Zheng He: Tracing the Epic Voyages of China's Greatest Explorer

Mixing ancient Chinese prints and vivid color photographs, Yamashita retraces forgotten journeys of Ming Dynasty explorer Zheng He, reputed to have reached the Americas 70 years before Christopher Columbus and other Europeans. Following Zheng's seven voyages, Yamashita traveled from the South China Sea to the Swahili coast of east Africa and the Middle East, capturing vestiges of Zheng He's world in contemporary Asia. Best suited to serious readers, the historical background contributed by Gianni Guadalupi along with Yamashita's introductions to each series of photographs clarify the connections between the two. (Oct. 17)