Marco Polo's Book

ISBN-13: 9780860783619 / Angielski / Twarda / 1993 / 240 str.

Opis

Marco Polo and his book may seem to have been well served by scholars, yet the majority have been concerned to write about his travels in Asia, what he did or did not see, and how useful he is as a source on the East. John Critchleya s subject, on the other hand, is the text of Poloa s book itself and the political and ideological context a the crusades, the Mongol missions, the French presence in Italy a in which it was put together by its author(s), and read by its audience. The homogeneity of the a originala Franco-Italian text and the accepted relationship between this text and the Latin recensions is tested by computer analysis. An examination of vocabulary and other textual features draws out the different attitudes and contributions of Polo himself and his various editors and translators. Critchleya s book will be of interest not only to those concerned with the history of later medieval Europe but also to specialists in medieval Asia, who will find it useful to know about the background and composition of so famous and frequently cited a work. On pourrait penser que Marco Polo et son livre ont ete amplement debattus par les specialistes en la matiere, cependant la majorite a surtout ecrit A propos de ses voyages en Asie, ce qua il avait ou na avait pas vu et sur son utilite en tant que source de references sur la Orient. Le sujet traite par John Critchley par contre, est le texte mA me du livre de Polo, ainsi que le contexte politique et ideologique a les croisades, les missions mongoles, la presence franA aise en Italie a dans lequel il a ete compose par son ou ses auteurs et dans lequel ses lecteurs ont pu le lire. La homogeneA-te du texte franco-italien da origine et le rapport accepte entre celui-ci et les revisions latines ont ete analyses par ordinateur. Un examen du vocabulaire et da autres caracteristiques litteraires fait transparaA(r)tre les differences da attitudes et de contributions entre Polo lui-mA me et ses divers editeurs et traducteurs. Les travaux de John Critchley interessera non seulement les personnes portees sur la histoire de la Europe medievale, mais aussi les specialistes de la Asie durant la mA me periode, qui trouveront ici nombre da informations utiles quant au contexte et A la composition da un ouvrage celebre et si frequemment cite."

Recenzje

'This is an essential Vade Mecum for anyone seeking either to understand the construction and evolution of Polo’s work or to use it as a source.' Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 'Thorough and fascinating' The English Historical Review 'One cannot withhold admiration for the author who could write a book as fascinating as Marco Polo’s Book .' The English Historical Review

Spis treści

Contents: Introduction; The F text and its Author; The Author in His Time; The Book’s Attitudes; The Book’s Audience; Epilogue; Bibliography; Index.

O autorze

John Critchley