- History is littered with what-ifs and wild theories.
Most are ignored, but one now being posed by a former British submarine
commander could eventually rewrite the accepted history of Australia, America
and half the world.
-
- Gavin Menzies, a 65-year-old self-confessed "outsider",
has sparked heated academic debate by claiming the Chinese beat Europeans
to the New World by decades, if not centuries.
-
- If true, his theories would recast the holy trinity of
European naval explorers - Captain Cook, Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand
Magellan - as followers in the great wake of 15th century China's Admiral
Zheng He and his fleet of colossal, nine-masted teak junks.
-
- Released earlier this month, Menzies' book, 1421, the
Year China Discovered The World, is likely to have a worldwide print run
of a million copies. It sits next to Simon Schama's latest on Amazon's
best-selling list for history.
-
- The TV rights have been sold in Britain. On London's
Tube, Menzies' first publishing venture is being promoted as the book that's
rewriting history.
-
- Copyright © 2002 The Age Company Ltd
|
