Travel - Mandeville, Marco Polo, Calvino and Columbus · The most expected authors to encounter (except for Calvino) · Demonstrate the different parts of travel writing Marco Polo Group · The Polos were a travelling family and often travelled together . Polos were closer to the Mongol families and spent most of his time in the country · Constantinople was crucial to trading routes . It Polo's story more of a merchant handbook? - Larner - looks more at commerce than culture etc. · Polo was very well travelled and went on numerous diplomatic missions meaning he probably didn't spend that long in China · Claims that he was more favoured than most barons - gives himself a very privileged position · Larner and Phillips were highly defensive of the Polo account but the evidence on this is inconclusive · Wasn't believed by people at the time as they did not think huge cities and architecture that was found could be possible outside Europe - Polo account goes into detail about the decorations of the palace · Larner disregards opinions but never fully places his, unlike Phillips · Original manuscript didn't survive - could have been written in French or early Franco-Italian · Original manuscripts were not written to be believed or not, were written as a piece of work to be admired · Hodgens - doesn't talk about Polo for a large amount of the reading and focusses on earlier explorers . People wanted the hear "mythical" travels meaning when they were confronted with reality, it was mundane for them to read (maybe explains the tea?) . According to Hodgens, Polo was a good travel writer and the first of his kind as he didn't fantasise as much - he talked a lot about geography but not people or culture · Larner makes the book sound mundane as he doesn't talk about the dangers he faced, interactions with other cultures etc. · When Polo was imprisoned, he recounted and wrote about his travels to Rutichello (who didn't write it all down) . Polo set out in the mid 13th century Mandeville Group · Sold more than Polo did as it was more fictional and people enjoyed the more mythical aspects of it - Hodgens · Mandeville didn't actually travel anywhere and questionably existed - it seems like an encyclopaedia of Asian knowledge based on two dozen sources · Appears more of a theologian or university/academic writer · Focuses on the limitations of human perspectives and tried to make uncomfortable connections between religions and behaviours - linking Indonesian tribes drinking human blood to the Christian mass . Thought these links could show that there was a chance for them to be saved and brought to the light
. Normally people were commissioned by the Church but he is more focussed on empirical and humanist views · This wasn't edited by the Church Columbus Group · Tried to focus on why he went on the voyages - was it spiritual (thought