Publisher's Synopsis
Literature has the capacity to send us across time and space. Through it, we get to know people from different centuries whose experiences as well as the context and culture they inhabited can be understood and relived through the power of the written word and the marvel of human empathy. Both books included here allow us a glimpse into now extinct kingdoms, antique settlements and wild naturescapes. The stories contained within will not only expand your vision of history but will also, hopefully, thwart your expectations and help you rethink the past. The Book of the Marvels of the World, more commonly known as The Travels of Marco Polo, continues to be one of the most widely read and circulated travel books ever written. It includes the traveller's fascinating recollections of ancient kingdoms and nations all the way from Venice in the Italian Peninsula to Hangzhou in Eastern China. The Itinerary Through Wales narrates Gerald of Wales' trip to recruit soldiers for the Third Crusade around Wales in the 12th century. It contains beautiful desciptions of Welsh landscapes and historical events next to descriptions of miracles and fantastic creatures that are a reflection of its time. Both are included in full, in Modern English and are heavily annotated. Includes charts and illustrations to enliven the experience.
