Tracking Marco Polo

On motorcycles, thenOxford undergraduate Severin and two friends set off to retrace Marco Polo's 13th century journey through Asia. Using Polo's journal The Description of the World as their travel guide, the three, calling themselves the Marco Polo Route Project, attempted to prove the accuracy of the Venetian explorer's much-suspect tale, and succeeded in solving such mysteries as Persia's ""apples of paradise'' and the hidden Sejak Su (hot springs) of Turkey. With an appeal for history buffs as well as adventure seekers, the account describes the escapades and mishaps of amateur explorers as much as it does the reconsideration of a historical event. Published over 20 years ago in Britain, the book was Severin's first, and is not equal to his later titles, including The Brendan Voyage, a chronicle of his excursion by boat from Ireland to America. Photos. (May 5)