Marco Polo led one of the most fascinating lives of any of the great men of history. In fact, his adventures would have seemed fabulous to a hero of the Arabian Nights.
Born in Venice in 1254, Marco was the son of a much-traveled trader whom he did not see until he was fifteen. At that time his father returned from Cathay and two years later left again for the East, taking young Marco and his brother along with him. In those days even a trip for a short distance was long and arduous and this one—lasting for nearly four years—took them across the Adriatic Sea and then across the mountains and deserts of Asia, where their caravan was beset by all sorts of dangers. In the mountains of Persia they were attacked by a murderous band of robbers and Marco valiantly saved his uncle’s life by throwing a sword at one of the band.
Finally after more than three years, they reached Shangtu, the summer palace of Kublai Khan. For the next twenty years the Polos remained with the Khan who took a great liking to Marco and entrusted him with many jobs that took him traveling all over the East.
Every boy and girl will be enthralled from beginning to end with Olive Price’s vivid story of the life and adventures of this great romantic traveler who returned from the East with fantastic tales of all he had seen that no one believed until later travelers vindicated him.
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