*Includes quotes from The Travels of Marco Polo describing Kublai Khan and some of the things Marco Polo saw, including rhinoceros, crocodiles, coal, and more. *Explains how Marco Polo's travels influenced cartographers and subsequent explorers like Columbus. *Includes maps and pictures of important people and places in Marco Polo's life and travels. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading. “I have not told half of what I saw.” – Marco Polo A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history’s most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors’ Legends of the Middle Ages series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of important medieval men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. Marco Polo (1254-1324) is an instantly recognizable name, and he is known for his travels, but it’s safe to say that his influence and importance has been greatly overlooked in the nearly 700 years since he died. Born in Venice, Marco Polo was in a fortuitous position to participate in the Mediterranean trade, but he was still a young man when he went on the journey that would make him famous and greatly inspire the Age of Exploration.