or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
33 used & new from $21.75
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
X
Journeyer
 
 
See all product images
See 1 customer image
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Journeyer (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "ALTHOUGH the Polo family has been Venetian, and proud of it, for perhaps three hundred years now, it did not originate on this Italian peninsula,..." (more)
Key Phrases: sain nai, nach girl, flaming powder, Khan Kubilai, Marco Polo, Silk Road (more...)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (88 customer reviews)
List Price: $58.95
Price: $37.14 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
You Save: $21.81 (37%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Tuesday, November 10? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
15 new from $37.14 18 used from $21.75

Also Available in:

 List Price: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover (First Edition ~1st Printing)     59 used & new from $4.32
Paperback     55 used & new from $2.16
Mass Market Paperback     23 used & new from $15.15

Frequently Bought Together

Journeyer + Aztec + Aztec Autumn
Price For All Three: $58.16

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: Journeyer by Gary Jennings

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details

  • Aztec by Gary Jennings

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Aztec Autumn by Gary Jennings

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Aztec Autumn

Aztec Autumn

by Gary Jennings
3.3 out of 5 stars (49)  $10.17
Aztec Blood

Aztec Blood

by Gary Jennings
3.3 out of 5 stars (38)  $7.99
Aztec Rage

Aztec Rage

by Gary Jennings
2.9 out of 5 stars (8)  $7.99
Spangle

Spangle

by Gary Jennings
4.7 out of 5 stars (11) 
Apocalypse 2012: A Novel (Aztec)

Apocalypse 2012: A Novel (Aztec)

by Gary Jennings
2.8 out of 5 stars (8)  $17.13
› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Superb.”—The New York Times on The Journeyer

“Astonishing and titillating.”—The Chicago Tribune on The Journeyer

“Fabulous. . . .Sumptuous and exceedingly bawdy.”—The Washington Post on The Journeyer

"He enlivens his picaresque story with wonderfully detailed descriptions of the landscape, climate, flora and fauna Polo encountered along the way. The real energy of Gary Jennings's narrative is devoted to those old standbys lust and bloodlust. His zeal for clinical description of sexual practices is matched only by his enthusiasm for the minutiae of Oriental torture. Pound for pound, The Journeyer is a classic."---Gene Lyons, Newsweek  “A novel of epic proportions.”—Library Journal on The Journeyer

"As Gary Jennings did for pre-Hispanic Mexico in Aztec, he has enriched The Journeyer with an anthropologist's knowledge of diverse lands and cultures. . . . Jennings combines inexhaustible research with the yarn-spinner's art, drawing indelible portraits of Marco and his companions on the long journey. Stunning . . . You'll never want it to end. "--Los Angeles Times Book Review

“Perfect entertainment.”—Philadelphia Inquirer on The Journeyer

"Employing both great sweep and meticulous detail, Gary Jennings has produced an impressively learned gem of the astounding and the titillating."--Chicago Tribune Book World on The Journeyer

“A first-rate narrative. . .spiced with bawdy tales and bizarre customs . . . Sensual delights. . . Jennings is a superb storyteller.”—Houston Post on The Journeyer

“Wild adventure . . . endlessly intriguing . . . constantly surprising.”—Atlantic Monthly on The Journeyer

“Relentlessly gripping.”—Publishers Weekly on The Journeyer

“Remarkable . . .Extraordinary . . . Recreates a whole lost civilization.”—Miami Herald on The Journeyer







(20051116)

Superb. (The New York Times 20051116)

Astonishing and titillating. (The Chicago Tribune 20051116)

Fabulous. . . .Sumptuous and exceedingly bawdy. (The Washington Post 20051116)

Pound for pound, The Journeyer is a classic. (Gene Lyons Newsweek 20051116)

A novel of epic proportions. (Library Journal 20051116)

Stunning . . . You''ll never want it to end. (Los Angeles Times Book Review 20051116)

Perfect entertainment. (Philadelphia Inquirer 20051116)

A first-rate narrative....Jennings is a superb storyteller. (Houston Post 20051116)

Wild adventure . . . endlessly intriguing . . . constantly surprising. (Atlantic Monthly 20051116)

Relentlessly gripping. (Publishers Weekly )

Remarkable . . .Extraordinary . . . Recreates a whole lost civilization. (Miami Herald ) --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.


Product Description

Marco Polo was nicknamed " Marco of the millions" because his Venetian countrymen took the grandiose stories of his travels to be exaggerated, if not outright lies. As he lay dying, his priest, family, and friends offered him a last chance to confess his mendacity, and Marco, it is said, replied " I have not told the half of what I saw and did. " Now Gary Jennings has imagined the half that Marco left unsaid as even more elaborate and adventurous than the tall tales thought to be lies. From the palazzi and back streets of medieval Venice to the sumptuous court of Kublai Khan, from the perfumed sexuality of the Levant to the dangers and rigors of travel along the Silk Road, Marco meets all manner of people, survives all manner of danger, and, insatiably curious, becomes an almost compulsive collector of customs, languages and women. In more than two decades of travel, Marco was variously a merchant, a warrior, a lover, a spy, even a tax collector - but always a journeyer, unflagging in his appetite for new experiences, regretting only what he missed. Here - recreated and reimagined with all the splendor, the love of adventure, the zest for the rare and curious that are Jennings's hallmarks - is the epic account, at once magnificent and delightful, of the greatest real-life adventurer in human history. (20051116) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Hardcover
  • Publisher: Buccaneer Books (December 1997)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1568496966
  • ISBN-13: 978-1568496962
  • Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (88 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #183,184 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

Gary Jennings
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

› Visit Amazon's Gary Jennings Page
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
ALTHOUGH the Polo family has been Venetian, and proud of it, for perhaps three hundred years now, it did not originate on this Italian peninsula, but on the other side of the Adriatic Sea. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
sain nai, nach girl, flaming powder, white porcelain incense burner, yin seal, fiery trees, mock army, sparkling flowers, advance riders, flying money, boat children, dry fog, pack asses, love bells, salaam aleikum, lesser races, camel bells
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Khan Kubilai, Marco Polo, Silk Road, Ali Babar, Master Marco, Chief Minister, Lady Chao, Minister Pao, Ilkhan Kaidu, Master Shi, Princess Moth, Khan of All Khans, Buzai Gumbad, Mirza Marco, Compagnia Polo, Minister Achmad, Master Chao, Master Ping, Orlok Bayan, San Marco, Shah Zaman, Sea of Kithai, Shahryar Zahd, Wali Achmad, Hakim Mimdad
New!
Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 2 books:

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Journeyer
73% buy the item featured on this page:
Journeyer 4.5 out of 5 stars (88)
$37.14
Aztec
13% buy
Aztec 4.6 out of 5 stars (255)
$10.85
Aztec Rage
5% buy
Aztec Rage 2.9 out of 5 stars (8)
$7.99
Aztec Autumn
5% buy
Aztec Autumn 3.3 out of 5 stars (49)
$10.17
Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(3)
(2)
(2)
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more
 

Customer Reviews

88 Reviews
5 star:
 (67)
4 star:
 (9)
3 star:
 (3)
2 star:
 (4)
1 star:
 (5)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (88 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Some of Jennings best, July 24, 2000
By "julies_27" (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews
I admit that I thought Aztec was a better book, but I'm still giving Journeyer 5 stars. Why? Well, it really is an interesting and captivating book that draws you in as you read it. Journeyer is the story of Marco Polo and his journeys to Asia, supposedly the other half that he did not actually tell the scribe who recorded his journeys in real life. I am not familiar with the history of that period, so I cannot vouch for the historical accuracy, but I will say that this book made me want to read up on the history. There is danger and adventure on every turn as Marco and his father and uncle make their way to China. The book is at turns violent, sexy, and dramatic, but also enlightening and fascinating. I found it very hard to put down, once I had picked it up, even moving quickly through some squeamish parts. Jennings really knows how to get the reader's attention and keep it.
Comment Comment (1) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Total sensory satisfaction in a written word!, November 14, 1997
By A Customer
This review is from: The Journeyer (Hardcover)
It's been many years since I read The Journeyer, and it still is first in line when I recommend a book to a serious reader. I am not one for historical reading; "Marco Polo?" I said, rather haughtily," over my dead body!" However, out of respect for and curiosity over my friend's glowing description, I picked it up and COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN! I carried it everywhere with me, stayed up nights, read at stop lights in the car...wherever I could find a moment, I devoured the book. Jennings' descriptive prose let me feel the textures, smell the aromas, taste the delicacies, hear the crowd and the silence, and see all there was to see. I was there in all senses, immersed in the life and times of his multidimensional characters and interwoven story lines. A timeless classic!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The quintessential expeditionist tells his rambling tale, June 12, 2007
This review is from: The Journeyer (Mass Market Paperback)
Whoever came up with the title for this book was surely a genius, because it manages to convey multiple things about the novel in one word. First of all Marco Polo was a journeyer, perhaps the quintessential explorer of who that we are taught of in school with his amazing adventures along the silk road that spanned the length of Asia. Secondly, reading this book feels like you are going on a journey, not only the physical one that Marco Polo takes but one of the spirit, a journey of growth, not only in age and maturity but in philosophy. And last of all, this is a book about what it means to be a "journeyer" at heart, a man with a wandering spirit and soul who has a constant drive to explore.

I'm not going to go into details about the plot, mainly because the plot is the story of the journey and to tell it would be to write the book again. This is a long book, divided up by the place in which Marco Polo is at the time and told in the first person, but from a removed standpoint because he is writing it all down long after the events occurred. It is very, very well written, and I say that not liking first person narratives too much. In a sense it reminded me of "Shogun", if perhaps only in the description of landscapes. In other ways, well...

This book is extremely sexually explicit. In every way possible. Every persuasion and perversion is mentioned (some in great detail) and though our narrator himself is fairly decent a great deal of the sex stuff in this book is upsetting and disgusting because it describes sex with children and animals and the sexual norms of the many cultures we move through, many of which are (justly) felonies today. This is NOT a book for prudes or people who can't handle anything that's sexually upsetting or explicit. In fact I would have to rate it (movie style) "X"-and there is a great deal about sex in the book. Some of it is normal, run of the mill novel sex though.

What isn't about sex is very interesting. Though I have no idea about the actual accuracy of the novel when it comes to Marco Polo's journey there is a ton to be learned from this book in historical and cultural tidbits. And as I said, it's a very well written book. But it's also very long and has some boring stretches (like between pages 400-700 but after that it really picks up) as well as those of great excitement.

What really struck me about this book is how complete it is. This book has more of a sense of being completely written, perfectly filled out, than anything I've ever read. The beginning really starts off the story, the middle is the adventures and the ending wraps things up so perfectly-with so much poignancy about the true journey and what it means to be a journeyer-that I was slightly stunned. It's obvious that Gary Jennings is talented not only in the creative sense, but in the technical aspects of writing as well.

4 stars. I really enjoyed this book and found it to be very well written both in technical aspects and in creativity. But there were those boring spots (which were quite boring) and all of that sex, which while I understand was used to describe the culture and times of the book in a complete way, was still too explicit in some cases.
Comment Comments (2) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic example of dedicated erudition!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel! Gary Jennings knows how to write an engrossing and thorougly readable historical fiction novel. Read more
Published 5 months ago by GHIGGS

4.0 out of 5 stars epic tale of interesting
I recently finished "The Journeyer" by Gary Jennings and I feel like I just walked to China and back. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Stranger Smith

5.0 out of 5 stars Journeyman
I really like the Jennings books I now have and enjoy reading them over again. The stories and characters are realistic and believable, and seem based on actual events and... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Kez

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite all time books
I absolutely loved this book and can say that it is one of my all time favorites. it was fascinating, just like I stepped into a time machine. Read more
Published 9 months ago by M. Yaffe

5.0 out of 5 stars magnificent
I just finished this book. I savoured every last minute of it. It was raw,real, passionate, historical and believable. Read more
Published 14 months ago by jenifer

3.0 out of 5 stars Saga of a Long Journey - VERY Long!
This very long fictionalized account of the travels of Marco Polo and his family to the exotic Far East and the court of Kublai Khan is entertaining and informative, but overlong... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Miranda Good

5.0 out of 5 stars AWESOME!
i could probably read this again since its been a while since i first read it. can't say that about ANY other book i've read and i've read a lot. Read more
Published 14 months ago by GSY

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't believe the small minded-this is a GREAT BOOK!
This is one of the greatest books that I have ever read. Not the most intellectual, not the deepest, but the MOST FUN EVER. It is a fabulous "journey". Read more
Published 17 months ago by Truth

1.0 out of 5 stars a disgusting, horrid book
One must wonder what kind of person the author is, considering the horrible scenarios he has created in this book. My recommendation is to stay far, far away from it.
Published 20 months ago by Emendator

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the best reading book
I read few books but my sister-in-law gave me this since I travel to China frequently. I started reading this while on vacation in Mexico and could not stop. Read more
Published 20 months ago by D. Triatik

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Look for Similar Items by Category

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:





i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.