So, picture this: it's March 8, 1421, and China is about to pull off something epic. They're sending out the most colossal fleet ever assembled, on a mission to sail to the ends of the earth and bring back tribute from those so-called "barbarians" out there. And not only that, but they want to unite the whole world in this Confucian harmony thing.
Fast forward to October 1423, the fleet comes back, but things have gone horribly wrong. The emperor is gone, leaving China in complete turmoil - politically and economically. The once-majestic ships are left to rot, and all records of their mind-boggling journeys are destroyed.
You might think, "So what?" Well, get this - during China's self-imposed isolation that followed, they managed to hide a pretty big secret. Turns out, Chinese ships had already made it to America a whopping seventy years before Columbus ever set foot there. And get this, they had even circumnavigated the entire globe a whole century before Magellan did the same. Insane, right?
But wait, there's even more. The Chinese actually colonized America before the Europeans ever even dreamed of it. And not only that, but they brought over the principal economic crops that have since fed and clothed the world.
I know, it sounds like I'm telling you a juicy conspiracy theory, but trust me, it's all backed up by some solid evidence. In fact, Gavin Menzies's book, "1421," lays it all out in front of us. And guess what? You can listen to the whole story, narrated by the incredible Simon Vance.
With an audiobook rating of 4.4 out of 5, and a length of 13 hours and 0 minutes, this historical investigation is about to blow your mind. Get ready to have your understanding of world exploration completely turned on its head, because this eye-opening work will have you questioning everything you thought you knew. Can you handle it?
