The City of Light por D'Ancona, Jacob; Selbourne, David (Translated by) - 2000

New York: Citadel Press; Kensington Publishing Corp., 2000. xv, 538 pages, illustrations, maps; 23 cm. Tight, clean copy. Dust jacket protected in a mylar cover. A fine copy of the first printing. OVERSIZE! No priority/air, except by special arrangement. Subtitle on DJ: The Hidden Journal of the Man Who Entered China Four Years Before Marco Polo. "In 1270, Jewish scholar-merchant Jacob d'Ancona embarked on a remarkable voyage from his native Italy to Zaitun, the city of light, a vast coastal metropolis in southern China. His manuscript, hidden from the world for centuries, provides a first-person insight into life in the 13th century. It describes a thriving mercantile economy, whose vigorous manufacture and lavish consumption in the shadow of the impending Mongol invasion represent the swansong of a wealthy, decadent and surprisingly "modern" society. Jacob d'Ancona's participation as a foreign trader in the grand civic debates shed light on the relationship of Jews and Christians and the role of the individual in society." - Publisher.. 1st. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. 8vo. Collectible.