The Adventures of Marco Polo

russell freedman linas alsenas bagram ibatoulline

Was Marco Polo the world's greatest explorer -- or the world's greatest liar? Newbery Medalist Russell Freedman turns his eagle eye on the enigmatic Marco Polo in his most exciting biography yet.

He claimed to have seen rocks burn, bandits command sandstorms, lions tamed with a look, and sorcerers charm sharks while divers gathered pearls on the ocean floor. Marco Polo shook Europe with descriptions of the world he'd seen on his epic journey to the court of Kublai Khan.

But was Marco Polo the world's most accomplished explorer? Had he really seen the "Roof of the World" in Central Asia, and the "City of Heaven" in far-off China? Or was he a charlatan who saw nothing more than the conjurings of his inventive mind? Join Russell Freedman as he tackles a centuries-old mystery.

Genres biographyhistorynonfictiongeographypicture bookschildrensmedievaltravelchinajuvenile

64 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1,2006

Literary awards

vermont golden dome book award,

This edition

Format: 64 pages, Hardcover
Published: October 1, 2006 by Arthur A. Levine Books
ISBN: 9780439523943
ASIN: 043952394X
Language: English

About the author

russell freedman

Russell A. Freedman was an American biographer and the author of nearly 50 books for young people. He may be known best for winning the 1988 Newbery Medal with his work Lincoln: A Photobiography.

He grew up in San Francisco and attended the University of California, Berkeley, and then worked as a reporter and editor for the Associated Press and as a publicity writer. His nonfiction books ranged in subject from the lives and behaviors of animals to people in history. Freeedman's work has earned him several awards, including a Newbery Honor each for Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery in 1994 and The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane in 1992, and a Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal.

Freedman traveled extensively throughout the world to gather information and inspiration for his books. His book, Confucius: The Golden Rule was inspired by his extensive travels through Mainland China, where he visited Confucius' hometown in modern day QuFu, in the Shantung Province.