to say in the 13th century where transportation was in primitive modes.Contrasting Polo's map & the modern one is interesting though, as well as guessing the modern places corresponding to Polo's description.

We are all Marco Polos now
In the late 13th century, three Venetian merchants, two brothers and the son of one of them, visited China, which was then ruled by the Mongols. The Mongols distrusted the native Chinese and hired foreigners such as the young man as minor officials. The Venetian merchant-turned-official traveled extensively through North and South China, South-East Asia and India. After he returned to Venice, he took part in a war between Venice and Genoa, was taken prisoner, and in prison met a professional writer who wrote a book based on his memoirs and embellished it with the stock devices of late medieval romances. Among various Asiatic curiosities Messer Polo describes asbestos, coal, tigers, musk deer, sago and coconuts. He tells the story of the Buddha, describes the Mongol postal system (I was surprised that yamb, which is obviously the root of the Russian word yamshchik, a postal courier, is a Mongol word), Chinese paper money and the life of Indian yogis. For him, the Shinto "idols" of Japan are offensive for a Christian to read about, but the virginity test administered to prospective daughters-in-law in South China isn't. Marco Polo is no Jonathan Spence; he is not trying to get the reader inside the heads of people belonging to an alien culture; he is a merchant, and cares much more about the crops that grow in a certain kingdom or a region, and the crafts its inhabitants practice. Anyway, it is an enjoyable read if you liked Herodotus or the Russian Primary Chronicle. When I read it on the bus, the white man in the seat to the left of me was reading a textbook of Mandarin, and the white man to the right was practicing his Kanji - we are all Marco Polos now. ... Read more

Book Description
Marco Polo was seventeen when he set out for China . . . and forty-one when he came back! More than seven hundred years ago, Marco Polo traveled from the medieval city of Venice to the fabled kingdom of the great Kublai Khan, seeing new sights and riches that no Westerner had ever before witnessed. But did Marco Polo experience the things he wrote about . . . or was it all made-up? Young readers are presented with the facts in this entertaining, highly readable Who Was . . . ? biography with black-and-white artwork by John O’Brien. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Nine-year-old's favorite in the series
I agree with reviewers who commented on other books in this series-- these are an excellent introduction to biographies and chapter books. My husband and I have read almost all of these "Who was..." books to our now 11 and 9 year old over the past year. I find them easy to read aloud and appropriately illustrated. They lead our family to deeper discussion of the person or history and politics of the time. Marco Polo is my nine-year-olds favorite bio. I found the Einstein bio to be very interesting, my husband like Darwin, my three-year-old liked Edison, and my nine-year-old son's favorite was Annie Oakley. ... Read more

Book Description
Equipped with a backpack full of supplies, Polo sets off on a little boatand on a series of delightful adventures that take him across (and under) the ocean, to an island and a frozen iceberg, to space and home again, with a world of magical encounters along the way. Polos journey is packed with incident and expression; 80 pages of seamless, satisfying picture storytelling are perfectly targeted to the youngest reader. Unique, dynamic, and playful, The Adventures of Polo calls to mind the worlds of film animation, comics, and classic books from Harold and the Purple Crayon to The Snowmanand has style, appeal, and substance all its very own. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Fascinating
Once again Polo has attracted all the attention of my son. He is enchanted by the story, as happened with the other books from Polo we had. For children whose age is between two and four years Polo's books seem to be a great discovery, first staring at the images and afterwards, as they develop new abilities, telling the story by themselves. I recommend them strongly.

Absolutely brilliant... a ten-star gem!
Regis Faller's "Polo" picture books are absolutely brilliant and magical... These fab French imports feature Polo, a cheerful, indomitable cartoon dog with a flair for improvisation, bravery and boundless curiosity... The wordless, multi-panel graphic novels recall the fantastic, breathless wonder of the old "Tin-Tin" books, only without any real sense of danger, just pure adventure, fantasy, and fun. Polo climbs a ladder to the sky, is scooped up birds, falls inside an iceberg and climbs up to the moon, where little green men welcome him into their mushroom-strewn underground kingdom...

Polo is a marvelous reading experience, and it expects as much from its readers as it gives back. Adults can guide children through the story, commenting on each panel, or summarizing entire pages, creating the narrative as they go along. Children can also spend hours alone, pouring over the panels and making up stories of their own... and they will!

Highly recommended. One of our favorite books. (ReadThatAgain)

Polo is awesome in any language
I fell in love with this charming, colorful series featuring Polo and his friends. I bought this book for my daughter (then 2) and she immediately loved the format and that we could "read" this book. There are no words, only vibrant, comic-book style pictures with the adventurous Polo sailing his boat, climbing up to the moon, diving into the ocean, escaping polar bears, and more. I love that this is an alternative to the usual princess fare that my daughter prefers, and that she uses her imagination to embellish the simple pictures - giving characters names and making up dialogue.

We love it when out 5-year-old "reads" this to us
At last! A book our daughter can read to us. Or, rather, "read," because actually recognizing words and sentences is, at 5, still pretty much beyond her. But when she tells us a story, based on her understanding of pictures arranged in a narrative ---- she loves that. Makes her feel big. Smart. No wonder she says, "I'm five...but in my head, I'm seven."

Emboldened by a good first experience, we risked a second book told completely in pictures: "The Adventures of Polo", by the French illustrator Regis Faller. As with "Flotsam", this is a story that starts simply and gets increasingly --- and, from the child's point-of-view, delightfully --- complex. You might think complexity is beyond a child who can't read. If so, get this book, ask your kid to "tell me the story," and see what you get. ["Polo" is said to be appropriate for kids as old as eight. I can't imagine a kid beyond six who will respond, but you know your kid.]

Here's what "Polo" gives you: an upbeat little dog in dark pants, a red jacket and a brown backpack. When we meet him, he's just leaving his house --- a giant tree on a tiny island. There's a stake in the ground. And a rope tied to it and leading.... somewhere. Polo unfurls his umbrella, steps up on the rope, and, like a circus performer, balances on it and walks over the ocean.

The taut rope turns into stairs. Polo climbs to the top, descends a rope slide, lands on a cloud. Sailing aloft, he eats a bowl of white cloud. He comes upon another cloud, with another dog, fishing. Polo slides down the fishing line to a boat --- conveniently named "Polo" --- and sails off.

Night falls. Polo dons a diving mask, sinks to the ocean bottom, finds a glowing star in a treasure chest. Naturally, he happens upon the King of Fish, bearing a wand that looks distressingly incomplete. Polo sticks the star on top, returns to his boat and sails on.

Ooops. The boat is beached. Where is he? An island. Wait! It spouts! It has a giant eye! It's a whale! Happily, a friendly one, because after Polo hammers some "wings" on his boat, the whale uses his tail to send him flying.But as Polo zooms over an island, a volcano throws up a rock, and...

And so it goes, one zany adventure after another. And the illustrations! Vibrant primary colors make this a book of incessant good cheer. It's a pleasure just to see "Polo" on a coffee table --- the cover suggests the pleasure within.

There are five Polo books published in France. As yet, there are only two Polos available in this country. Why? It's not like they need to be translated. (In all the books, Faller has said, there are, in fact, three words.)

Not long ago, we knew nothing of Polo. Now the little guy is our daughter's new best friend. As she tells us of his adventures, we turn into goofballs and beam with pride.

This deep pleasure is, I suspect, also available in your home.

Creative, Innovative, Imaginative book!
We LOVE this book, and his new one too. Each time we can change the story however we choose. It's so fun to let our 2 year old participate with her ideas! Our 4 year old loves to play pretend with this book. It's the perfect book for when we're all a little too tired to read.

The illustrations are beautifully done with a playful bent. This little dog has the best adventures!! Driving clouds, becoming friends with an imprisoned snowman (who he helps escape), and learning that friendship is the most important thing of all.

A++ from this family! ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

FIVE STARS & then some!!
This has to be one of the best activity / history combinations I have yet seen.I used this book as curriculum for my homeschool, 4th, 5th & 7th grades.My two highschool age kids have even joined in the fun.

There are fairly complex activities, such as weaving a wall hanging, and less complex ones as well, such as making yogurt.My children have thoroughly enjoyed this unit on Marco Polo.

Ms. Herbert truly makes Marco Polo's journey come alive with pertinent activities, stories, tidbits, and asides.I also love how she starts with the perpective of one individual, on a personal basis, then leans out further into history, drawing the interest of the child further & further along, to a much broader perspective, then back to one on one with Marco Polo again.Most importantly, she does NOT leave God out of the equation; rather she dances about with it, allowing parents to delve into the religious aspects as they please, to the extent they please.While religion is not an overwhelming factor, it IS taken into consideration, and I believe any religion would feel comfortable with how she has tastefully addressed it. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (6)

Absolutely brilliant... a ten-star gem!
Regis Faller's "Polo" picture books are absolutely brilliant and magical... These fab French imports feature Polo, a cheerful, indomitable cartoon dog with a flair for improvisation, bravery and boundless curiosity... The wordless, multi-panel graphic novels recall the fantastic, breathless wonder of the old "Tin-Tin" books, only without any real sense of danger, just pure adventure, fantasy, and fun.

In this volume, Polo returns, and so do the little green men: one of them sneaks into Polo's bedroom and steals his new book, starting a chase that takes them across the oceans, up into the sky, into a weird, white Limbo and into a cloud kingdom with a delicate princess who becomes Polo's friend.Picking up other friends along the way, Polo crosses deserts and rides clouds, frees a genie and climbs a giant dandelion, like Jack climbed the the beanstalk.Finally, after seventy color-filled pages, he catches up to the little green guy, who is reading the runaway book to a group of his friends.Polo sits down to listen, and when the story is over, the green guy gives it back to him.

Polo is an amazing reading experience, and it expects as much from its readers as it gives back. Adults can guide children through the story, commenting on each panel, or summarizing entire pages, creating the narrative as they go along. Children can also spend hours alone, pouring over the panels and making up stories of their own... and they will!

Highly recommended. One of our favorite books. (ReadThatAgain)

A joy to read with my son
My 3-year old son and I found this book at a local library - I think he pulled it off the shelf simply because of its bright, colorful cover.But then we both fell in love with its wordless story.It has been fun to change the story a bit each time we explore the pictures.And it was such a joy to overhear my son "reading" the book to himself, and even adding some new dialog for the characters.I think this book is wonderful for kids who can't read yet, and a great tool for inspiring imagination.I can't wait to get the other Polo book and see what adventures lie in store.

We love it when our 5-year-old "reads" this to us
At last! A book our daughter can read to us. Or, rather, "read," because actually recognizing words and sentences is, at 5, still pretty much beyond her. But when she tells us a story, based on her understanding of pictures arranged in a narrative ---- she loves that. Makes her feel big. Smart. No wonder she says, "I'm five...but in my head, I'm seven."

Emboldened by a good first experience, we risked a second book told completely in pictures: "The Adventures of Polo", by the French illustrator Regis Faller. As with "Flotsam", this is a story that starts simply and gets increasingly --- and, from the child's point-of-view, delightfully --- complex. You might think complexity is beyond a child who can't read. If so, get this book, ask your kid to "tell me the story," and see what you get. ["Polo" is said to be appropriate for kids as old as eight. I can't imagine a kid beyond six who will respond, but you know your kid.]

Here's what "Polo" gives you: an upbeat little dog in dark pants, a red jacket and a brown backpack. The story? One zany adventure after another. And the illustrations! Vibrant primary colors make this a book of incessant good cheer. It's a pleasure just to see "Polo" on a coffee table --- the cover suggests the pleasure within.

There are five Polo books published in France. As yet, there are only two Polos available in this country. Why? It's not like they need to be translated. (In all the books, Faller has said, there are, in fact, three words.)

Not long ago, we knew nothing of Polo. Now the little guy is our daughter's new best friend. As she tells us of his adventures, we turn into goofballs and beam with pride.

This deep pleasure is, I suspect, also available in your home.

A wordless picture book kids will find engrossing.
Polo is thrilled with his present, a new book - but after reading it he sets it aside, and an animal makes off with it. When the dog follows, a new series of adventures lead him into the sky, desert, and jungle in this second adventure about Polo, a wordless picture book kids will find engrossing.

Polo is a magical romp.
I bought this book online on a hunch, along with the previous Polo book. I read them both... and was amazed at how the mind gets swept away. From exotic location to exotic location, with a logic that will win your heart. I loved meeting new characters, seeing them wind up in a bind, figure it out and move on. And then the warmth you feel when everything and everyone come together at the end. I don't have children, but as a graphic novelist for children, I'm away checking out to see what is out there... and I can't say this loud enough... THIS IS OUT THERE. So good. ... Read more

Book Description
He claimed to have seen rocks burn, bandits command sandstorms, lions tamed with a look, and sorcerers charm sharks while divers gathered pearls on the ocean floor. Marco Polo shook Europe with descriptions of the world he'd seen on his epic journey to the court of Kublai Khan. But was Marco Polo the world's most accomplished explorer? Had he really seen the "Roof of the World" in Central Asia, and the "City of Heaven" in far-off China? Or was he a charlatan who saw nothing more than the conjurings of his inventive mind? Join Russell Freedman as he tackles a centuries-old mystery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

marco? polo!
Marco Polo told many tales of adventures that he went on with his family.He wrote a book called The Description of the world.To this day scholars are unsure if any of Marco's tales are true.Read this biography to see if you can decide for your self what you believe!

ADVENTURES OF MARCO POLO comes to life more than your usual elementary-level biography.
Russell Freedman's THE ADVENTURES OF MARCO POLO covers all the controversies surrounding the legendary explorer who claimed to have seen rocks burn and met bandits who could conjure up sandstorms. Marco's vivid, often fantastical descriptions of his travels shook Europe: was he a courageous adventurer, or a fake with a vivid imagination? In exploring the rumors surrounding Marco Polo, ADVENTURES OF MARCO POLO comes to life more than your usual elementary-level biography. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

marco polo a photographers journey
Good photos and details.Purchased as a gift for my wife and she is totally pleased

Marco Polo: A Photographer's Journey
Very facinating.I've always been interested in Marco Polo, as has the author.He really leads you through the journey and makes you wonder at the courage Marco Polo had for his travels. ... Read more

Book Description
This comprehensive title covers individual ball handling, passing, combinationbasic passing, individual fundamentals of shooting, shooting, counter attack, two-meter playerand front court offense, and six-on-five extra player basic drills. Dozens of diagrams andillustrations make learning these drills easy for both coach and player. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A must for all coaches
Great book. It outlines excellent drills, and the reasons for doing them. I would recommend it for all coaches and/or players looking to improve their game.

Very helpful
I am a relatively new coach, and this book is making my job a lot easier. The drills are easy to understand and useful and the book is very well organized. I always consult it when planning practice. I'm ordering the defensive book right now. ... Read more

Book Description

As the most celebrated European to explore Asia, Marco Polo was the original global traveler and the earliest bridge between East and West. A universal icon of adventure and discovery, he has inspired six centuries of popular fascination and spurious mythology. Now, from the acclaimed author of Over the Edge of the World: Magellan-s Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe (-Superb . . . A first-rate historical page turner--The New York Times)-comes the first fully authoritative biography of one of the most enchanting figures in world history. In this masterly work, Marco Polo-s incredible odyssey-along the Silk Road and through all the fantastic circumstances of his life-is chronicled in sumptuous and illuminating detail.

Book Description
Did you ever wonder what might happen if someone had a time-warping book they got from their uncle who was a magician and they took it to the local YMCA pool while they played Marco? Polo! with their two best friends?

Well, wonder no more. In the sixteenth adventure of the Time Warp Trio, it happens to Joe (and Fred and Sam). And what happens is: sandstorms, desert bandits, a smelly camel, strange horoscopes, the emperor of all China, hungry hunting dogs, attack leopards, killer hawks, and one very famous (if he doesn't get lost) explorer. If the explorer is Marco Polo, this must be 13th century China. And the Time Warp Trio's horoscope says, "Beware of mean cats, mad dogs, and even madder Chinese astrologers." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Buyer beware!
Our first edition copy of this book had a printer error.Pages 29 and 30 were completely blank.I sent it back to amazon and they promised me a refund.I don't know if all of the first edition books are like this, or if we were just unlucky.But if you want this book, you might consider waiting for the second edition or the paperback to come out. ... Read more

Book Description
Learn the basics of water polo in 10 minutes!

Why is the whistle constantly blowing in a water polo match? What does it mean to drive? What are the roles of the drivers and hole-set? What is the egg-beater? The SportSpectator Water Polo Guide answers these questions and more! This overview will enhance your enjoyment as a spectator, whether you're a novice to water polo or a longtime fan.

This high-quality, laminated guide folds to a 8.5 x 3.5 inch brochure to fit easily into a pocket or purse, and expands to 8.5 x 17.5 inches to reveal a wealth of information. The content includes the history of water polo, field diagrams, player roles, basic water polo rules and strategies, referee signals, and a glossary of useful water polo terms—the essentials to understand and enjoy water polo. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A welcome aid
I've never really understood water polo even though my sons played it in high school.I wish I had had this guide when they were playing so that I could follow all that whistle blowing!And, it would have been a bonus if I'd been able to make an educated observation, such as "Mark did a great job of setting the hole in the second quarter."My stock would have gone way up!

Better late than never
I attended all of my son's waterpolo matches when he was in high school.I never knew why the whistle was constantly blowing, why playerswere sent to the penalty sideline and most alarmingly, why the referee wasn't calling a foul when it looked as though one player was drowning another from underwater.I wish I had had the SportSpectator Guide to help me understand the concept of strategic fouling and how the whistle blowing signaled the types of fouls (all concisely described in the guide).Having this nifty, easy to carry, easy to read referernce guide to waterpolo would have greatly enhanced my enjoyment as a spectator of the sport.And, even better, it would have given me a quick course in the terms and rules of the game so that I could actually discuss the details of the game with my son. ... Read more

Book Description
Ricky France-Lynch was moody, macho, and magnificent.  He had a large crumbling estate, a nine-goal polo handicap, and a beautiful wife who was fair game for anyone with a chequebook.  He also had the adoration of fourteen-year-old Perdita MacLeod.  Perdita couldn't wait to leave her dreary school and become a polo player.  The polo set were ritzy, wild, and gloriously promiscuous.  Perdita thought she'd get along with them very well.

But before she had time to grow up, Ricky's life exploded into tragedy, and Perdita turned into a brat who loved only her horses--and Ricky France-Lynch.

Ricky's obsession to win back his wife, and Perdita's to win both Ricky and a place as a top-class polo player, take the reader on a wildly exciting journey--to the estancias of Argentina, to Palm Beach and Deauville, and on to the royal polo fields of England and the glamorous pitches of California where the most heroic battle of all is destined to be fought--a match that is about far more than just the winning of a huge silver cup... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

not so staggered by the razzmatazz
This is the kind of book that your kids home alone unearth from your underwear drawer and wet themselves laughing at 1) because of the colorful language and graphic sex, 2) the over-the-top descriptions of sex, and 3) from embarrassment that their parent has such poor taste in literature.

Parts I enjoyed, but there were quite a few things that annoyed me. Usually, if the equestrienne character is hostile toward people, she's redeemed by her genuine love for horses, but not this "heroine."She half-kills her mare and recovers in just a few pages - which as a horse lover sure endeared me to her. The other characters are equally as unlikeable; the only decent main character (Daisy - the brat's mother) is such a doormat that you wind up wanting to slap her upside the head rather than root for her. (I did like her dog Ethel and her cat, as well as most of the ponies. At least, the author throws you that bone, pun intended.)

This was the kind of book where everyone's outfits were described in intricate detail, and their motives were spelled out the moment we met them (the author's motto seems to be tell not show). If a character's hostility was due to not being hugged as a child, the reader doesn't have to work too hard to figure this out.

Every time someone entered the story, whether or not we'd seen them before, we learned what color their outfit was. Cooper is very fond of colors - emerald green, baby blue, scrambled egg yellow, Pepto Bismol pink (just kidding), etc. After awhile this became tiresome.

Still something kept me skimming after reading the first two hundred pages. I just think it would have been as equally good a book if it were about half the length. None of the skimpy plot would have had to have been sacrificed. To the author's credit, she provides an extensive list of characters and a brief description (my favorite being "Bridget Macleod, Hamish's mother, an absolute bitch"). Subtlety thy name is not "Polo."

mad cap hilarity!!!
I have never come across a book which makes me laugh out loud; so much so, that my neighbours had their fingers poised to dial the emergency services!The story tells of Perdita McCleod who dreams of making it into the international world of polo playing.Within that is the separate stories of Ricky France Lynch and a host of other characters which I wish I knew personally.Their antics are hilarious (if sometimes unbelievable) but that is what good fiction is supposed to deliver.If you want LAUGH OUT LOUD comedy fun (albeit with a cast of shady characters) then this book is for you.I loved the fact that every character is flawed (unlike other books where everyone is perfect)and that they don't always deal with life situations in a rational way.I also love how Jilly combines English aristocracy with the humble labourer as well.It works so well in these times!I recommend this book to anyone who needs a laugh in their life.

Brilliant! My favorite in the series thus far!!
I LOVE Jilly Cooper!!! I LOVED this book! What a fantastic story!! What FABULOUS characters!!I never know where Cooper's books are gonna go..she is NEVER predictable!!! I was so wrapped up in Luke that I couldnt stand it!!! This was a wildly entertaining book written by a wildly brilliant author, overflowing with Shocking characters, numerous storylines, and just sooo much fun!! I have no idea how Jilly Cooper manages to tie it all together..but, WOW! What a keeper!

A "10 goal" story!
Enjoyable and thoroughly entertaining! Cooper's characters are colorful and fresh, and stay that way until the very end. I also applaud her ability to weave her story from a sport that very few know much about. For those that are new to the game, polo (the sport) is a true drama; not only of egoes and money, but more importantly of horse lovers(wealthy or not).It is a drama that Cooper manages to credibly capture; not only from the sidelines, but from those involved on the field as well(players, grooms and patrons).Jilly you most certainly did your homework! As warm weather comes, Polo is one of those books you may find yourself reading each summer again and again. Humor, romance, tradgedy, and action. There is something in it for everyone.

Polled Over!
Polo comes after Riders and Rivals.It maintains the same backdrop and high flying jet setting lifestyle.Cooper maintains the humour and raunchy goings on as her last novels.However, the main character of Polo is Perdita, with whom I gradually began to loathe.

However, Polo is good escapism, with some really good twists and turns in the plot.I have always felt that some of Cooper's dialogue was contrived, and this marred my enjoyment of one of the best scenes towards the end of the book.

It's an enjoyable read ... Read more

Book Description
Features 34 conditioning drills, 11 individual defense drills, 8 two-meter defender drills, 6 defense against the counterattack drills, 15 team defense drills, 6 5-on-6 drills and nearly 20 goalie drills. Each drill is thoroughly explained, illustrated, and many are diagrammed to make them easy to understand and apply. ... Read more

Book Description
Contrary to an assumption basic to European and Chinese history-the tales of Marco Polo's journey to China-Frances Wood argues that he not only never went to China, but probably never ventured past his family home on the Black Sea. Instead, his imagination fueled by stories garnered from other traders and with the help of a ghostwriter, Polo may simply have sought to exploit the growing demand for tales of distant lands. By carefully examining the Polo family history, Marco Polo's activities as a merchant, the preparation of his book, and the imperial Chinese records, Wood tries to reconcile a number of inconsistencies that shed light on what may be only an extraordinary and enduring myth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

You have to admit. . .
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.

Did Marco Polo go to China? A matter of perspective
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.

Something to think about
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!

Worth reading -- but in balance
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, orbinding women's feet.All these matters are more than adequately answeredin John Larner's MARCO POLO AND THE DISCOVERY OF THE WORLD, a book Irecommend for balance.The thesis of Marco Polo not going to China iscompelling, and Wood's style is fast-paced and keeps at a high level.Butshe seems to rebut her own argument in some places -- for instance, evenmentioning a name close to "Polo" where Marco was said to havebeen, 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, theauthor has made the argument look specious).

Marco Polo may indeedhave 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 probablymore likely his position.But Marco was a businessman brought up in amercantile family.Unlike the author's idea, a seventeen year old in thethirteenth century was not considered a "boy" -- in fact, he wascoming 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 brickfacade came later), we can hardly expect boyish wonder.

Without positiveevidence, Frances Wood runs across the problem of those who believeShakespeare didn't write his plays, or that he didn't exist.They can onlyargue from negative evidence, and a negative can't be proven.It cannot beproven 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 maysuggest 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 Poloproblem.It's not recommended for the general reader, especially one whojust wants to see famous people debunked.Debunking western Europeanfigures is a cottage industry at the turn of the twenty-first century, butin the case the evidence is very thin for the revisionists.

For someonewho wants a good, solid, general overview of Polo and his mystique, checkthe John Larner book.

I disagree with the author
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 tounmask Marco Polo as a fraud, has enjoyed considerable attention - which itfully merited as an entertaining piece of light reading.Unfortunately,Wood's argument appears to have been taken at face value in some academiccircles, so much so that a word of warning now seems appropriate: Wood'sstory is neither original, nor is it scholarly. The gist of Wood's argumenthas been commonplace through the ages and, especially, in the 19th century. In its present form it was suggested in a lighthearted way some years agoby the eminent German sinologist Herbert Franke who now categoricallyrejects Wood's thesis.As for the scholarship of Wood's book, it isimpugned on a series of counts, notably in an exhaustive study published in1997 by Igor de Rachewiltz of the Australian National University whereinWood's arguments are discussed one by one, not infrequently on the basis ofdocuments that the author overlooked, or even deliberately ignored asinimical to her story. One case in point shall suffice here to crippleWood's thesis.It concerns the accounts in a 15th century Chineseencyclopaedia (publ. in 1941 by Yang Chih-chiu) and in the Persianhistorian Rashid al-Din's Collection of Histories (discussed by F.W.Cleaves in 1976) of the 1291-3 naval expedition conveying the Mongolprincess Kokecin from China to Persia - of which Marco Polo bears detailedwitness as a participant. It really should be incumbent on authors in DrWood's position, as a matter of intellectual correctness, clearly to signalthe distinction between historical fancy and the reporting of seriousresearch. Canberra, Australia ... Read more

Book Description
It was perhaps the first book to achieve best-seller status before the invention of the printing press-it was certainly the most controversial.Did Venetian trader and explorer MARCO POLO (1254-1324) actually reach the court of Kublai Khan, serve the emperor as his emissary, and journey the distant lands of Cathay for 17 years, as he relates in his Travels of Marco Polo?The question still hasn't quite been settled today... but whether Polo experienced firsthand the wonders of ancient China, retold tales he heard from Arab travelers along the Silk Road, or simply invented half his stories, this remains a delightful read for fans of history, adventure, and medieval literature.The new edition features illustrations from a 14th-century French version of Polo's manuscript. ... Read more

Book Description
In a life of ceaseless exploration, Marco Polo pushed out the borders of his narrow medieval world.

Born in Venice in 1254, the young Marco Polo first met his father at age 15, when the elder Polo returned from a trading expedition to the East. The father's tales of the court of the Kublai Khan in China ignited a lifelong passion for adventure in the son.

The Polos set out for China in 1271, traveling through the Middle East, across the Gobi Desert, to Khanbaliq in China. The journey took four years. Kublai Khan took a great liking to Marco Polo, employing him as a spy throughout his vast empire. Marco traveled and observed the cultures of Sumatra, Sri Lanka, and India in this capacity. His notes later became one of the world's great travel books, The Description of the World. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Best informational book out
I play water polo on the high school level and this book helped me to understand the game...Even if you don't play you can always check it out. ... Read more