Sgeir
Well-known member
The thrust of 1421 - the year China discovered the world, by Gavin Menzies, is that the great Chinese fleets of Zheng He not only sailed west of the Cape of Good Hope, but also to North America, Greenland, and most other parts of the maritime world between the Poles. In support of his theory he offers his experience as a retired RN submarine captain, studies of ocean currents and trade winds, as well as archaeological and DNA evidence. He also believes that Magellan had a map (with info from the Chinese) showing a passage at the tip of South America, and that the Portuguese settled in the Caribbean before the arrival of Columbus.
It's a great read, and some of it is very convincing - but it is circumstantial and not conclusive. Also a feeling that he's trying to make the evidence fit the theory, for example, I noticed a contradiction in his differing statements concerning sea levels and temperatures. That aside, I enjoyed it and will be fascinated to see whether any of his theories can be tested and reliably proven.
Not surprisingly the book has its detractors eg 1421: The Year the Chinese DID NOT Discover America. Again not surprisingly. some of his detractors are at odds with each other over interpretation of archaeological evidence.
It's a great read, and some of it is very convincing - but it is circumstantial and not conclusive. Also a feeling that he's trying to make the evidence fit the theory, for example, I noticed a contradiction in his differing statements concerning sea levels and temperatures. That aside, I enjoyed it and will be fascinated to see whether any of his theories can be tested and reliably proven.
Not surprisingly the book has its detractors eg 1421: The Year the Chinese DID NOT Discover America. Again not surprisingly. some of his detractors are at odds with each other over interpretation of archaeological evidence.