Marco Polo

Travel was not a regular part of everyday life in the Middle Ages. Not only was it expensive, it was hazardous. Thieves, murderers, and other unknown dangers were always lurking along the highways of Europe. Yet despite the perils, pilgrims and others did occasionally leave their cities and towns to discover what lay beyond their immediate world. Perhaps the most famous of these was Marco Polo. A native of Venice, Polo left his homeland in 1271 with his father and uncle and traveled throughout China, India, and Southeast Asia before returning to Venice in 1295. In 1298 while serving in the Venetian navy, Polo was taken prisoner by the government of Genoa, which was at war with Venice. While in prison, he dictated the account of his travels to a fellow prisoner, Rusticiano of Pisa.

Polo's book has been an invaluable...