Did the Chinese sail to America years before Columbus did? In fact, did Chinese-related maps make his travels easier? Author Gavin Menzies claims so in 1421: The Year the Chinese Discovered America.
However, scholars, along with critics at Salon and the New York Times, haven’t been so sure about the 1421 hypothesis.
Who’s right? I’d love to see both sides duke it out in annotations. This lively book–a fascinating read, even if you’re very skeptical, as I am–begs for interactivity. Publishers could even sell annotation packages that worked with an already-bought e-book. Of course, appropriate format standards are key to making this happen.
No e-book of any kind right now: Alas, at least at Amazon, I could not find any e-book edition. I know. Hardware deficiencies have crimped e-book sales. But so have DRM overkill and the Tower of eBabel–reducing the market and the attractiveness of putting out e-book editions.
Meanwhile I’m seeing used 1421s on sale for less than $6, without a penny going to author or publisher; oh what a difference a reasonably priced e-book book edition could make.
Related: 1421’s official site and a just-published news story, More evidence that China discovered America, the latter from the Asian Pacific Post. On the anti-Menzies side, check out1421: The Year the Chinese DID NOT Discover America: A Tabulation of the Evidence Against Gavin Menzies.
want to know who really sailed to America the Chinese or the Americans?