In his Book of Marvels and Travels, Sir John Mandeville describes a
journey from Europe to Jerusalem and on into Asia, and the many
wonderful and monstrous peoples and practices in the East. Written
in the fourteenth century, the Book is a captivating blend of fact
and fantasy, an extraordinary travel narrative that offers some
revealing and unexpected attitudes towards other races and
religions. It was immensely popular, and numbered among its readers
Chaucer, Columbus, and Thomas More. Here Mandeville tells us about
the Sultan in Cairo, the Great Khan in China, and the mythical
Christian prince Prester John. There are giants and pygmies,
cannibals and Amazons, headless humans and people with a single
foot so huge it can shield them from the sun. Forceful and
opinionated, the narrator is by turns learned, playful, and
moralizing, with an endless curiosity about different cultures.
Anthony Bale provides a lively new translation along with an
introduction that considers questions of authorship and origins,
the early travel narrative, Crusading and religious difference,
fantasy and the European Age of Discovery, and Mandeville's
pervasive popularity and influence. The book includes helpful notes
on historical context that provide insights into medieval culture
and attitudes. There are also three maps, an index of places and a
general index, and a note on medieval measurements.
About the Series For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has
made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the
globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to
scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of
other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading
authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date
bibliographies for further study, and much more.
General
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