SKU: 56181888052

1421: The Year China Discovered America

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1421: The Year China Discovered AmericaOn March 8, 1421 the largest fleet the world had ever seen set sail from China. It had been sent by Emperor Zhu Di on a mission "to proceed all the way to the end of the earth to collect tribute from the barbarians beyond the seas" and unite the world in Confucian harmony. When the fleet returned two years later, Zhu Di had fallen from power and China was beginning a long, self imposed isolation from the world. The records of this remarkable fleet and

On March 8, 1421 the largest fleet the world had ever seen set sail from China. It had been sent by Emperor Zhu Di on a mission "to proceed all the way to the end of the earth to collect tribute from the barbarians beyond the seas" and unite the world in Confucian harmony.

When the fleet returned two years later, Zhu Di had fallen from power and China was beginning a long, self-imposed isolation from the world. The records of this remarkable fleet and its discoveries were destroyed. Lost was the knowledge that Chinese ships had reached America 70 years before Columbus and circumnavigated the globe a century before Magellan. They has also discovered Antarctica, reached Australia 350 years before Cook and solved the problem of longitude 300 years before the Europeans.

Gavin Menzies spent 15 years tracing the astonishing voyages of the Chinese fleet. In his New York Times best-seller 1421, he weaves together ancient maps, precise navigational knowledge, astronomy and surviving accounts by Chinese explorers and European navigators to reveal a startling story that rewrites the history of the Age of Exploration.

Gavin Menzies joined the Royal Navy in 1953 and served in submarines from 1959 to 1970. Since leaving the Royal Navy, he has been to China and the Far East many times; in the course of researching 1421 he visited 120 countries, over 900 museums and libraries and every major sea port of the late Middle Ages. Menzies is married with two daughters and lives in North London.

"Menzies makes history sound like pure fun ... This high-spiritedness, which infuses every page of 1421, makes his book a seductive read." -- New York Times Magazine--Daily News

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
Published: 06/03/2008
ISBN: 9780061564895
Pages: 650
Weight: 1.88lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.06w x 1.40d
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SKU: 56181888052

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4.6 ★★★★★
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Rosalie
Birmingham, US
★★★★★ 5
Best dog ball
This is our go to dog toy for our German shepherd. its great for training in sports as well as outings at the beach, considering it floats! Never had him destroy one, so its extremely durable. I like that its a bright color so its easier to locate when i accidently let go of the rope too late and end up whipping it 20 ft into the woods. Easy to clean, all around just a great toy. Also love the large size as having a dog accidently lodge a ball into its throat is a real fear of mine, I do not have to worry about that with this toy. I should also mention the rope is a must, as touching a slobbery ball isn't the greatest feeling in the world and it puts your hands out of harms way. I will forever order these.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2025
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Mavis Adam
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 4
Great ball, bad rope
Size: Medium, Number of Items: 1, Size: Medium, Number of Items: 1
My dog and I love the starmark ball on a rope tug toys. While this is one of the best tug toys we have found, I am continually disappointed with the quality of the rope. The plastic sleeve comes off the first day, and after that the stitching begins to weaken until the rope ends come apart and the rope slides out of the ball. Is there a way to improve this design so that this toy lasts longer? My dog is not left alone with the toy, it is only used as an interactive tug toy as a training reward. I am updating my review now several months later. I reinforced the rope with a paracord braid and the toy now lasts a very long time. My dog and I play with this toy everyday on our morning hike. He is a large German Shepherd with high ball drive. He carries this ball in his mouth several miles on our morning hike. We play fetch in the fields near our home and in the lake beyond the fields with this toy every day. This toy is his reward in obedience training and we play a lot of tug with it every day. Reinforcing the handle has made a huge difference as the toy lasts and lasts now with the improved rope. Great ball, we will always have a collection of them at our house!
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Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2020
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Verified Purchase
AGJ
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 5
Great for training and play!
Size: Medium, Number of Items: 1
My German shepherd love this toy! Great to take on walks with you as light weight and can fit in your pocket. Stands up to the toughest of play. Great as reward toy for training in place of treats! We always have one on hand at home or out and about!
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Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2026
R
Verified Purchase
Room112
Belleville, US
★★★★★ 5
Great for big dogs
Size: Medium, Number of Items: 1
Our pup is now 15 months old (nearly 110 lb and still growing). We got this ball when he was 3 or 4 months old. GOODS - - Our pup fetches with extreme drive, and the rope helps him quickly snatch the ball off the ground (versus a tennis ball, in which we are worried he will go head over heels at times) - Our pup also loves to play fetch in the water, and this ball floats great and again, the rope gives another point to bite onto - The yellow color is easy to see, even in grass - Our pup typically fetches the ball, and leaves the rope mostly out of his mouth. So, throwing the ball doesn't result in saliva-covered hands - It's pretty easy to throw the ball 50', and possible to throw it 100' - It doesn't roll/bounce, so if you are for example playing fetch on your front lawn and are concerned with a tennis ball rolling into the street, this one alleviates that issue - Our pup is spoiled and has several balls. This is absolutely his go to ball. We have woken up in the morning before to see him standing next to the bed with the ball in his mouth, asking us to get up and play. BADS - - Occasionally when he goes to fetch it, he will step on the rope as he tries to pull up on the ball. - We have gotten this ball stuck in trees multiple times. In fact, there is one stuck on the roof of our church from playing fetch on the lawn there. :-/ Not a fault of the ball, but if you start whipping it around like nunchucks, it might not go where you want. - The near max you can through this ball is 100'. And since it doesn't roll/bounce, throw distance is throttled. We often play fetch in a local baseball field, and have no issue wearing him out with this ball. However, if you are planning on throwing a ball the distance of half a football field, you might want to consider something else. SIZE - - We purchased both the medium and the large. Even though our pup is huge and can fit a soccer ball in his mouth, he still prefers the medium. It's easier for him to get in his mouth and breath while running back. The medium is the size of an orange, whereas the large is the size of a grapefruit. DURABILITY - - We have gone through about 4 of these balls, BUT this is because we lost 3 of them. We believe he dropped one out of the car window while we were driving, one is on the roof of our church, and I forget about the other one. On the first one we had, the stitching behind the black tape was down to a few threads after about 5 months. Given duration we use these balls (every day) and the joy he gets from them, I feel the durability is good for the price. - We do play tug with the ball at times, and no issues there Enjoy!
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Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2013
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Verified Purchase
Greg
Los Angeles, US
★★★★★ 3
Good but better options out there.
Good ball, but is a cheaper version of the Foamster sold online. The rope is cheap and comes apart, and can be abrasive to a dogs mouth. The Foamster uses a higher quality ball and are more durable and use grippy biothane straps rather than cheap rope. They are also made to order in the USA with lots of fun colors. Worth the extra money if your dog likes these balls.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2025

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