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'''Gavin Menzies''' (born 1937) is a retired British submarine commander and amateur historian best known as the author of the controversial book ''],'' which asserts that ships from the Chinese fleet of ] ] traveled to the ] prior to ]' arrival in 1492 and circumnavigated the globe a century before ] as part of the era of ]. This thesis has been discounted "as nonsense"<ref name=reutersUK>Reuters UK. Tue Jul 29, 2008.</ref> by professional historians.<ref>{{cite web | title = The 1421 myth exposed | url = http://www.1421exposed.com/ | accessdate = 2007-03-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Zheng He in the Americas and Other Unlikely Tales of Exploration and Discovery | url = http://www.csicop.org/sb/2004-09/tales.html | accessdate = 2007-03-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = 1421: The Year China Discovered the World by Gavin Menzies | url = http://www.asianreviewofbooks.com/arb/article.php?article=201 | accessdate = 2007-03-22}}</ref><ref name="finlay2004">{{cite journal | last = Finlay | first = Robert | title = | journal = ] | volume = 15 | issue = 2 | year = 2004}}</ref> | '''Gavin Menzies''' (born 1937) is a retired British submarine commander and amateur historian best known as the author of the controversial book ''],'' which asserts that ships from the Chinese fleet of ] ] traveled to the ] prior to ]' arrival in 1492 and circumnavigated the globe a century before ] as part of the era of ]. This thesis has been discounted "as nonsense"<ref name=reutersUK>Reuters UK. Tue Jul 29, 2008.</ref> by professional historians.<ref>{{cite web | title = The 1421 myth exposed | url = http://www.1421exposed.com/ | accessdate = 2007-03-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Zheng He in the Americas and Other Unlikely Tales of Exploration and Discovery | url = http://www.csicop.org/sb/2004-09/tales.html | accessdate = 2007-03-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = 1421: The Year China Discovered the World by Gavin Menzies | url = http://www.asianreviewofbooks.com/arb/article.php?article=201 | accessdate = 2007-03-22}}</ref><ref name="finlay2004">{{cite journal | last = Finlay | first = Robert | title = | journal = ] | volume = 15 | issue = 2 | year = 2004}}</ref> He resigned his naval commission in 1970 in order to stand against ] as an ] candidate in ] during the ].<ref>{{cite newspaper The Times|articlename=Immigrant girl will vote in despair—Powellism |author=Peter Evans |section=News |day_of_week=Friday |date=5 June 1970 |page_number=9 |issue=57888 |column=C }}</ref> | ||
<!--Per BLP, please don't add the allegation he is a vexatious litigant without a reliable secondary source. A link to the court case and/or UK government site is not acceptable.--> | <!--Per BLP, please don't add the allegation he is a vexatious litigant without a reliable secondary source. A link to the court case and/or UK government site is not acceptable.--> |
Revision as of 16:37, 7 May 2009
Gavin Menzies | |
---|---|
Occupation | Retired Royal Navy Submarine Commander, author |
Nationality | British |
Citizenship | British |
Notable works | 1421: The Year China Discovered the World |
Gavin Menzies (born 1937) is a retired British submarine commander and amateur historian best known as the author of the controversial book 1421: The Year China Discovered the World, which asserts that ships from the Chinese fleet of admiral Zheng He traveled to the Americas prior to Christopher Columbus' arrival in 1492 and circumnavigated the globe a century before Ferdinand Magellan as part of the era of Chinese exploration. This thesis has been discounted "as nonsense" by professional historians. He resigned his naval commission in 1970 in order to stand against Enoch Powell as an independent candidate in Wolverhampton South West during the United Kingdom general election 1970.
Books
- Menzies, Gavin (2002). 1421: The Year China Discovered the World. London: Bantam Press. ISBN 0593050789.
- American edition: Menzies, Gavin (2003). 1421: The Year China Discovered America. New York: William Morrow. ISBN 0060537639.
- Menzies, Gavin (2008). 1434: The Year a Magnificent Chinese Fleet Sailed to Italy and Ignited the Renaissance. New York: William Morrow. ISBN 0061492175.
Footnotes
- The Navy List Spring 1969
- Reuters UK. "Columbus debunker sets sights on Leonardo da Vinci." Tue Jul 29, 2008.
- "The 1421 myth exposed". Retrieved 2007-03-22.
- "Zheng He in the Americas and Other Unlikely Tales of Exploration and Discovery". Retrieved 2007-03-22.
- "1421: The Year China Discovered the World by Gavin Menzies". Retrieved 2007-03-22.
- Finlay, Robert (2004). "How Not to (Re)Write World History: Gavin Menzies and the Chinese Discovery of America". Journal of World History. 15 (2).
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- Peter Evans (5 June 1970). "Immigrant girl will vote in despair—Powellism". News. The Times. No. 57888. London. col C, p. 9. template uses deprecated parameter(s) (help)
External links
Critics
- 1421 Exposed - Website set up by an international group of academics and researchers
- Finlay, Robert (2004). "How Not to (Re)Write World History: Gavin Menzies and the Chinese Discovery of America". Journal of World History 15 (2) - Scholarly review of Menzies
- Gavin's Fantasy Land, 1421
- A critical view of Menzies' story
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation's FOUR CORNERS Program Transcript of "Junk History"