The Description of the World by Marco Polo (English) Paperback Book

Description: The Description of the World by Marco Polo, Sharon Kinoshita Composed in a prison cell in 1298 by Venetian merchant Marco Polo and Arthurian romance writer Rustichello of Pisa, The Description of the World FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description Composed in a prison cell in 1298 by Venetian merchant Marco Polo and Arthurian romance writer Rustichello of Pisa, The Description of the World relates Polos experiences in Asia and at the court of Qubilai, the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. In addition to a new translation based on the Franco-Italian "F" manuscript of Polos text, this edition includes genealogies of the Mongol rulers and nine maps of Polos journey, as well as thorough annotation and an extensive bibliography. Author Biography Sharon Kinoshita is Professor of Literature, University of California, Santa Cruz. Review "Marco Polos account provided both what was thought to be a reliable guide to East Asia—Columbus carried with him a heavily annotated copy of Marco Polos work during his own expedition to the Americas—and an intriguingly fantastical account that for centuries has continued to fuel the imagination of poets and artists. Kinoshitas superb, groundbreaking translation brilliantly renders into modern English this crucial text of the Middle Ages. Indispensable in the undergraduate and graduate classroom, The Description of the World will also appeal to a wide range of readers curious about the medieval encounter of East and West." —Suzanne Conklin Akbari, University of Toronto"This excellent and lucid translation is comprehensible to 21st-century students, yet retains the medieval flair of the original text. Kinoshitas footnotes, which support a reading of the text without overwhelming the reader, properly address and consider the latest scholarship. This will undoubtedly become the standard translation of Marco Polo for classroom use." —Timothy May, University of North Georgia"Ever since Marco Polo and Rustichellos creation first piqued the interests of the reading public, it has been shaped and reshaped, reformed and deformed to meet the desires of the medieval and modern readers. With this new translation, Kinoshita gives English-speakers for the first time something like the original Description of the World that electrified medieval Europe. Racy and readable, this translation is the only one that actually aims to recreate the type of language that Polo and Rustichello used to reach their public." —Christopher Atwood, Indiana University"An excellent book, both an accessible edition of Polos text and a scholarly one. The translation reads well, following the oddities of the Franco-Italian without compromising readability in English. Kinoshitas introduction is brief but highly informative and offers much to scholars as well as students in different disciplines; the notes are likewise informative and to the point. This is the Polo that students and scholars alike will want to read if they are not going to read the original(s)." —Iain Macleod Higgins, University of Victoria"An excellent new translation of the earliest known version of the text. . . . Kinoshita synthesizes a vast body of scholarship in her admirably concise but rich introduction, her notes, and her critical apparatus. . . . Kinoshita has also used to good effect medieval Asian sources that were not so comprehensively available to most earlier scholars; her notes at every stage offer supplementary information about the places, peoples, and customs the Devisement describes, contextualizing much of the information more helpfully and succinctly than other translations into English. Six genealogical tables and nine maps also direct the readers attention firmly towards Asia. . . . Kinoshita embraces the stylistic quirkiness and rough edges of her source. Furthermore, whereas previous translators (including the recent Penguin Classics translation) conflate different versions of the text and, like many medieval transmitters, manicure stylistic imperfections and inconsistencies, Kinoshitas translation gives English readers better access, if not to the authentic version of the text, certainly to a particularly challenging and interesting medieval iteration of it. This gives us a much better sense of contact with the different narrative voices of the first Devisement (which was supposedly co-written by Marco Polo with a fellow Italian, Rustichello da Pisa). . . . Kinoshitas translation . . . amply deserves to become the standard text for teaching in the anglophone world." —Simon Gaunt, Kings College London, in Speculum"This excellent edition and translation will be a standard course text. It is simply superb." —Theresa Earenfight, Seattle University"There is much to appreciate in this volume. Kinoshita, a specialist in medieval French literature, is also a leading scholar in the burgeoning field of global medieval studies, and her knowledge of the many fields that illuminate Polos text is on display throughout. Her translation is true to a single edition of a single authoritative source, not the product of fanciful--and questionable--compilation. She thereby gives us a particular Marco Polo text, not the "definitive" text other translators have concocted, and in so doing is true to the works history. Polos text is not a major work of literary art, and the translation challenges it poses relate more to idiom and accuracy than to the aesthetics of tone or imagery. Perhaps the biggest challenge, as Kinoshita recognizes, is deciding how to handle the texts medieval features: its repetition, parataxis, euphemism, etc. Here again, one can only respect Kinoshitas decision to retain many of these features, which are constant reminders of this texts complicated genesis and of the ways it shows its author(s) devising how to represent the new and the strange. As advertised, the introduction and annotations are written for non-specialists and deliver facts and arguments concisely and clearly. The footnote annotations are particularly helpful: short yet informative, inserted when needed, and based on current research, they render the text accessible and provide useful context. The bibliography is current, thorough, varied, and will be of use to anyone interested in learning more about Polo and his era. In addition to the introduction, annotated translation, and bibliography, the book also includes genealogies of Mongol rulers, a map of Eurasia, seven maps of regions discussed by Polo, maps of medieval Beijing and Xian, and an index. This volume is an excellent resource for the curious reader, for high school and university courses, and for specialists alike." —Mark Cruse, in The Medieval Review Long Description Composed in a prison cell in 1298 by Venetian merchant Marco Polo and Arthurian romance writer Rustichello of Pisa, The Description of the World relates Polos experiences in Asia and at the court of Qubilai, the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. In addition to a new translation based on the Franco-Italian "F" manuscript of Polos text, this edition includes genealogies of the Mongol rulers and nine maps of Polos journey, as well as thorough annotation and an extensive bibliography. Review Quote "This excellent edition and translation will be a standard course text. It is simply superb." --Theresa Earenfight, Seattle University Details ISBN1624664369 Pages 296 Publisher Hackett Publishing Co, Inc Year 2016 ISBN-10 1624664369 ISBN-13 9781624664366 Format Paperback Imprint Hackett Publishing Co, Inc Place of Publication Cambridge, MA Country of Publication United States DEWEY 915.0422 Author Sharon Kinoshita Language English Illustrations 14 NZ Release Date 2016-03-01 US Release Date 2016-03-01 Publication Date 2016-03-01 UK Release Date 2016-03-01 Audience General AU Release Date 2016-04-30 Alternative 9781624664373 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:135708973;

Price: 43.53 AUD

Location: Melbourne

End Time: 2024-11-29T02:56:11.000Z

Shipping Cost: 3.19 AUD