Marco Polo

An extraordinary new biography of Marco Polo and his journey along the Silk Road, from the celebrated author of Hannibal, Alexander the Great, and Julius Caesar.

From the acclaimed author of Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Hannibal comes a vivid new biography of Marco Polo and his journey along the Silk Road, as recorded during his remarkable Travels and other medieval sources. It tells the story of his life and times from boyhood in Venice, his travels across Asia to China as a teenager, his years and adventures at the court of the great Kublai Khan, and his long voyage home to Italy. Along the way he encountered people, cultures, and marvels no one in Europe had ever seen or even imagined.

It’s been twenty years since the last biography of Marco Polo. Now, drawing on new source material and discoveries, including material only recently made available in translation from Chinese and Mongolian sources, this biography promises to be an engaging and illuminating narrative. In addition, Freeman himself followed the Silk Road by train, jeep, and camel in the footsteps of Marco Polo from Venice to Jerusalem, the Middle East, the mountains of Central Asia, and the deserts of China, completing the journey by sailing as Marco did from China back to Italy by way of Vietnam, Sumatra, and India, to discover first-hand Marco Polo's world.

Philip Freeman’s facility with ancient and medieval languages, his extensive personal travels, and years of teaching experience (including as an endowed chair of the humanities), make him the perfect author to bring Marco Polo and his journeys to life.