书目

1421

内容简介

On8February1421thelargestfleettheworldhadeverseensailedfromitsbaseinChina.Theships,500footlongjunksmadefromthefinestteakandmahogany,wereledbyEmperorZhuDi'sloyaleunuchadmirals.Theirmissionwas"toproceedallthewaytotheendoftheearthtocollecttributefromthebarbariansbeyondtheseas"andunitethewholeworldinConfucianharmony.Theirjourneywouldlastovertwoyearsandcircletheentireglobe.WhentheyreturnedZhuDihadfallenfrompowerandChinawasbeginningitslong,self-imposedisolationfromtheworldithadsorecentlyembraced.Thegreatshipsrottedattheirmooringsandtherecordsoftheirjourneysweredestroyed.LostwastheknowledgethatChineseshipshadreachedAmerica70yearsbeforeColumbusandcircumnavigatedtheglobeacenturybeforeMagellan.TheyhasalsodiscoveredAntarctica,reachedAustralia350yearsbeforeCookandsolvedtheproblemoflongitude300yearsbeforetheEuropeans.GavinMenzieshasspent15yearstracingtheastonishingvoyagesoftheChinesefleet.Inthishistoricaldetectivestory,hesharestheaccountofhisdiscoveriesandtheincontrovertibleevidencetosupportthem.Hisnarrativebringstogetherancientmaps,precisenavigationalknowledge,astronomyandthesurvivingaccountsbyChineseexplorersandthelaterEuropeannavigators.ItbringstolighttheartefactsandinscribedstandingstonesleftbehindbytheEmperor'sfleet,theevidenceofsunkenjunksalongitsrouteandtheornatevotiveofferingsleftbytheChinesesailorswherevertheylanded,inthankstoShaoLin,goddessofthesea.

作者简介

GavinMenzieswasbornin1937andlivedinChinafortwoyearsbeforetheSecondWorldWar.HejoinedtheRoyalNavyin1953andservedinsubmarinesfrom1959to1970.AsajuniorofficerhesailedtheworldinthewakeofColumbus,Dias,CabralandVascodaGama.WhenincommandofHMSRorqual(1968-1970),hesailedtheroutespioneeredbyMagellanandCaptainCook.SinceleavingtheRoyalNavy,hehasreturnedtoChinaandtheFarEastmanytimes,andinthecourseofresearching1421hehasvisited120countries,over900museumsandlibrariesandeverymajorseaportofthelateMiddleAges.GavinMenziesismarriedwithtwodaughters.

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