--- product_id: 1705821 title: "1421: The Year China Discovered America – The Great Fleet That Reached America Before Columbus and Circumnavigated the Globe (P.S.)" price: "€ 61.68" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.gr/products/1705821-1421-the-year-china-discovered-america-the-great-fleet-that store_origin: GR region: Greece --- # 1421: The Year China Discovered America – The Great Fleet That Reached America Before Columbus and Circumnavigated the Globe (P.S.) **Price:** € 61.68 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** 1421: The Year China Discovered America – The Great Fleet That Reached America Before Columbus and Circumnavigated the Globe (P.S.) - **How much does it cost?** € 61.68 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.gr](https://www.desertcart.gr/products/1705821-1421-the-year-china-discovered-america-the-great-fleet-that) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description On March 8, 1421, the largest fleet the world had ever seen set sail from China to "proceed all the way to the ends of the earth to collect tribute from the barbarians beyond the seas." When the fleet returned home in October 1423, the emperor had fallen, leaving China in political and economic chaos. The great ships were left to rot at their moorings and the records of their journeys were destroyed. Lost in the long, self-imposed isolation that followed was the knowledge that Chinese ships had reached America seventy years before Columbus and had circumnavigated the globe a century before Magellan. And they colonized America before the Europeans, transplanting the principal economic crops that have since fed and clothed the world. Review: A welcome addition to my library. - Radical history of the "discovery" of America 71 years before Columbus by China Review: Hate to tell you that the Chinese beat the European to N. and S. America - This is a both a history lesson and a extremely well documented account that makes a compelling argument that the Chinese were light years ahead of Europe in naval technology and navigational skills and did indeed, discover the new world and the arctic and antarctic. It's also a history lesson of how one man's rule set back a nation and it's energy for centuries and cost China it's global silk road. It's probably more for those who like history without the drama and wars but want to understand the world and consider evidence that what we learned about Christopher Columbus was far from the truth. It's a long book but I learned a great deal from reading it. You will too. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #75,111 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #7 in History of Ancient China #46 in Historical Geography #49 in Chinese History (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,336 Reviews | ## Images ![1421: The Year China Discovered America – The Great Fleet That Reached America Before Columbus and Circumnavigated the Globe (P.S.) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71N7zQZev5L.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Media Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A welcome addition to my library. *by S***Z on May 23, 2026* Radical history of the "discovery" of America 71 years before Columbus by China ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hate to tell you that the Chinese beat the European to N. and S. America *by S***R on November 9, 2024* This is a both a history lesson and a extremely well documented account that makes a compelling argument that the Chinese were light years ahead of Europe in naval technology and navigational skills and did indeed, discover the new world and the arctic and antarctic. It's also a history lesson of how one man's rule set back a nation and it's energy for centuries and cost China it's global silk road. It's probably more for those who like history without the drama and wars but want to understand the world and consider evidence that what we learned about Christopher Columbus was far from the truth. It's a long book but I learned a great deal from reading it. You will too. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Worth taking a look at it, needs more added -- it's coming! *by I***T on January 11, 2004* I'm giving this book 4 stars for one main reason - it brings forward a new theory that many other scholars believe *is possible* but does not prove that it *did happen*. However, not enough evidence is available yet to conclude that Gavin's theory is just fiction. I am a graduate student in history and just attended (today) a panel at the annual American Historical Association's meeting in DC. Mr. Menzies and several prominent, scholarly Chinese historians (including John Wills and Valerie Hansen) spoke on a panel about his book. I went to the panel expecting to hear the scholars shoot down Mr. Menzies' book. To some extent, they did. However, when Mr. Menzies stood up and presented new information on DNA and, more importantly, some brand new documents out of Fuijan province in China that came from a Chinese historian there, the academic historians were interested in further investigation (mostly the documents, but each admitted they cannot say the Chinese *didn't* reach the Americas). As someone training to become an academic historian, I will say this about what I got out of today. One of the historians on the panel made quite possibly the best point out of everyone -- something I will remember as I now look more seriously at this theory put before us. There are many, many unexplained pieces of evidence that Mr. Menzies brings forth in this book. For instance, the maps that existed before the European explorers, showing the perfect shape of Africa, South America, the Azores, etc. Now, the Chinese may not have discovered these per say, but until someone else can prove that ANOTHER group of people were the first, or that there is another explanation for these curiosities (because it is agreed the Europeans were usually not the first) -- who are we to heavily criticize Mr. Menzies? After all, we have no explanation of the Chinese artifacts showing up on the West coast. We have no explanation of how South America was perfectly drawn on a 1424 map - maybe the Arabs did it? Fine, go out and try to prove that. So, when you pick up this book you should sit back and look with a critical eye but you also need to look at it like a lot of other historical issues - a possible explanation or theory used to construct a narrative that will connect the past in our minds. As for those who believe the historical narrative they teach you in the public school system, keep in mind that what you learn in school is WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS YOU TO LEARN! Think about it. (Also, pick up a copy of "Silencing the Past" by Michel Trouillot, who discusses how certain "powerless" people are silenced in history -- in his case he discusses the Haitian Revolution. Reading a book like that gets you to think differently about a theory like the one in this book). What we teach our students in schools today is already missing so much and simply "accepted" narrative anyways. One last thing about this book -- use the companion website to view evidence and all evidence updates. Mr. Menzies mentioned it several times today in his discussion as it contains a lot more and the newest evidence he presented to us today -- [...] --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.gr/products/1705821-1421-the-year-china-discovered-america-the-great-fleet-that](https://www.desertcart.gr/products/1705821-1421-the-year-china-discovered-america-the-great-fleet-that) --- *Product available on Desertcart Greece* *Store origin: GR* *Last updated: 2026-10-28*