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kittiwakeIn 1322, Sir John Mandeville left England on pilgrimage and didn't return for thirty-four years. On his return he wrote a book about his travels, claiming to have travelled as far as China and claiming it was possible to sail around the world. In the Middle ages, he was the most famous writer in Europe and his "Travels" inspired later explorers, but later his reputation suffered as it was suspected that he never left England at all, and he was forgotten.
This book is the story of Giles Milton's travels to Constantinople, Cyprus, Syria, Jerusalem and the Saint Catherine's monastery Sinai desert, as he investigates how much if any of the journey Sir John Mandeville actually made, and tries to solve the riddle of why the book was written at all.
The final revelation isn't all that exciting but the journey is interesting, especially when he visits ancient Christian monasteries that have survived against the odds in Muslim lands.
This book is the story of Giles Milton's travels to Constantinople, Cyprus, Syria, Jerusalem and the Saint Catherine's monastery Sinai desert, as he investigates how much if any of the journey Sir John Mandeville actually made, and tries to solve the riddle of why the book was written at all.
The final revelation isn't all that exciting but the journey is interesting, especially when he visits ancient Christian monasteries that have survived against the odds in Muslim lands.
