Marco Polo's famous book about his journey to China, written in 1298, continues to be a subject of considerable controversy. One recent book on the subject argues that Marco Polo never went to China at all, and other scholars have pointed out apparent mistakes and important omissions in Marco's writings, including his failure to mention the Great Wall, and his apparently erroneous description of the course of the Yellow River. This book re-examines Marco Polo's book. It argues convincingly that he did indeed go to China, and that the apparent errors and omissions are all explicable - for...

Stephen Haw sets out the history of the city of Beijing, charting the course of its development from its early roots before 2000 BC to its contemporary position as capital of the People's Republic of China.

Stephen Haw, a well-established author on China, outlines the establishment of the earliest cities in the years before 1000 BC, its status as regional capital during most of the long Zhou dynasty, and its emergence as capital of the whole of China after the conquest of the Mongol invaders under Chenghiz Khan and his successors. He considers the city's assumption of its modern...