Marco Polo: The Journey that Changed the World

Go behind the Netflix original series Marco Polo with the true story of the world’s most famous traveler.

In 1271, a young Venetian explorer named Marco Polo embarked on a groundbreaking expedition along the historic Silk Road, a legendary journey that would take him from Venice to the heart of the Mongol Empire in China. His extraordinary reports introduced medieval Europe to an exotic new world of emperors and concubines, incredible riches, and the wonders of Xanadu—the summer capital of the great Mongol emperor, Kublai Khan.

Almost 750 years later, acclaimed author John Man traveled in Marco Polo’s footsteps to Xanadu, on to Beijing, and through modern China in search of the truth behind the legend. In this enthralling work of historical biography and travelogue, Man draws on his own journey, new archaeological findings, and deep archival study to paint a vivid picture of the real Marco Polo and the great court of Kublai Khan during the Yuan dynasty.

Man’s journey to the heart of the Mongol Empire reveals a story more complex and fascinating than the legend.

• The Real Xanadu: Journey with the author to the ruins of Kublai Khan’s legendary summer capital, where new archaeological findings reveal the truth behind the myth.
• Kublai Khan’s Court: Explore the inner workings of the Mongol emperor’s opulent court, a world of immense power, complex politics, and cultural collision.
• Separating Fact from Fiction: Drawing on deep archival study, Man meticulously untangles the truths, exaggerations, and outright fabrications in Polo’s famous account, The Travels.
• A Modern Retracing: Follow in Polo’s footsteps as the author undertakes his own contemporary expedition across Asia, offering a unique dual perspective on this historic journey.