15 minute serialized adventure show
“Facing Death and Danger with a Laugh on his Lips”
Marco Polo was born in 1254 and died sometime around 1324. He was the son of successful Venetian merchant, Niccolo Polo. Niccolo and Marco's uncle Maffeo were merchants who had traded along the Silk Road with the east (China, Mongolia, Persian, and other hard to reach lands) and had met the Great Kublai Khan on one of their journeys. They arranged for a return trip, and on that second trip they brought Marco along. At this time Kublai Khan basically ruled the world. His empire was something like four times the size of the Roman Empire. If the Khan 'asked' you to do something, it wasn't really a request.
All three Polos made the return trip to Mongolia. And like unwelcome relatives, they spent 17 years there. Kublai Khan took a liking to Marco, who was an interesting and imaginative storyteller, which has driven historians nuts ever since. Marco was sent on many missions throughout the Mongol empire, including ambassadorships and governing the city of Yangzhou. Marco carried out these diplomatic assignments but also related his observations back to the Khan about the lands he traveled to, probably embellishing them to for dramatic effect.
According to Marco’s travel account, the Polos asked several times for permission to return to Europe but the Khan appreciated the visitors so much that he would not agree to their departure. Only in 1291 Kublai entrusted Marco with his last duty, to escort the Mongol princess Koekecin (Cocacin in Il Milione) to her betrothed, the Ilkhan Arghun.
Upon their return to Venice, people loved to hear his stories, but few really believed him. Marco Polo was later captured in a minor clash of the war between Venice and Genoa. He spent the few months of his imprisonment, in 1298, dictating to a fellow prisoner, Rustichello da Pisa, a detailed account of his travels in the then-unknown parts of China. Though Polo's book exaggerates places and cultures (and some scholars believe he never went as far east as China but only described places other travelers had been to), his book was widely published, translated into many languages, and thousands of copies were printed.
Polo's book includes fanciful accounts of men with tails and cannibals seem to be around every corner. The book is somewhat a geography of Asian provinces. It is divided into chapters covering specific regions and Polo delves into the politics, agriculture, military power, economy, sexual practices, burial system, and religions of each area. Polo brought the ideas of paper currency and coal to Europe. He also included second-hand reports of areas that he had not visited, such as Japan and Madagascar.
This Old Time Radio Program was created by the Australian BBC, and tells of Marco's journey and adventures in 15 minute serialized episodes. The programs all tell one story, each episode is not a stand alone tale. Each episode tries to end on a cliffhanger leading you to tune in next week.
Text from Wikipedia
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All of our Old Time Radio Programs are in MP3 format. You can play them on your computer, you can transfer them to MP3 players (like the IPod), but, by and large, you cannot play them on stereos, walkmen, or car radios.
The sound quality of Old Time Radio Programs can vary greatly. Some episodes are excellent, others you have to turn up the volume a little and ignore the static. All of the episodes can be listened to and enjoyed. You can listen to our free samples to get a feel for how the programs sound.
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Episode List
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_02.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_03.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_04.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_05.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_06.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_07.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_08.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_09.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_10.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_11.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_12.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_13.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_14.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_15.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_16.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_17.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_18.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_19.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_20.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_21.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_22.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_23.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_24.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_25.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_26.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_27.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_28.mp3
adventures_of_marco_polo_chapter_29.mp3
adventures_of_marco_polo_chapter_30.mp3
adventures_of_marco_polo_chapter_31.mp3
adventures_of_marco_polo_chapter_34.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_35.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_36.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_37.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_38.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_39.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_40.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_41.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_42.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_43.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_44.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_45.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_46.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_47.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_48.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_49.mp3
Adventures_Of_Marco_Polo_Chapter_50.mp3
