City of Light

In 1270, a scholarly Jewish merchant named Jacob d'Ancona set out on a voyage from Italy. A year later, he arrived in China at the coastal metropolis of Zaitun, the "City of Light" (now known as Quanzhou), four years before Marco Polo arrived in Xanadu in 1275. Nothing was known of this epochal journey until 1990, when David Selbourne found a remarkable manuscript that had been hidden from the public view for seven centuries. The City of Light, this account of Ancona's travels, provides an unparalleled insight into life in the medieval world.Originally published to great controversy because of Selbourne's pledge to the manuscript owner that he would not reveal its whereabouts, The City of Light eventually became a steady bestseller and has earned praise from numerous scholars, including leading Chinese academics. This vivid and insightful book not only describes the adventures of a medieval trader, but also sheds new light on medieval Chinese society and manners though the eyes of a European man of learning. Revised and updated with an introduction from the author explaining the original scandal surrounding the book, this is a spectacular account of one man's encounter with one of the world's great civilizations.