Rating: 
Summary: A Tower of Hypothesis After South Africa
Review: I read the book cover to cover including the Appendix.
Very disappointed indeed after so much expectation built up.As a Chinese sailor myself and educated at both side of
worlds. I must say, right after the turning point of
The Cape of Good Hope. Mr. Menzies made these Chinese
mariners into a bunch of supermen. Of course I wish my
ancestors did achieve something major in the past, but
I care about the truth more. That's what history is all
about. Nevertheless, reinforced by all the charts that Mr. Menzies'
shows in the book, there is little doubt that people
before Columbus, Magellan, Cook... had been there and done
that. I'd guess it's an accumulated efforts for a long period
of time by many many different people. Chinese, Indians,
Arabs, Europeans... maybe all of them did. Well, if we could fish out an ancient junk in America water,
that would shut me up good. Until then, Magellan finished
the job and proved the world is round.
Rating:
Summary: A NEW SELF PROMOTING PSEUDO-HISTORIAN
Review: I encourage anyone interested in the history of world exploration to read 1421 because it contains a nice collection of the information known about the Chinese explorations as well as some very interesting speculation about why the european explorations of the late 15th and early 16th centuries were so successful. The book does a good job of identifying numerous objects, sites, and areas of research whose study could provide answers to the many open questions about the Chinese explorations. The most interesting part of the book, to me, is the speculation on how the Columbus brothers conspired to distort the secret Portuguese maps to convince the Spanish court that the western route to the Orient was shorter than the eastern route being explored by the Portuguese. However, Menzies claims about his discoveries and insights are extremely overblown. He seems to suffer from the same myopia that he accuses europeans of - the facts (rather than America) were not known until he discovered them, no matter how many people were there before him. I tired of hearing about what he discovered, and the only possible conclusion on page after page. Menzies correctly categorizes himself on page 406 when he references those who preceded him in drawing conclusions about he Piri Reis map. Hapgood proved the map was the product of an ancient and unknown civilization and von Daniken proved it had extra-terrestrial origins. There are enough facts, including the Piri Reis map, that Menzies' rampant speculations and claims really aren't necessary. I would prefer to let the professinal historians decide what is proven. 1421 includes information that will be new to most readers, but most of the significant facts have been in circulation for some time. His statements to the contrary are as accurate as the 1421 web page statement that "...historical purists have constantly stood their ground in the belief that Columbus was the first to discover America". Putting aside the aboriginal discoverers, most school children know about the Vikings, and many of us know about some of the others. The several pre-columbian discoveries of the western hemisphere and other parts of the world are interesting curiosities. What sets off Columbus's discoveries from the rest, is that his discovery had important and immediate consequences.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book
Review: This is a very interesting book that reads easily. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent read which stimulates much thought!!!
Review: Menzies is without a doubt an excellent storyteller, however his claims lack the substance of a true academic work (He is afterall an amateur historian). Yet, the overwhelming evidence he provides leaves much to consider. Unfortunately, much history most Americans learn is in actuality historiography (History retold with cultural, political, and social leanings). Menzies is only one of many contemporary historians, attempting to uncover the "truth" and purify the historical field of its Eurocentric leanings. If the reader can advance beyond their leanred notions of Western supremacy, this book will leave you with much to reconsider, for it dares to challenge the "status quo" that leads us to believe that the West was responsible for most human achievement. Non-Western peoples did not merely wait for the Europeans to come along and "civilize or modernize" them. They were capable of great feats. This book is an excellent read, whether for academic work or pleasure. Whether or not Menzies convinces you, the book is quite stimulating and extremely interesting.
Rating: 
Summary: Not serious history; just buy it for the cover title
Review: When you see a claim that the Chinese landed on the US west coast, you can, with a bit of 'suspension of belief', read the argument. When the author claims the Chinese landed in Cuba, that's when it's time to return the book. Actually, what may have happened is that the author, who apparently is not a historian, mistook Chinese immigrant artifacts, which are found in San Francisco, CA and in Havana, Cuba, as evidence of pre-Columbus landings by the Chinese. Or he is playing with the audience. Not worth the money; and frankly an insult to the Chinese.
Rating:
Summary: open your mind!
Review: The book is very interesting, and yes, if it were true, would mean that American schools are all wrong when they teach that Columbus was the first to discover America. I expect that skepticism from Americans...what do American schools even teach of Asian countries? How much of Chinese history does the average American know? I'm guessing...NONE. In my personal experience in the US school system, the only times that we touched on Asian history was a brief period on Japan in 8th grade World History, and whenever Western history involved the East in European and US History in high school (which wasn't even very much and not at all in depth). That's an extremely limited base for Americans to accurately judge whether or not the Chinese were capable of such a task as circumnavigating the globe. Being Chinese myself, I have access to resources that an average American doesn't have - my parents and grandparents. They grew up learning Chinese history, so when they heard of Menzies' theory, they weren't very surprised at all. China was a great power at the time, and they knew it. The treasure ships mentioned in the book? Zheng He, the emperor's trusted eunuch and admiral of his fleets? They already knew the names because they had learned of them before, so they knew that what Menzies proposes is very possible. The only thing a person without knowledge of Chinese history would recognize, is probably the reference to the Ming dynasty because of its porcelain vases. With that in mind, the host of evidence put forth in the book can be very convincing - such as wrecks of Chinese junks in places far from their Chinese homes, stone markers left by a foreigners in western Africa and other places around the globe. The book itself is very narrative and easy to get through. Menzies does not just give you his evidence, he shows you how he made the connections and teaches you a bit of Chinese history at the same time. The search for evidence is still continuing and new discoveries are presented [online.] While reading this book, please keep your mind open and if you're the typical American, recognize that you probably know very little about Chinese culture, history, and accomplishments so even if you remain skeptical about the theories, take this as a chance to learn about the history and culture of the Chinese. -matikin
Rating:
Summary: Alternative history at it's Best
Review: Gavin Menzies definitely succeeds in making a dent in the armor of the traditional historian. Whether he ends up having all the details right is beside the point. He has taken the material and suggested another explanation for some of the facts, that just may be more right than even he thinks. Our European heritage just can't let us imagine that someone else might have been smarter than we. This book is highly readable in most parts, gets a little detailed on some navigational issues that the lay person might not understand, but he still ends up carrying his thesis through; that there was circumnavigation of the globe prior to when we thought. Historians still don't take the Romans and the Carthaginians seriously about their trips to the North American continent either. What Menzies really does is strike a blow in the middle of the scholarly camp of evolutionists, who insist we couldn't have been that smart this early in our cave-like existance. You should read this book just to keep the debate for alternative history moving. Hooray for Gavin Menzies, Barry Fell, and every other person moved to rethink our historical roots.
Rating:
Summary: New light on old civilisation.
Review: For many years there have been theories proposing that China discovered the world before Columbus, Magellan, Tasman et al. Now, following Louise Levathes' ground-breaking work 'When China Ruled the Seas', Mr.Menzies has drawn on her researches, supplementing them with his own material and, using his specialist nautical and navigational skills, has expanded our knowledge of Chinese exploration immensely. 15 years of devoted research has produced a hefty book, which is nevertheless very readable, split into manageable chapters and sprinkled with illustrations, with some fine colour plates. The political intrigue and the maneouvring that went on within the complex Chinese court reads like a novel at times. Then it becomes a detective story; piecing together the evidence of ancient maps and standing stones, a realistic and very plausible theory of the track of the 1421 voyage emerges. However, as others have noted, he does convert some tenuous relationships into apparent fact, but admittedly without the tunnel-vision of von Daniken. Much of his findings are surmise, backed by a healthy dose of extrapolation and hunch, but the circumstantial evidence is very convincing. This is Mr.Menzies forte, as we see apparently useless maps converted into the real thing by appropriate adjustments for currents; then we smack our foreheads and, with 20/20 hindsight, say 'Of course, how silly not to have seen that before!'. As we have virtually no records from China - the Ming ruler having expunged most of the records of ship construction, voyages made, lands discovered and tributes collected - it is very difficult to establish the facts in the voyages of Zheng He. But some evidence is hard to refute; for example, Chinese porcelain found in South Africa and Australia, wrecks of junks (which could only come from that dynasty) discovered in far-away places... ... BR>A very satisfying read. *****
Rating:
Summary: Menzies insights are a blessing!
Review: In an age when "Academics" with overwhelming motivation to hide the truth are seeking to make top dollar, historical accuracy can often be compromised for the sake of an acceptable story. "Acceptable History", as some call it, surely makes for a comfortable read if the reader is willing to accept conventional wisdom as fact; yet these stories often offer up a few pieces short of the whole puzzle.
There is irrefutable proof that the Imperial Treasure fleet was real, that it traveled around the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and that it was disassembled around the year 1421. These facts, in combination with what is proof of a Chinese presence in the Americans, lead to several fascinating revelations. This is not revisionist history, as those vested in the status quo would have us believe. Menzies successfully discredits the claim that Columbus's "discovery" was original. Menzies's book does everything but follow along with current trends of thinking. BRAVO! To be sure, Eastern, rather than Western, discovery of the "new world" would have little effect on most things Americans have learned in high school about American history. Questioning, exciting, revealing, challenging!
Menzies tells a great historically accurate story! He was able to convince me of the soundness of his argument!
Rating: 
Summary: Fiction.
Review: To answer the query of the review which asks, is this book reliable? No.
This is not a work of history. It is fiction.
As a professor of Chinese history, I cringe now thinking about the time that I will have to take during class, time that could be used teaching about Chinese history and civilization, to disabuse students who have heard about this caper.
My opinion: Mr. Menzies is sincere. He seems perfectly intelligent and decent. However, there is no evidence that Chinese were in North America during the early 15th century. The conclusions reached in this book are the product of the imagination. This is not my 'opinion.' The 'evidence' presented is bizarrely not credible. Fantasy. But the publishers knew what they were doing when they signed the deal, the book is selling. The more interesting story, which some scholars are telling, is this: that the technology which explorers such as Christopher Columbus used to reach the 'new world' was borrowed from China. A few examples of Chinese technology that found its way into Portuguese ships: 1. fixed rudder; 2. multiple masts; 3. compass; 4. cannon; 5. gunpowder; 6. airtight bulkheads. Perhaps the most significant part of this project is this: Mr. Menzies stated that he was surprised to meet two professors in China who were making the same argument. This idea, that China 'discovered America', reflects a new nationalism in China. This idea is not popular among professors in China, but I will not be surprised if we discover a few months from now that this project enjoyed support from political circles within China. On the other hand, as someone who cares deeply about China's history and about US-China understanding, perhaps this book will stimulate an interest among people to learn more about China. So, maybe all this will have a happy ending.
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