1421: The Year China Discovered America

A hefty book, but definitely a good read. There is a DVD by the same title that goes through the author's search for his information for the book. Very interesting as well, but more a "behind the scenes" look at the making of the book.

This fascinating but flawed book expounds the thesis that Chinese fleets explored most of the world decades before Europeans voyaged to the Americas (according to the author, explorers such as Columbus already knew the Americas were there because they had access to maps based on Chinese records). Menzies even argues that Chinese colonies were planted in the Americas, disappearing from view as they mingled with indigenous populations.

In his personal quest, Menzies has accumulated a vast amount of circumstantial evidence in support of his theory, attaching to it the interpretations most supportive of his argument. Some of this evidence is persuasive, but much of it is only suggestive. Nonetheless, the sheer weight of evidence will cause most readers to conclude that there is some truth to Menzies' thesis, at least enough to warrant more professional research. That makes one wonder why Western historians have ignored or dismissed the evidence for centuries. And how much history is unknown to us because political decisions dictated the destruction of records, as was the case in Ming China. At the very least, this book should provoke a re-evaluation of Chinese influence on the West before the age of European expansion.
Menzies continues to pursue his theory, inviting others to provide supporting evidence through his web site. He could save himself future embarrassment by hiring better fact-checkers from a variety of disciplines who would catch the sometimes glaring errors in this book.

A very interesting book that is the basis for Today's China's claims to the South China Sea. I presented it as a reference for a seminar on China's Expansion moves. It is an amazing book with many references.

Another look at the ancient travelers who came here before Columbus. We must start teaching REAL history, and forget Columbus Day. The Italians and the Spanish were late comers to the Asians and the Vikings in The Americas.

This is an extraordinary book. I have not heard mention of it from sources that should be doing so. His point that the Chinese in the Ming dynasty came to America well before Columbus is amazing. In making these statements, Menzies is careful to outline his evidence as accurate. Him being an officer in the British Navy and commanding a nuclear submarine indicate to me that he is not making foolish statements. Doing such things as testing the DNA of local populations and finding Chinese elements in them if one sign of his careful thinking. I hope his work is reviewed by some of the more competent members of countries he visited and of which he made such claims. I urge people to read this and other similar books he has written.

A very interesting book that is the basis for Today's China's claims to the South China Sea. I presented it as a reference for a seminar on China's Expansion moves. It is an amazing book with many references.

Another look at the ancient travelers who came here before Columbus. We must start teaching REAL history, and forget Columbus Day. The Italians and the Spanish were late comers to the Asians and the Vikings in The Americas.

This is an extraordinary book. I have not heard mention of it from sources that should be doing so. His point that the Chinese in the Ming dynasty came to America well before Columbus is amazing. In making these statements, Menzies is careful to outline his evidence as accurate. Him being an officer in the British Navy and commanding a nuclear submarine indicate to me that he is not making foolish statements. Doing such things as testing the DNA of local populations and finding Chinese elements in them if one sign of his careful thinking. I hope his work is reviewed by some of the more competent members of countries he visited and of which he made such claims. I urge people to read this and other similar books he has written.

Gavin Menzies, 1421 is a compelling, thought provoking book that has both its detractors and supporters claiming it to be either fiction or history.
In either catagory I rate this book five stars and prefer to see it as a historical record of the Ambassadors of the Ming Dynansty reaching out to the rest of the world to share knowledge in peace.

Pre-Columbian History is to be expected and time will tell as future discoveries of hard evidence are made to support Menzies book. L'Anse aux Meadows, near St. Vincent in Newfoundland contains hard evidence that you can see and touch of Norsemen in America as early as 999. St. Brendan's, "Navigato," records his voyage to Newfoundland as early as 530. Tim Severin retraced the adventures of St. Brendan in a simular craft to determine the feasabliity of St, Brendan's historic event.

Certainly 1421 deserves its place among the Pre-Columbian events.

A very intuitive book. We'll researched but almost seems too much conclusive evidence.
A good book to put you to sleep at night as you can put it down and rejoin it without having to remember where you were.

Buy this book. There is just too much documentation of the fact that Columbus was preceded to the Americas, because of maps dating well before 1492

I would hope that anyone reading this brief essay is not surprised that the people who write history are idiots. The Chinese were trading for furs with the Indians on the west coast for centuries. No-- we're not Native Americans. You idiots forget that we commuted across the Siberian land bridge and have the oral traditions to verify it. Although that land bridge is at present submerged, it just isn't that far from Alaska to the coast of Asia. Furs are valuable, and people were willing to paddle kayaks, canoes and large boats from America to Asia, and back.

There are other things documented in this book, like Chinese colonies, and genetic strains which aren't part of the overall Indian gene pool. That's an Asian strain itself, but evidently the scientists can figure out the differences between it and Chinese and Korean types.

Not everything in America started with Europeans.

This book is about an amazing historical movement of such global proportions that many readers may be left with the impression that they need to unlearn what they were taught in history classes at school.

Years of careful research have resulted in a wonderfully entertaining account of early Chinese maritime travels. It could be a fairly "dry" topic but has been written in such an interesting way that it is very difficult to put it down - even for a short time!

This book carefully chronicles the Chinese Emperor's command to explore the world starting out in 1421. The book, historically substantiated, tells the years long tale, and includes the various plants that the Chinese took to new worlds and the plants they brought back to China, how the place names, of where they landed, are Chinese in origin, how centuries old Chinese anchor stones came to be resting on the sea bad north of San Francisco, and many other fascinating facts.

I used to wonder what the Americas would have been like if they had been populated more from Asian exploration than European in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. In this book I learned that could have happened seventy years before Columbus. Who knows how different our societies would be today if that were the case. If not for the overthrow of the dynasty that dispatched Chinese fleets of exploration, The Americas might have avoided the scourge of chattel slavery, seen different types of battles for conquest, and produced more rice than maize.

While it is clear Menzies makes mistakes about some things, there is a high probability that he is not wrong in all. About halfway through the book I found a reference to Professor Joseph Needham's Science and Civilization in China. This multi-volume work grew and grew as Needham learned more about Chinese technology. He, too, thought the Chinese had visited the west coast of Mexico and Central America before Columbus. I've been enthralled with 1421. It's fun reading. Menzies is in love with he topic and thus is enthusiastic about it, meaning that he sees confirmation of his thesis everywhere.

Very informative of the Chinese culture and history. The author has gone to a great amount of detailed research in order to justify his position. Very believable. Good reading for any person interested in detailed history.

Before Columbus started his journey, he already had in his possession a world map presented to the Pope by a Chinee envoy showing the American continent. Since the map already showed the new world (American continent) that means some other people had already been there and in this case the Chinese. Therefore, Columbus's claim that he discovered the new world was a false claim at best. Capt. Menzies listed detailed evidence to argue his case that the Chinese discovered America in 1421, about 100 years before Columbus and he has succeeded.

Hi Am half way through absolutely brilliant so far ,the knowledge the Chinese had is unsurpassed they were so talented in every aspect of life .Highly recommend reading ,was recommended to me by a good friend so pleased I took his advice .
Les

... and the credibility is supported by Australian Broadcasting's radio program in july this yeas (2006) regarding the book, where all scientists supporting Menzies' theory were censored ^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H edited out (now, why would they do that?).

Sea currents and winds haven't changed much during the last 600 years; european navigators knew the atlantic routes; Menzies is not the first to say that. And despite some reiterations through the parts of the book, it was written in a language easy to read even for us with another mother tongue than english.

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Norse navigator

I loved the book. Before reading it, I had already heard theories about the Chinese sailing the world before Magellan, but had never heard any substantiating evidence. This book provides that. The author discusses many theories throughout the book and backs them up with substantial evidence. The author was also not afraid to say so when he felt more evidence was needed to back his theories, so things are presented more in a "here are the possibilities" manor rather than "this is the truth", so there is room for you to postulate your own. If you are interested in learning more about China's lost history, I strongly suggest reading this book.

The book itself is very interesting. I actually read 1434 first and loved it. Proposes some very interesting theories about the capabilities of Asians during the Ming Dynasty. I had to go back and read the 1421 to continue the saga. Service from this vendor was excellent as well. I got the book in three days and it was in excellent condition.

Hi Am half way through absolutely brilliant so far ,the knowledge the Chinese had is unsurpassed they were so talented in every aspect of life .Highly recommend reading ,was recommended to me by a good friend so pleased I took his advice .
Les

... and the credibility is supported by Australian Broadcasting's radio program in july this yeas (2006) regarding the book, where all scientists supporting Menzies' theory were censored ^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H edited out (now, why would they do that?).

Sea currents and winds haven't changed much during the last 600 years; european navigators knew the atlantic routes; Menzies is not the first to say that. And despite some reiterations through the parts of the book, it was written in a language easy to read even for us with another mother tongue than english.

--

Norse navigator

I loved the book. Before reading it, I had already heard theories about the Chinese sailing the world before Magellan, but had never heard any substantiating evidence. This book provides that. The author discusses many theories throughout the book and backs them up with substantial evidence. The author was also not afraid to say so when he felt more evidence was needed to back his theories, so things are presented more in a "here are the possibilities" manor rather than "this is the truth", so there is room for you to postulate your own. If you are interested in learning more about China's lost history, I strongly suggest reading this book.

The book itself is very interesting. I actually read 1434 first and loved it. Proposes some very interesting theories about the capabilities of Asians during the Ming Dynasty. I had to go back and read the 1421 to continue the saga. Service from this vendor was excellent as well. I got the book in three days and it was in excellent condition.

This well written! It explains many things I had heard, but had not read anything about the Chinese people! It's very interesting and I would recommend it! Should be read by everyone who likes history!

1421 started a little slow for me, but quickly gained momentum. There is a lot of detail, but the inferences drawn (and many of the facts presented) are absolutely facinating. I believe this is a must read for anyone interested in world history. The author asks and answers the question: why have historians ignored this information up to this time when there is so much that is contrary to accepted beliefs?