Marco Polo is a biography with the sweep of a history. But what I love is that it is one of those books full of facts that make the world seem more interesting: that at one time, five percent of all Chinese characters were associated with silk; that in the late 13th century Kublai Kahn’s Muslim financial advisor gained so much power that he threatened to take over the empire, creating the fascinating prospect of Muslim rule over China; that the Mongols protected their wealth by sewing precious gems into their clothing. At least for someone who has always viewed the Mongols as essentially medieval Klingons–and they were brutal although weirdly squeamish–it was fascinating to learn that they were in many ways more advanced than their contemporaries in Europe: they had a version of freedom of religion; they were logistically brilliant, crossing vast distances at a gallop; they had paper currency; they ruled larger cities and vaster territories and more cultures. And Bergreen also comments on the problems of memoir, of self-interest and delusion, of facts and memory and style. Polo's own book is strange book, dictated when he was a prisoner of war, dismissed as fable at the time, now seen as being much closer to reportage than originally thought.
Mister, this sounds like a totally interesting book. Medieval Klingons indeed. Tthe original ST totally dressed them up like Mongolians.
Posted by: Carolyn | January 25, 2008 at 12:40 PM