The Book of Ser Marco Polo, the Venetian, concerning the kingdoms and marvels of the East, volume 1: Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

The Book of Ser Marco Polo, the Venetian, concerning the kingdoms and marvels of the East, volume 1, credited to Rustichello da Pisa; Marco Polo, is available as a LibriVox volunteer audiobook. This guide identifies the recording, its source summary and its audio tracks.

About the work

The LibriVox catalogue summary, preserved with the recording, reads:

LibriVox recording of The Book of Ser Marco Polo, the Venetian, concerning the kingdoms and marvels of the East, volume 1 by Rustichello da Pisa & Marco Polo. (Translated by Henry Yule.) Read in English by Leni; Jacob Paul Starr; ToddHW; Anna Simon; TriciaG; Dewaldo; alanmapstone; Lynne Thompson; Stephen Gibbons; Anna Roberts "Books of the Marvels of the World" or "Description of the World" (Divisament dou monde), also nicknamed "Il Milione" ("The Million") or "Oriente Poliano", but commonly called "The Travels of Marco Polo", is a 13th-century travelogue written down by Rustichello da Pisa from stories told by Marco Polo, describing the travels of the latter through Asia, Persia, China, and Indonesia between 1271 and 1291.It's been a very famous and popular book since the 14th century, creating the image of Marco Polo as the icon of the bold traveller. Presenting Marco Polo as an important figure at the court of the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, the book was written in Old French by Rustichello da Pisa, a romance author of the time, who was reportedly working from accounts which he had heard from Marco Polo when they were imprisoned in Genoa, having been captured while on a ship. This audiobook in two volumes uses the 1903 third edition of Sir Henry Yule's translation, revised by Henri Cordier. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Leni)

Recording facts

• Recording title: The Book of Ser Marco Polo, the Venetian, concerning the kingdoms and marvels of the East, volume 1
• Author credits: Rustichello da Pisa; Marco Polo
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 41
• Listed recording duration: 9:55:21

Catalogue topics

• travel
• marco polo
• kublai khan

Opening tracks: first 24 of 41

1. 01 - Introductory Notices, part 1: Obscurities in the history of his life and book. Ramusio's statements. — 22:45
2. 02 - Introductory Notices, part 2: Sketch of the state of the east at the time of the journeys of the Polo family. — 10:05
3. 03 - Introductory Notices, part 3: The Polo family. Personal history of the travellers down to their final return from the east. — 21:04
4. 04 - Introductory Notices, part 4: Digression concerning the mansion of the Polo family at Venice. — 9:14
5. 05 - Introductory Notices, part 5: Digression concerning the war-galleys of the Mediterranean states in the Middle Ages. — 15:10
6. 06 - Introductory Notices, part 6: The jealousies and naval wars of Venice and Genoa. Lamba Doria's expedition to the Adriatic\ — 21:00
7. 07 - Introductory Notices, part 7: Rusticiano or Rustichello of Pisa, Marco Polo's fellow-prisoner at Genoa, the scribe who wrote down the travels. — 20:32
8. 08 - Introductory Notices, part 8: Notices of Marco Polo's history after the termination of his imprisonment at Genoa. — 29:40
9. 09 - Introductory Notices, part 9: Marco Polo's book\ — 21:31
10. 10 - Introductory Notices, part 10: Various types of text of Marco Polo's book. — 26:35
11. 11 - Introductory Notices, part 11: Some estimate of the character of Polo and his book. — 20:20
12. 12 - Introductory Notices, part 12: Contemporary recognition of Polo and his book. — 30:17
13. 13 - Introductory Notices, part 13: Nature of Polo's influence on geographical knowledge. — 20:23
14. 14 - Introductory Notices, part 14: Explanations regarding the basis adopted for the present translation. — 6:59
15. 15 - Prologue, part 1: Chapters 1 and 2. How the two brothers Polo set forth from Constantinople to traverse the world\ — 5:39
16. 16 - Prologue, part 2: Chapters 3 to 9. How the two brothers, after crossing a desert, came to the city of Bocara, and fell in with certain envoys there. How the two brothers took the envoys' counsel, and went to the court of the great Kaan. How the two brothers arrived at the court of the great Kaan. How the great Kaan asked all about the manners of the Christians, and particularly about the Pope of Rome. How the great Kaan sent the two brothers as his envoys to the Pope. How the great Kaan gave them a tablet of gold, bearing his orders in their behalf. How the two brothers came to the city of Acre\ — 8:49
17. 17 - Prologue, part 3: Chapters 10 to 15. How the two brothers again departed from Venice, on their way back to the great Kaan, and took with them Mark, the son of messer Nicolo. How the two brothers set out from Acre, and Mark along with them. How the two brothers presented themselves before the new Pope. How messer Nicolo and messer Maffeo Polo, accompanied by Mark, travelled to the court of the great Kaan. How messer Nicolo and messer Maffeo Polo and Marco presented themselves before the great Kaan. How the lord sent Mark on an embassy of his. — 8:53
18. 18 - Prologue, part 4: Chapters 16 to 18. How Mark returned from the mission whereon he had been sent. How messer Nicolo, messer Maffeo, and messer Marco asked leave of the great Kaan to go their way. How the two brothers and messer Marco took leave of the great Kaan, and returned to their own country. — 11:16
19. 19 - Book First, Chapters 1 to 4. Here the book begins\ — 12:26
20. 20 - Book First, Chapters 5 to 10. Of the kingdom of Mausul. Of the great city of Baudas, and how it was taken. How the calif of Baudas took counsel to slay all the Christians in his land. How the Christians were in great dismay because of what the calif had said. How the one-eyed cobler was desired to pray for the Christians. How the prayer of the one-eyed cobler caused the mountain to move. — 16:36
21. 21 - Book First, Chapters 11 to 15. Of the noble city of Tauris. Of the monastery of Saint Barsamo on the borders of Tauris. Of the great country of Persia\ — 11:42
22. 22 - Book First, Chapters 16 to 18. Concerning the great city of Yasdi. Concerning the kingdom of Kerman. Of the city of Camadi and its ruins\ — 9:37
23. 23 - Book First, Chapters 19 to 22. Of the descent to the city of Hormos. Of the wearisome and desert road that has now to be travelled. Concerning the city of Cobinan and the things that are made there. Of a certain desert that continues for eight days' journey. — 12:34
24. 24 - Book First, Chapters 23 to 25. Concerning the Old Man of the Mountain. How the Old Man used to train his assassins. How the Old Man came by his end. — 6:48

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