Who made the most geographical discoveries? Nomads? Conquerors? No – merchants! Driven by a thirst for profit, they overcame countless obstacles and dangers and paved new routes to distant lands. Not everyone managed to get rich during their travels, some settled forever in foreign countries, many died, not every one of those who returned was able to tell about wonderful overseas lands, most of these stories were not written down or were lost forever... But some!..Venetian merchant Marco Polo (1254-1324) turned out to be the chosen one of fate. He not only lived a very long life - after all, by the standards of the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, 70 years is a long-liver - but his life was incredibly bright and exciting. In those days, the average European lived on average no more than 30-35 years and in most cases not left the place where he was born. Marco Polo left his native Venice as a young man to return to it at the age of forty. By ship and in carts, on horses and camels, through the Middle East, Mesopotamia, Persia, Pamir and Kashgaria, he and his father and uncle reached Khanbalik (Beijing), became a confidant, something like an auditor, arbiter and ambassador for special assignments, at the court of the grandson of Genghis Khan, the conqueror of China and the founder of the Yuan dynasty, the Great Khan of the Mongols Kublai. For 17 years, carrying out numerous orders from his high patron, Marco Polo traveled all over East Asia - and finally, in 1295, almost a quarter of a century after sailing, he returned to his native Venice. He would go through more than one adventure, being captured by the Genoese (Genoa constantly competed and often fought with Venice), and so It was there, in captivity, that his fellow sufferer and author of chivalric novels, the Pisan Rustichello, would write down the stories of his cellmate, which would forever be included in the golden fund of documentary adventure literature. From this book, many Europeans first learned about the countries of the East, their natural resources and technical achievements: paper money, a printed board, a sago palm, a compass and a bill of exchange, as well as coal and the location of coveted spices. Written in a lively and clear language, “The Book” of Marco Polo became a reference book for many outstanding travelers of the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries. It was she who inspired Christopher Columbus to discover America. In the end, the search for ways to acquire spices bypassing the Arab trade monopoly led to the redivision of the world and the disappearance of many whites spots on the map, and the book about Marco Polo’s travels became one of the few publications that influenced the course of world history. The electronic publication includes all the texts of Marco Polo’s paper book and basic illustrative material. But for true connoisseurs of exclusive publications, we offer a gift classic book. The publication is richly illustrated and is intended for everyone who is interested in overseas exoticism, but at the same time demands authenticity: the stories of Marco Polo, for all their incredibleness, are not a fairy tale, but a reality. Although, of course, the book contains plenty of absolutely fantastic illustrations, they are also an integral part of the world history of geographical discoveries. This edition, like all books in the Great Journeys series, is printed on beautiful offset paper and elegantly designed. Editions of the series will decorate any, even the most sophisticated library, and will be a wonderful gift for both young readers and discerning bibliophiles.