Product Description
This introduction to Marco Polo examines the man, his background, the countries he visited, and the writings he penned more than 700 years ago. Painting a vivid picture of the world of trade in the 13th century, this book follows Marco Polo in his travels through Turkey (Constantinople), Armenia, Turkestan (Samarkand), the Gobi Desert, China, the Yangtze River, India, Burma, and Venice. It details Marco Polo's amazement with the East's agriculture, industry, commercial organizations, technology, urbanization, and standards of living. ... Read more

Product Description
Marco Polo (1254-1329) has achieved an almost archetypal status as a traveller, and his Travels is one of the first great travel books of Western literature, outside the ancient world. The Travels recounts Polo's journey to the eastern court of Kublai Khan, the chieftain of the Mongol empire which covered the Asian continent, but which was almost unknown to Polo's contemporaries. Encompassing a twenty-four year period from 1721, Polo's account details his travels in the service of the empire, from Beijing to northern India and ends with the remarkable story of Polo's return voyage from the Chinese port of Amoy to the Persian Gulf. Alternately factual and fantastic, Polo's prose at once reveals the medieval imagination's limits, and captures the wonder of subsequent travel writers when faced with the unfamiliar, the exotic or the unknown. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

Kindle edition lacks navigation
The kindle edition lacks any navigation features. There's no table of contents, no links to notes, no index.It's a large book, and the kindle edition doesn't allow casual reading.

Kindle Edition
This book is not good on the Kindle.First it took about 10 minutes of hitting Next Page in order to get through all the introductions.Second this edition has 2 pages of footnotes for every page of the actual book. The text and notes are the same font so it is hard to distinguish between them.Maybe it is of interest to an academic but to a casual reader it is a bit annoying.It was only 99 cents so I guess it is worth the inconvenience.

The Travels of Marco Polo
The Travels of Marco Polo was an extremely educational novel. I chose to read this book because my AP World History class was to read a book and then write a review over it, and I needed all the help in reviewing the course as I could get before the AP exam. Reading this book helped to teach me how life along the silk road was by connecting with because I could relate to the actual feelings of the author. This book was written by Marco Polo himself, which allowed him to contribute the real thoughts of the traveler, instead of having a hitory book format where the content in emotionless and simply rambles details. With text books, the information goes in one ear and right out the other for me, however by reading this book I was actually able to comprehend the information provided.
The Travels of Marco Polo contained bits of info on things such as Africa and India and their culture, China in all its wealth, along with the Mongol empire. When reading this book, you may want to watch exactly what you believe because although it may be true, there are many facts Polo provides that may very well be untrue. This book is great for reading if you want to learn a lot without the dullness of text book like writing, however I don't think it's very good for a pleasure read unless you're really into history.

horrible edition
This is perhaps the worst edition of any book that I have ever encountered.It is a scan of an older edition, but the mis-scanned bits have not been touched up or corrected in any way.The headers and notes are indecipherable from the body of the text, there are incomplete sentences, and at one point the text bleeds off the page.The one benefit of this text is that it allows students to see what a truly bad edition looks like, making them realize, in real time, the importance of using a good edition of something.

I was hoping to get an inexpensive version of Polo's Travels for my great books class, and ended up with the Modern Library Classics version.

Negative five stars!

Made someone happy
The book arrived in good condition and in time to give on Christmas.The recipiant was very happy to receive it. ... Read more

Product Description
Tracing the evolution of Polo from its origins in Central Asia to its current manifestation as a professional sport that attracts wealthy sponsors and patrons, this sociological study examines how polo has changed according to the economic and cultural differences of the nations and continents where it is played. Consisting of four principle sections, The Tribesmen, The Aristocrats, The Amateurs, and The Professionals, this study looks holistically at the variety of ways that polo influences and is influenced by the peoples that participate in it. One hundred historic and modern photographs are included. ... Read more

Product Description
Following Marco Polo’s Silk Road is Brian and Jill Lawrenson’spersonal account of their adventure-filled journey as they pursue the historical legend and the mythic hero Marco Polo.Beginning in Italy, Marco Polo’s point of origin, they embark on a sometimes light-hearted, sometimes perilous journey along the celebrated Silk Road, named for the series of trade routes used to connect China to the Mediterranean world and North Africa during the 3rd Century and beyond.Along the way, Brian and Jill explore the modern peoples and cultures that have grown up in Marco Polo’s footsteps and uncover the truths vs. the myths of the actual voyages of this famed Italian explorer. Told as part travelogue and part narrative quest, Following Marco Polo’s Silk Road tells an intimate and thrilling tale of wanderlust, human diversity, and the love of pure adventure for adventure’s sake.This book will please travel fans and anyone who loves the romance of history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A Vacation From My Balcony
Vibrant and alive with wonder at the potpourri of magical places and interesting cultures which make up our beautiful world, Brian Lawrenson's account of his travels along Marco Polo's route is a breezy and fun way to vacation from your balcony. By train, camel, and tricycle we are along for the ride as he and his wife Jill find history and adventure from Istanbul to Kathmandu, Damascus to Samarkand, from China to Pakistan. Written in an intimate style, we experience everything along with them, making for a relaxed holiday devoid of the hassles and overflowing with the pleasures. Speculation about Marco Polo and his journey and the colorful history of each place visited and enjoyed are given the reader in an atmosphere as easy as the cafes where plans for the next day were often hatched.

Colorful groups and experienced guides often join in the journey, but mostly it is that sense of excitement at being there which captures the reader. We can see in our mind's eye the sultans and belly dancers when visiting the Pela Palas in Istanbul, and experience a romantic gondola ride along a Venetian canal while discovering the interesting history of the gondoliers. Whether it is the Valley of Tombs or a spot where Lawrence of Arabia once stood matters only slightly, as it is only one tiny adventure among many we get to share with the Lawrensons. In China we can hear the hoofbeats of riders as we gaze upon the Terra Cotta Warriors of ancient times, and in Syria we learn of Queen Zenobia, who once challenged and defied the Roman Empire. Young Syrian girls still wear copies of a coin she had minted with her image as a necklace.

It was fascinating to discover great beauty in places like Pakistan, which is not the first image which comes to the mind of a westerner. Ali and Azeem guided the Lawrensons safely across narrow paths barely roads at all, through a vibrant country still strangely full of British traditions. Exotic foods were sampled and enjoyed at eateries throughout the journey, and it feels as if we are there enjoying them as well. There is a sense of good fortune also; a bomb exploding in a marketplace the couple had just left. From Trieste and the Croation countryside to the making of tea in China it is all enjoyable and fascinating. Americans who enjoy Globe Trekker on PBS will find that same bright sense of enchantment in traveling to these exotic places with the Lawrensons as our guides.

Being American by birth and good fortune, and now living in lovely Australia after marrying there, I found myself wondering whether the shadow we know exists in our day in certain regions of the world would ever find their way in to this breezy travel adventure so full of wonder and history for these places along Polo's journey. A comment offered by a border guard and a quiet conversation Lawrenson had with another man brought me briefly back to earth from the heady journey I'd been on with he and his wife, Jill. Sympathy for anti-American leanings and the fanatical hate of a world criminal booted out of many countries already was palpable, but by no means representative of the majority. It only served to highlight the guilt by association for those who look the other way at evil as it freely and openly walks back and forth across their borders. No doubt those same two people, if they saw a man stab violently another outside their window, would never consider allowing him to move freely in and out of the comfort of their family home. Morality, decency, and a sense of right and wrong inherent in the vast majority of human beings would not allow for such.

It was a brief jolt, coming near the end of the author's journey, only serving to foster in the reader an appreciation for their own beauteous patch of freedom. Perhaps the finest comment I can make about this work is that it doesn't necessarily foster that feeling of regret we sometimes get from travel books. Due in large part to its intimate style and true wonderment which can be felt by the reader, we close this book with the impression of having been these places ourselves. As the couple approach Sydney, we too are grateful for our own spot to rest, yet left wondering how much more there is to experience in our third rock from the sun if we could only manage to do so. In the end, this is an enjoyable and uplifting account of travel I can honestly recommend to anyone who enjoys them.

Crossing paths with Marco
FOLLOWING MARCO POLO'S SILK ROAD by Brian Lawrenson is a fast-paced travel essay recounting several trips by the author and his wife Jill to the areas of the Middle and Far East described by the 13th century Venetian merchant, Marco Polo, who himself spent 24 years on the road before writing-up his travelogue, Il Milione di Marco Polo, with co-author Rustichello da Pisa.

Lawrenson's companionable account is discontinuous in both time and space. The first two-thirds records the 1986 passage the couple made going west to east from Venice to Lukla, Nepal via Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Iran, Pakistan, India and Tibet with a sidebar solo re-visit of Syria and Jordan by Brian in 2007.The last third begins with the pair arriving in Beijing in 2007, and from there traversing China's far western reaches, then south to Islamabad, Pakistan, with another sidebar, the couple's 2005 exploration of Uzbekistan.

The word "following" in the volume's title is perhaps benignly disingenuous. At best, what is presumed to have been Marco Polo's course is intersected by the Lawrensons' path at several points but not strictly followed. However, no matter. The author's descriptive powers serve the reader well and more than make up for any elastic subjectivity regarding the route.

Brian occasionally refers to the keeping of a daily diary, which apparently served as the basis for the narrative reconstruction; the book has that pace, i.e. a testimony of sequential arrivals and departures with local sights briefly touched upon in between. FOLLOWING MARCO POLO'S SILK ROAD is perhaps at its best when the author takes the time to slow down and smell the flowers, so to speak, such as when sharing the wonders of the Terracotta Warriors at Xian, or the difficulties flying out of the Lukla airport, or the camel ride out of Wadi Rum. Sporadically, I was slightly irritated that Lawrenson didn't display more of a journalistic approach to his experiences, such as when he writes (in Kashgar):

"We had a lazy day on Saturday and took a taxi over to John's Café for a late lunch. This chain of four cafes is found along the Silk Road. The restaurant was quiet and this gave us the opportunity to meet and talk to the founder, Mr. John. His first café was opened in 1986 and they offer not only food but a range of tourist services including cycle hire. Mr. John is quite a legend with the backpacker community."

Now, I'm fairly certain there's an interesting back story about Mr. John and his café chain if someone would take the time to tell it.

The Lawrensons are apparently avid travel photographers, as frequent mention is made in the text of taking snaps. Indeed, the five color photographs on the back of the book's cover are visually arresting. Most unfortunately, the volume contains no others. In fairness, the author does state that all film exposed during their 1986 trek was lost enroute. But, how about 2005 and 2007 in the digital age? However, it would be unfair to deduct too much when the norm of most travel memoirs is to preclude any photo section whatsoever. I suspect is has something to do with publishing costs.

FOLLOWING MARCO POLO'S SILK ROAD does include twelve adequately useful but very small-scale maps.

One conclusion I reached with certainty is that Brian is a very lucky man to have his wife Jill as his traveling companion. Some couples start squabbling on a 3-day weekend out of town, but the Lawrensons have managed to congenially travel the globe for decades, apparently. The two could probably write an entire book on the subject of getting along while under stress in faraway places. (One of the pair is probably a saint to put up with the other's foibles.) I wish Jill had been given more exposure in the narrative here.

For me, the ultimately successful travel essay causes me to want to sell all my possessions in order to wander to someplace I've never been, or, conversely, to make me determined to avoid a place at all costs. I can't truthfully say that FOLLOWING MARCO POLO'S SILK ROAD inspired me to either. Rather, the author's experiences acquired over so long a distance and shared in so relatively short a book left me thankful that I was able to grasp a corner of Brian's swiftly flying carpet and take at face value what he offered, which was, more oft than not, very good armchair entertainment.

World Citizen Reporting
Lawrenson has employed a keen eye and his obvious love for the world's peoples to tell a true story from a lifetime of travels. The author does a fine job of synthesizing and organizing a great deal of information without sensationalizing, and he is not at all condescending. For a self-published labor of love it is very clean and highly readable.

I am ambivalent about the quality of the read itself, perhaps just for stylistic reasons. To me the book has an undesirable "slideshow effect". It is as though he showed one of his thousands of photographs at a time and then gave a few sentences of description and context to each before moving on to the next image. I hoped for broader images and more depth.

For example, on page 373, "He was also an expert in both throat singing and in calligraphy. He called a neighbor over to join him in a rendition of the former art and we all agreed afterwards that it was indeed a remarkable performance." No further description and no indication of the exact quality of the singing that impressed him is given.

Another example follows a few pages later while he is describing an art museum in Uzbekistan, "The collection was absolutely stunning. It was the best collection of art that I have ever seen- and I've seen the art in many of the collections in the world. This view was shared by a number of our group." No specific pieces of art are described, but how the museum came into being is. I hoped to be transported into the gallery and to stare with him at a specific work or two and to learn exactly the way this experience moved him but he was moving on to the next slide already.

I look for more impression and more intimacy in a book so that the imagination might have room to expand. The author's gift, however is other. If one disagrees with my reasons, I think this could be a thoroughly enjoyable read for what the author is quite good at: a whirlwind of factual bits succinctly and humanely organized for discovery's sake.

Christopher Columbus meets The Da Vinci Code
Think Christopher Columbus meets the Da Vinci Code.Mr. Lawrenson's travels will have you raising eyebrows, shaking your head and wanting to call him up and give him a huge hug all at the same time!This life-traveler brings you stories so real, that you will feel as if you are trekking across the Silk Road yourself. A can't put down read, this award-winning philanthropist will have you both crying and laughing out loud.You'd never guess that this adventurous historian spent the bulk of his life in sales, marketing and computer tech.Step aside, Rick Steves - there's a new game in town and his name is Brian Lawrenson!5 stars!

Well Worth Your While
This is a travel book of the "Rick Steves" genre. It tells of the author's nostalgic travels about Asia.
To start with my description I will notice a "negative" virtue but one too seldom found. It is not an ax-grinder. It has little complaining or advocating and almost no contrived historical allegory. The past is loved in all the grandeur and romance that adheres to distant time the way beauty adheres to a mountain far away. And it is loved for itself, not for it's "lessons". Related to this is the book's cheerfulness, amiablity and love of life. Love of sights, of food, and of people.
The author describes as much his travels in his mind as his physical travels and as always the human mind can go farther. He gives anecdotes and folktales of all sorts from the places he visits. Not just Marco Polo tales by the way, but a splendid variety from all about the places he travels. The "mind travels" are really the most interesting parts. Naturally, not many today can travel to the end of the world and return with riches the way Marco did; somehow airplanes take the romance out of the idea(probably Marco, practical Venetian that he was, would have preferred to go by plane but that is another story). But one can always dream and one can always share another's dream.
Those that wish to travel far away can follow Brian Lawrenson's travels both physically and imaginatively and find it worth the trip.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Marco Polo voyager to the orient
Marco Polo was born in Korcula in 1254-1324. He went to Asia for 24 years. Then he traveled the whole China and returned to tell the tale, which became the greatest travelouge. The Polo brothers went to Surai, on the Volga river were they traded for years. Then they got stranded for three years in Bukhara. Then they were abrubtly rescued in Bukhara by the arival of a VIP emissary from Hulagu Khan in the west.

Marco Polo voyager to the orient
Marco Polo was born in Korcula in 1254-1324. He went to Asia for 24 years. Then he traveled the whole China and returned to tell the tale, which became the greatest travelouge. The Polo brothers went to Surai, on the Volga river were they traded for years. Then they got stranded for three years in Bukhara. Then they were abrubtly rescued in Bukhara by the arival of a VIP emissary from Hulagu Khan in the west. ... Read more

Product Description
Marco Polo (1254-1324) was an Italian merchant and explorer, who spent more than 20 years travelling around the world. This book describes some of his adventures, the people he met, the places he visited and the sights he saw. It also highlights what was happening elsewhere in Marco Polo's time in countries he did not visit. This book covers the years 1200-1350 so that the reader may see his life in context and understand how the world was before Marco Polo was born and what happened in the years soon after he died. To help the reader find their way through the book, each chapter has been divided into seven sections. Each section describes a different part of the world, and is headed by a colour bar. There is also a time line giving an outline of world events in Marco Polo's time and a map which shows some of the most important places mentioned in this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A beautiful book but... (a history teacher's review)
This is a beautifully produced book (and part of a series) with lots of nice pictures, easy to read text and all attractively arranged.

But...

I am not fond of the format. The book is organized by topic such as "Famous Rulers and Leaders", "Beliefs and Ideas" and "How People Lived". MacDonald splits the world into 7 zones and tells about how each of these topics were addressed in those 7 areas of the world during the time period (roughly). This is wonderful for looking up a quick fact but it makes for disjointed reading. It would be so much better to just tell the stories of those 7 zones in one whole continous reading, in my opinion.

Aimed at 4th - 9th graders. ... Read more

Product Description
Presents an overview of Marco Polo's life as well as his influence on history and the world. ... Read more

Product Description
Beautiful and bitchy Perdita Macleod takes on the male bastion of polo, angering some and enticing others as she strives to become the first female star of the sport. 75,000 first printing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Polo by Jilly Cooper
I bought this book because my copy has disappeared. My daughter expressed an interesr in learning about the sport of polo. She is 23 yrs old. I thought this would be an enjoyable way to pick up some of the rules and background of the sport

A "10 goal" story!
Enjoyable and thoroughly entertaining! Cooper's characters are colorful and fresh, and stay that way until the very end. I also applaud her ability to weave her story from a sport that very few know much about. For those that are new to the game, polo (the sport) is a true drama; not only of egoes and money, but more importantly of horse lovers(wealthy or not).It is a drama that Cooper manages to credibly capture; not only from the sidelines, but from those involved on the field as well(players, grooms and patrons).Jilly you most certainly did your homework! As warm weather comes, Polo is one of those books you may find yourself reading each summer again and again. Humor, romance, tradgedy, and action. There is something in it for everyone.

Polled Over!
Polo comes after Riders and Rivals.It maintains the same backdrop and high flying jet setting lifestyle.Cooper maintains the humour and raunchy goings on as her last novels.However, the main character of Polo is Perdita, with whom I gradually began to loathe.

However, Polo is good escapism, with some really good twists and turns in the plot.I have always felt that some of Cooper's dialogue was contrived, and this marred my enjoyment of one of the best scenes towards the end of the book.

It's an enjoyable read

Laugh all the way through
The third in the series of Jilly Cooper's wonderfully hilarious Campbell-Black books - although this is the one in which things really depart quite markedly from Rupert Campbell-Black's life and he becomes a bit player in everyone elses story.

Like all other books in the series the plot is set around one theme - in this case Polo. The main characters are Ricky France-Lynch, fabulous but moody English Polo-Playing star, and Perdita Macleod- the stroppy young English school-girl who longs for Ricky almost as much as she longs to play polo. Their stories and those of dozens of other hugely likeable and wildly flawed characters interweave in wonderfully satisfying and hilarious story. No one in is perfect in Jilly Cooper world - which makes for great reading.

You don't really have to have read the first two books in the series to know what is going on here. Most of the characters are new and this is a whole new plot so you really won't have missed out on much. The few characters that to turn up again are explained briefly anyway. However, if you haven't already read Riders or Rivals, the first two books in this series, then get thee to a library.

Still my favourite
Even better than Riders. Luke is the man we all dream of. ... Read more

Product Description

When Stewart Copeland gets dressed, he has an identity crisis. Should he put on "leather pants, hostile shirts and pointy shoes"? Or wear something more appropriate to the "tax-paying, property-owning, investment-holding lotus eater" his success has allowed him to become? This dilemma is at the heart of Copeland′s vastly entertaining memoir-in-stories-that-could-be-told-over-a-meal, STRANGE THINGS HAPPEN. The world knows Copeland as the drummer for The Police, one of the most successful bands in rock history. But they may not know as much about his childhood in the Middle East as the son of an agent for the CIA. Or his film-making adventures with the Pygmies in the deepest Congo. Or his passion for polo ("Brideshead Revisited on horses"). STRANGE THINGS HAPPEN moves from Copeland′s remarkable childhood through the formation of The Police and their rise to stardom, to the aristocratic life that followed, and finally behind the scenes of The Police′s extraordinarily successful reunion tour. It′s a book of amazing anecdotes, all completely true, that take us backstage of a life fully lived. (And yes, there are chapters about Sting, too.)

Customer Reviews (19)

Very disappointed with this book.
First let me say I was/am a fan of The Police (bought every album). Secondly, I am a hobbiest level drummer. Thirdly, I love to read.
My anticipation level before opening this book was sky high. C'mon, the DRUMMER of one of my favorite bands has written a book - this has to be cool.
YIKES - most of this was a total waste of times. Yes, Mr. Copeland I understand that you absolutely must take a hot shower right after every gig, but did you have to tell us about it over n over n over?
This book could not have been edited by anyone who was sober. There is no flow, I have read collective essays by mulitple authors that went together better.
I was disappointed on every front; as a Police fan, a drummer, or even looking for some human interest. The guy has 7 kids - he is very smart - he makes great music and drums in really creative manner - so why can't he connect with me at all in this book?
Even at 50% off I would recommend you buy something else.

Strange Things Happen , But Not Necessarily Here...
Stewart Copeland is a rare breed of animal indeed, as is the rest of his herd: his father was a covert operative of the CIA stationed out of Lebanon during the 50's and 60's, propping up US -'friendly' dictators and securing oil deals to keep our gluttonous fuel-guzzling philandering pacified for decades; his eldest brother Miles was an impresario mover and shaker, who managed bands, cut deals, kept artistic egos of some of the largest proportions in check, fabricated stories, cajoled and threatened folks to get his bands booked and kept in front of the press, started record labels (I.R.S.) and was an executive producer of films. He was manager of the Police throughout their lifespan, and afterwards managed Sting's career (instead of Stewart's) during the 80's and 90's until some 'irregular' bookkeeping caused him to resign (the outcome of which I'm unfamiliar with, so don't misconstrue this allegation, but it did end a three decade relationship). Another brother, Ian, was a high caliber talent agent and tour promoter who started Frontier Booking Inc. (FBI), one of the nation's largest in its day, until he succumbed to melanoma in 2006. And these are just the males; his mother and sister have equally impressive credentials.So we have the CIA, FBI, IRS and The Police all snuggled together in one insanely ego-driven family. Not a coincidence, I assure you.

Stewart's life would indeed be colorful and memorable even if he wasn't the founder and rhythmic foundation of the most powerful and successful musical act of the post-punk New Wave movement; after all, every drummer on earth wanted to play like him, his style was so uniquely aggressive, compelling and off-the-chain that he stood alone in a room of the world's most notable percussionists. He even travelled to distant lands and the remote reaches of Africa in search of sacred rhythms as an ethnomusicologist, music-mathmatist and pseudo-superhero known as The Rhythmatist. Later, he became the first drummer to earn widespread acclaim as a movie, opera and TV soundtrack composer. He fused world beat ideas and incorporated them into bands like Orchestralli and Gizmo in the first half of the millennium, and toured as the lynchpin member of'The World's Greatest Percussionists' back in the mid-90's. And let's not omit his being the elder statesman in another power trio, Oysterhead, with Les Claypool (Primus, Frog Brigade, etc.) and Trey Anastasio (Phish). Yes sir, he's been a busy man. And then there was this time spent with Sting and Andy Summers...

Well, reading his autobiography, The Police were a mere footnote in his career, and not the most important part of his life, and the single thing Time will undoubtedly remember him for, deserved or not. Unfortunately, the turbulent and tumultuous time spent climbing the ladder and snatching the throne to become the 80's answer to the Beatles, bar none, as founder/member of the Police has been relegated to about ten pages of his autobiography... WTF?

The first 2/3'rds of the book are mildly interesting at best. And a good amount of it was lifted from his Italian website postings and not necessarily written for the sake of this book, but utilized as inclusion therein. He briefly touches on his stint with Curved Air (great band), as the mysterious alter-ego Klark Kent, the other alter-ego the Rhythmatist, another alter-ego as soundtrack composer (thankfully, he's aware of his own identity crisis), and some of the lesser known and should-have-been-left-that-way minor appearanceshe did when he wasn't riding horseback and taking showers (he loves showers - isn't this juicy tidbit the enrichment you were seeking when you purchased this book?)

Please don't get me wrong - I'm a huge fan of the drummer, composer, rock icon, egotist and founder of the Police, in spite of my sarcasms - but I'm pissed that the only important power trio of the 1980's who also provided the soundtrack to an entire generation didn't get much more page space when you're writing a tome regarding the summation of your life's work. And I think most will agree with me here. Thankfully, having followed, seen and read the journey, adventures and legends of the Police and our intrepid hero since 1979, I'm well acquainted with most all of it, else I'd be screaming bloody murder after this purchase...but I wanted some new insight from the man himself. And that's where this book's lacking.

We're 225 pages into the book before we're woken up with the reunion stories, and that's when the reading gets really rewarding - the carnivore in me is finally satiated (and I don't eat red meat). The 'disaster' gig, the behemoth that is the touring army, the resurfacing of old battles between Stewart and Sting regarding Stewart's timing onstage, Stew's big mouth and the press in South America, his bashing his band on his website (just a poor choice of words, he states) - these are the stories we came to read about, and they are rich, buoyant and well-told. The chapter concerning Sting's birthday in Italy, the tuba-gift, the on-stage battle and ensuing madness is a gem, if not outright hysterical. I had to read that one several times... And the narrative of the final legs of one of the most financially-successful tours winding down is another treat to read.

So, while I wasn't enthralled with this work and its contents for the reasons already stated, the final third of the book redeemed itself so I could walk away with a salvaged smile on my face and some fond memories from one of rock's most significant drummers, one of music's most important bands and some of its most-enduring, time-honored songs. 'Strange Things Happen', indeed.

Before and After Pictures
In STRANGE THINGS HAPPEN, Stewart Copeland summed up his original experience as drummer for one of the greatest bands of all time as follows:

"The Police took up only eight of my fifty-seven years, and those years went by fast. They were big years, and they left a mark, but the really important things happened outside of band life."

That, incidentally, is about as much time as he devotes in his book to the time in which he contributed to making some of the best music ever recorded. People expecting a tell-all book about his time with The Police during their original incarnation are therefore warned that this is not a memior about his time with that band, but the story of Copeland's life with "those eight big years" almost completely omitted.

It is, I have to say, an interesting life. A truncated list of the experiences recounted in this book include growing up in Lebanon as the son of a CIA agent, palling around with the son of notorious British traitor Kim Philby, learning how to play the drums, early life as an amp-hustling roadie, shooting a movie in the Congo, playing polo against the Prince of Wales (you know, Charles), playing gigs with Oysterhead, Phish, the Foo Fighters and Incubus, making soundtracks for films (like "The Outsiders") and television shows (like "The Equalizer"), making solo music with Klark Kent, touring with Curved Air, performing La Notte della Taranta (a dance festival) all over Italy, writing and conducting opera, and making EVERYONE STARES, an award-winning docimentary about his days in the Police, which he shot on 8mm during the lifetime of the band, and later edited into a documentary. In the average month, Mr. Copeland seems to experience more "strange things" than most people would in a 100-year lifetime.

A lot of the chapters are entertaining, and Copeland's writing style, while occasionally a bit "out there", is for the most part enjoyable. He has a restless, brilliant mind and virtually no pretension; his wit is skewering but self-depreciating, and he's been around long enough to understand that fame is a double-edged sword at best. His insights into the musical process, the mind-sets of musicians and music-makers, is absolutely fascinating, as are his observations on the technical aspects of recording and touring. He's been rocking for forty-odd years, and he knows the business like the back of his hand.

The biggest sin the book makes, aside from excluding 99% of his original Police experiences, is its structure, which leaps around timewise, and which mixes up extremely interesting stories with some which are kind of boring. His experimental writing style, often catchy and hip, is occasionally turgid and confusing. And he commits the very disheartening sin that in discussing other people's music, he is generally too politically correct: there are times I felt he must have wanted to ridicule certain singers or bands, but was holding back out of politeness.

Lest the Police fans feel cheated, the last fifth of the book (or so) is devoted to their reunion tour, which went from 2007 - 2008 and grossed almost three hundred million dollars. This is, by far, the most fascinating and rewarding part of the book, as Copeland discusses the dynamics of the band, the mechanics of touring, and the tensions which frequently exploded between himself, Sting and Andy Summers, who hadn't worked together in 20 years, and who hadn't parted on the best of terms. He also explains why The Police did not, and will not (though "never say never" comes to mind) record any new music for their tour.

I found this book in the bargain bin at B & N, and for the price of a latte I consider it to be a good buy. Not literary greatness by any means, but a mostly enjoyable look at what it means to be a rock star in your late 50s, to whom strange things just keep happening.

Little of Real Interest
So, we finally hear from the third member of The Police.Sting gave us Broken Music and Andy gave us One Train Later.Now, Stewart gives us Strange Things Happen.None of the three is really satisfying but, unfortunately, Stewart's is the worst of the three.

Granted, there's some good stuff here.Some of his childhood stories as the son of a spy are fun and, since The Police, Copeland has been quite successful scoring movies & TV.He has some really fascinating detail on how this is done.But I found a lot of his stories about polo and world music to be boring at best.

Most irritating was his constant passive/aggressive insults to Sting. (p. 68: "The lions back off with an expression on their faces that remind me of a certain singer that I know...," p. 110: "At least it's better than shooting band videos in which I'm not the singer," p. 131: " `It'll be fun,' he [Sting] lies seductively," etc., etc,...) I'm sure Sting can be an egotistical jerk and I would have been fine with the insults if Copeland would have told us anything substantive about their relationship.But, like Sting in his autobiography, he says essentially nothing about his years with The Police.

I'm not really the type of person who is a virulent "fan" of anything, but I have great nostalgia for this band of my youth.I've been told that my interest in the workings of this band is really none of my business but that is disingenuous.Who would buy this autobiography for any other reason than wanting to know something about The Police?The fact that both Sting and, now, Stewart have denied their fans is ridiculous.Still, I keep getting sucked into these books because I live in hope of understanding something about how that great music was made.Maybe, someday, they'll be willing to tell us a bit about it.

Everything but the Police
Copeland writes about a wide variety of topics, and what you probably want to know up front is that this book is NOT about what it was like to be in the Police. The last part of the book covers the Police reunion tour, but he never talks about their initial formation, rise to fame, or what it was like to be in the band while it was famous, or how it came to fall apart. Instead, (and be forewarned that the whole book is completely out of chronological order) he talks about everything else EXCEPT how he met Sting and Andy Summers, how the band was formed, how they wrote their songs, or how they got famous. He describes playing polo, shooting movies with pygmies, and making music with everyone else except who you really want to read about. He's obviously a smart and talented guy, but he never gave me what I wanted to read about. Maybe these other books on Amazon cover that. I don't know because I haven't checked them out yet. ... Read more

Product Description
The eBook, Following Marco Polo’s Silk Road, is a personal account of a couple’s journey as they follow the footsteps of the legendary traveller, Marco Polo. As independent travellers, they explore the lands and the people along the mythical Silk Road. This is a graphic account about the lives of the people that they met along the way. It is written with engaging humour, some historic fact and always a sense of adventure.

Starting in Venice the birthplace of Marco Polo, the story tells of travelling through Turkey, Syrian, Jordon, Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kashmir, India, Nepal and China to eventually reach Beijing.

Travel, adventure and history: Following Marco Polo’s Silk Road is a winning combination for any globe-trotter or armchair traveller.
... Read more

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The Marco Polo Odyssey tracks the fantastic journey of an intrepid adventurer who spent ten years following the 13,000 mile overland route of Marco Polo from Venice to Israel, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and finally crossing China to Beijing. It is an account of an exhilarating voyage of discovery and the three expeditions it took author Harry Rutstein to finally fulfill his dream. Using every means of travel available including camels, farm tractors, horses and goatskin rafts author Harry Rutstein became the first person known to have retraced Marco Polo s footsteps. The book chronicles his extraordinary adventures and authenticates the 13th century journey of the great explorer. Marco Polo s travels and subsequent bestselling book sparked the expansion of the mercantile empires of medieval Europe and gave birth to the modern age of globalization. Excerpts of Marco Polo s book, Description of the World, are woven into Harry s narrative, which add depth and perspective to his colorful and humorous stories of travel along the now-abandoned Silk Road. The interwoven historical commentaries, geographical and cultural descriptions confirm just how little has changed in 700 years in many parts of Asia. Over 200 photographs provide a visual travelogue of their own. The keys to Harry Rutstein s success on his odyssey were an unrelenting perseverance and lots of good luck. The Marco Polo Odyssey is flesh-and-blood history and a rousing good story of adventure and achievement. *Includes DVD: On the Roof of the World with Marco Polo. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A love of history reader and traveler
This is a truly enchanting book with its captivating narrative and beautiful photographs. It makes one wishful to be so adventuresome and to make the trip oneself.Grd ... Read more

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A continuation of the Explorers series by award-winning author Sandra Markle, Animals Marco Polo Saw brings to life the amazing, exotic animals Marco Polo encountered during his explorations in Asia, how the animals sometimes affected the outcome of the journey, and even helped the explorer survive! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (40)

Needs Maps
If I could have rated it 4.5 stars I would have because there were no maps!
The book is very readable.

OK but not great
This is a good book in a basic meatloaf-and-potatoes way. It nourishes but doesn't delight. I've listened to the audiobook version four times already and although each time it gets better, it tops out at 3 stars -- i.e., just average. After listening to it the first time, I would have rated it 2 stars.

The story as it is told by the author, Laurence Bergreen, doesn't convey a sense of place in any of the many places where the action takes place. Obviously, this is a huge irony. One reads a book like this or listens to its audiobook version with the expectation of basking in the author's descriptions of Marco Polo's travels to faraway places. Having previously listened to the audiobook version of Bergreen's "Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe," in which Bergreen succeeded in conveying a sense of place for each of the many places Magellan visited, I had high expectations for Bergreen's story of Marco Polo. Unfortunately, those expectations weren't met. What this story lacked was the type of sense-of-place treatment that Simon Winchester excels at and reliably delivers, book after book after book.

Before listening to the audiobook version I was pleased to see that Bergreen, himself, wasn't doing the reading, as his reading of his story on Magellan didn't match the high quality of his writing. The reader for Bergreen's book on Marco Polo, Paul Boehmer, was OK, but 4 stars at best.

All of this being said, Bergreen's book is informative and I learned a lot from it. It's just that the story isn't delivered in a 5-star, knock-your-socks-off way.

Interpreting old text
Credit is due to the author and his predecessors for making cohesive sense of the many versions of Marco Polo's Travels.But Bergreen could have gone farther with it.I wish he had made more specific best-guesses on locations (reflected consistently with a map) and better arranged this book in a chronological sequence.

Very useful for the layman
Upon initally sitting down to review Marco Polos Travels I originally thought it should rate a three stars - because apart from the inspiring nature of his achievements the tome was pretty darn dry. But prior to reviewing it I read this book. And it showed me how much I'd missed in Polos original.

The author - Laurence Bergreen - takes the reader back to a different time while also discussing how many of the reasons and motivations for the actions of various characters can change depending on what time the reader is in. By extensively quoting and dissection of Polos account he brings out the meaning of many phrases that may pass the layman reader by. As such this book immeasurably increased my appreciation of what on earth was going on in the original work and was worth the purchase price for that reason alone.

While some may find the book somewhat tedious in it's constant quoting from the original the fact that Bergreen has moved in a chronological fashion through the journeys of Polo eases things somewhat and if nothing else the style at least gives evidence as to the amount of research that went into this book.

If you are planning on reading the original for some sort of educational assignment I'd say this volume is invaluable and it's also good for armchair travellers such as yours truly. And if you like this also try Khubilai Khans Lost Fleet by James Delgado as it will offer even more insight into the (rough) time and space Polo was journeying through.

Well done!
Bergreen does a fine job retelling the story of Marco Polo and his extraordinary journey along the Silk Road and into the realm of the Mongolian King, Kublia Khan.You'll learn as much about Kublia Khan and the ancient far east as you do about Marco.The book really puts the significance of Marco's astounding travels into historical perspective.Anyone who reads this book will gain a much greater appreciation of what it must have been like to travel across Asia during the 13th century. ... Read more

Product Description
Marco Polo recounts his voyage to China where he served the emperor Kublai Khan for seventeen years before returning to Venice. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
William F. Buckley, Jr. editor of National Review, may be remembered by posterity as the novelist who created Blackford Oakes.In this installment, Buckley uses a celebrated incident of 20 years ago to create a fictional adventure with official history.

Oakes has just been cashiered from the Agency, when his boss decides he is the only man for an exceptionally dirty piece of work.Oakes agrees to return, but in short order finds himself standing before a secret Soviet military tribunal which has as its subject his execution for spying. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Enjoyable Cold War Spy Tale
It's 1958 and a drunken Chairmen Khrushchev has just quoted verbatum from the top secret minutes of the National Security Council to President Eisenhower.Thus ensues an operation to find the KGB mole.The search takes our hero, CIA agent Blackford Oakes, to Germany, past the ironcurtain into East Berlin.

So, how does Blacky come to find his U-2experiencing an unrecoverable flameout over the USSR?Will he leaveLubyanka prison alive?

The suspense is wonderfully woven in this taleof suave, hansome and daring Blackford Oakes.I hated to put this onedown.The ending is cleaver and unmistakably Buckley.This is a fun read. ... Read more