1421: The Year China Discovered America – The Great Fleet That Reached America Before Columbus and Circumnavigated the Globe (P.S.)

Radical history of the "discovery" of America 71 years before Columbus by China

This is a both a history lesson and a extremely well documented account that makes a compelling argument that the Chinese were light years ahead of Europe in naval technology and navigational skills and did indeed, discover the new world and the arctic and antarctic. It's also a history lesson of how one man's rule set back a nation and it's energy for centuries and cost China it's global silk road. It's probably more for those who like history without the drama and wars but want to understand the world and consider evidence that what we learned about Christopher Columbus was far from the truth. It's a long book but I learned a great deal from reading it. You will too.

I'm giving this book 4 stars for one main reason - it brings forward a new theory that many other scholars believe *is possible* but does not prove that it *did happen*. However, not enough evidence is available yet to conclude that Gavin's theory is just fiction. I am a graduate student in history and just attended (today) a panel at the annual American Historical Association's meeting in DC. Mr. Menzies and several prominent, scholarly Chinese historians (including John Wills and Valerie Hansen) spoke on a panel about his book. I went to the panel expecting to hear the scholars shoot down Mr. Menzies' book. To some extent, they did. However, when Mr. Menzies stood up and presented new information on DNA and, more importantly, some brand new documents out of Fuijan province in China that came from a Chinese historian there, the academic historians were interested in further investigation (mostly the documents, but each admitted they cannot say the Chinese *didn't* reach the Americas). As someone training to become an academic historian, I will say this about what I got out of today. One of the historians on the panel made quite possibly the best point out of everyone -- something I will remember as I now look more seriously at this theory put before us. There are many, many unexplained pieces of evidence that Mr. Menzies brings forth in this book. For instance, the maps that existed before the European explorers, showing the perfect shape of Africa, South America, the Azores, etc. Now, the Chinese may not have discovered these per say, but until someone else can prove that ANOTHER group of people were the first, or that there is another explanation for these curiosities (because it is agreed the Europeans were usually not the first) -- who are we to heavily criticize Mr. Menzies? After all, we have no explanation of the Chinese artifacts showing up on the West coast. We have no explanation of how South America was perfectly drawn on a 1424 map - maybe the Arabs did it? Fine, go out and try to prove that. So, when you pick up this book you should sit back and look with a critical eye but you also need to look at it like a lot of other historical issues - a possible explanation or theory used to construct a narrative that will connect the past in our minds. As for those who believe the historical narrative they teach you in the public school system, keep in mind that what you learn in school is WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS YOU TO LEARN! Think about it. (Also, pick up a copy of "Silencing the Past" by Michel Trouillot, who discusses how certain "powerless" people are silenced in history -- in his case he discusses the Haitian Revolution. Reading a book like that gets you to think differently about a theory like the one in this book). What we teach our students in schools today is already missing so much and simply "accepted" narrative anyways. One last thing about this book -- use the companion website to view evidence and all evidence updates. Mr. Menzies mentioned it several times today in his discussion as it contains a lot more and the newest evidence he presented to us today -- [...]

The preponderance of factual data and superb research forms the glue that holds this spellbinding novelette of the Chinese as the true discoverers of the Americas and most of the world. Gavin Menzies spirited and no-nonsense approach to this work is both captivating and educational. I share some of Mr. Menzies' background in navigation with my own schooling and duty as a Quartermaster in the U.S. Navy giving me more insight into his conclusions and prognostications making his book all the more real and believable. I first became aware of Mr. Menzies' and his revelations of the great Ming Dynasty of the 15th century via a local PBS broadcast in 2004 of the National Geographic's production about the achievements of Admiral Zheng He and his huge "Treasure Fleets." The N.G. special was well balanced citing criticisms of Mr. Menzies work by numerous world authorities in ancient times. However, it was clear that Mr. Menzies work prevailed and more evidence surfaces daily on his web site [...] My daughter, a senior at the University of Southern California was already aware of Menzies' work as it was required reading. History, as we've known it, is hereby put on notice. An excellent publication which has motivated me to purchase a good number of Mr. Menzies' book for my friends.

Gavin Menzies not only writes a terrific thriller, but has produced a prodigious amount of evidence to support his claim that the Chinese beat the Europeans to the Western Hemisphere by more than 70 years. He basis his theory on the facts that maps of the West existed before Columbus sailed, or by 1501 showed places with great accuracy that no European had been to. Although the Moslem world had the best science at that time, they were not able to send such a large expedition. Only China had the science, the knowledge, the ships and experience to produce those maps. In 1421 Zheng He (someone every Chinese kid learns about the way American kids learn about Columbus)commanded a huge fleet of ships larger than any European ship on an expedition that went to India and Africa and then continued on. The records of the voyages were destroyed, so Menzies uses evidence of the maps, the currents, the animal life that may have been left by the Chinese, plus a lot of compelling arguments to support his very detailed reconstruction of the voyages. Some people have quarreled with some of the evidence, but with a theory as thoroughly supported as this one, one needs an alternate theory that is better, and no one has one. I've heard there's a new museum dedicated to Zheng He in China, and after reading this book, I'd love to go.

The facts is all around us. From the plants to the animals that were seen by Columbus when it visited America. From the sunken ships and the DNA evidence all over the world linking the Natives to Chinese DNA. Even the Native Alaskans look Chinese. The reason we don't see any Native American looking Chinese is because they were wiped off the map when the Europeans showed up. Even Hawaii has a few Natives that look very Chinese. This book is very interesting. Since new evidence are popping up since the released of this book back in 2003, there is a huge wave of evidence pointing to the fact that the Chinese reached America first and the Columbus and Megellen used a map to reach the Americas. Columbus even admitted to using a map in his log. The facts aren't in the book. The facts are all around us. This book brings to attention that history should be re-written. But that will never happened. Of course there will be a bunch of naysayers claiming that the Chinese voyage was a myth. I wouldn't give those people any attention. These are the same people who believes the myth of Bible and how God promised a bunch of Europeans a land called Palestine.

I enjoyed this immensely! He supports his theories, researching in an attempt to answer questions that conventional views and positions, provide no answers to, nor do they have any desire to, apparently, having long lost the crucial intellectual curiosity and quest for knowledge that made "Discovery" in any field, possible in the first place. Broaden your horizons and enjoy the journey - read this book!

I was aware that author Menzies drew some strong criticisms, but decided to defer focus on that until after I finished the book. Note that the author has a pretty good sized ego, but I found that his weaving in his own personal experiences was entertaining. He uses his "perception of facts" as a springboard for projecting his "theories", and IMO does a reasonable job with qualifying before he leaps, and of course he takes liberties building on all this to add to the big picture. Have to say that what he puts on the table, theories and all, promotes thought and discussion, and that ain't all bad. One angle is to just look at this as the "story of the author", his amazing level of research (Chinese culture, European competition to find & claim new lands, loads of history on same, evolution of maps, stories of the individuals promoted by European history, and on and on). Author was an ambitious, relentless and thought-provoking person, right or wrong. But looking forward to later on checking out the critical thinking applied to that of Menzies.

C’è sempre qualcosa da scoprire! I cinesi avevano scoperto l’America prima di Cristoforo Colombo?

Plus it solves the mystery about where Piri Reis got his information.

Awesome book and super fast service from the seller . Thank you so much

Une théorie et une (en)quête passionnante, ou comment les chinois auraient découvert l'Amérique avant Christophe Colomb. Attention : cette édition est en anglais... mais il existe une traduction en français.

SUPERB