When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433

This fascinating book takes an unprecedented look at the dynamic period in China's history--a hundred years before Columbus and his fellow Europeans began making their way to the New World--focusing on China's rise as a naval power that literally could have ruled the world. A 1994 New York Times Notable Book of the Year. 12 halftone illustrations. 21 linecuts.