![]() ![]() A documentary is reported to be forthcoming. Menzies spoke at the National Press Club, the Asia Society, and Stanford University. It has been translated into a dozen languages. The paperback edition is currently number 23 in the paperback non-fiction category. Published in January, 2003 in hardcover by HarperCollins, a major publisher, it immediately reached the New York Times best-seller list. Nonetheless, 1421 has been a major commercial success. The New York Times was critical, as were The Asian Review of Books and Publisher’s Weekly, but other publications, such as the Salt Lake Tribune, Science News, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Asian Reporter have been positive. What is new and controversial is whether they reached West Africa, the Americas, Antarctica, and Australia. It is undisputed that the Chinese reached as far as East Africa. You can read about it in Louise Levathes’ book When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne 1405-1433. That this expedition took place is a matter of record, well known to historians. The thesis of 1421 is that in the years 1421-1423 a Chinese fleet commanded by admiral Zheng He circumnavigated the globe, along the way visiting the Americas and Australia. ![]() Originally posted at Language Log reproduced here with permission ![]()
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