When Marco Polo was growing up in Venice, his father and uncle were traveling in China, at that time a mysterious and almost unexplored land. They did not come home until he was 15, and they had promised the powerful Kublai Khan that they would soon return to China. When Marco heard their stories of China and the Khan, he begged to go with them. Two years later they began the long and hazardous journey.

In 1271 they set off through the Holy Land and the Gobi Desert to reach China. Marco took notes on all the things he saw. Kublai Khan was so impressed by Marco's intelligence and keen observation that he hired Marco to work for him. Marco traveled widely in China and had many adventures. He loved his job but eventually he and his father and uncle wished to return to Venice.

The Polo family returned with a fortune, and Marco began to settle down. In the war between Venice and Genoa, Marco was imprisoned. He told his story to a writer who turned it into a book. The Travels of Marco Polo was read by many people. Mapmakers and explorers used the book. It also inspired Christopher Columbus to try to reach Asia by sea--a journey that led him to discover America.

From the back cover of the Chelsea House edition, 1991