Sir John Mandeville was an English knight who wrote about his "travels" to the Holy Land, the Great Khan's Court, and other exotic places between 1322-1356. Other than his name, not much is known about John Mandeville to the extent that historians are unsure he traveled at all (one particularly glib person writes that he farthest John traveled was to the nearest library!). With the uncertainty regarding the veracity of such a basic fact the question arises - is John Mandeville's "travel" narrative still important? The answer is a resounding YES. Firstly, his work was more popular than Marco Polo's "Travels" (300 manuscripts of John's work survive in comparison to 70 of Marco's). Leonardo de Vinci had only one travel account in his massive library, Mandeville's. Columbus and Frobisher had Mandeville's text in their possession. Secondly, Mandeville's work was profoundly influential and authoritative in its time (really until the re-discovery of the new world etc). So why is the historical veracity of his travels questioned despite the fact that multiple travel narratives to China exist? (A while back I reviewed a volume of these concerning the Mongol Khan's court under the Title "Mission to Asia" for those interested). Most of the "proof" concerns his occasional blatant inaccuracies and fanciful tales of monsters. The author of the introduction points out that none of Mandeville's historical / geographical / biological inaccuracies prove that he did not travel but "equally it is not possible to dismiss his claim entirely" (13). Likewise, perhaps most importantly, "if this man did not travel at all, our opinion of his literary ability must be higher" (13).

Deespite its exact place as a travel narrative or piece of imaginative (and brilliant) literature this work was a cornerstone and authoritative piece on geography. Long sections of the text describe places in relation to other places - the many routes out to and from Jerusalem - different ways to the Khan's court - descriptions (often hilariously fanciful) of the kingdoms outside his lands. Mandeville "was a serious writer; his book was as accurate and up to date an account of the knowledge of world as he knew hot to make it" (14). Even more interesting to the reader is Mandeville's descriptions of the people he "meet" and their religions. He is remarkable correct and impartial in his descriptions of the main tenants of Islam, Jacobite Christians, and Jews and how they differ from the tenants Catholicism. Later editions of his work added the normal Medieval prejudices and condemnations against non-Roman Christians and drastically changed Mandeville's narrative voice. Mandeville also argues through out that hypocrisy and corruption run rampant the Christian faith (he suggests that this might be one of the reasons Christians were unable to hold Jerusalem during the Crusades). Mandeville is by far one of the most tolerant Medieval minds!

The introduction to this volume is masterful. C. W. R. D. Moseley describes the surviving manuscripts, Mandeville's sources, the questions I addressed above, the sources literary qualities, and its popularity in the Medieval and post-Medieval world. Even if historians later prove that the author never traveled or no further facts emerge supporting either position, Sir John Mandeville's Travels is a vital source for understanding the Medieval perception of the world. This is a fascinating and FUN read and definitely worth while (but read the Introduction first to place it in the correct context). Highly recommended!

An important text regarding a 14th century european traveling east for holy pilgrimage. In the tradition of Marco Polo but often devolving into fantastic and imaginative descriptions of places, animals and people that are less than accurate. Interesting to sample the 14th century european unterstanding of the world. Note this Dover Publication version is abridged.

This is a fourteenth-century travel book telling us of the English "Sir" John Mandevilleýs real or imagined adventures in the East. The first part deals with the land of Egypt and the second with "the lands beyond" -. But did he actually ever leave England?? Did this Knighted author actually exist? Was he French? Weýll never know, but this volume is a thorough compendium of medieval mythic lore, which he artfully blends in collage-form (very much in the fashion of the allegedly "post-modern" writing), which would be a great success throughout Europe for centuries to come. One of these pleased readers would be Christopher Columbus, who here fed his imagination on the passion for distant travels!

Together with this book I recommend the popular VOYAGE OF ST BRENDAN by Benedeiz, an earlier, twelfth-century text about the adventures of an Irish monk who never got tired of looking for fantastic islands on his tiny boat. The anarchy and imagination of the Middle-Ages always seems more fantastic when we read the original medieval authors directly.

This is a medieval best-seller for all.