The Silk Road In the West stood a continent built on lofty ideals and grand ambition. In the East, towered an empire of unimaginable size and splendor. For thousands of years these two civilizations had thrived in seeming isolation. Two men stepped into the void. Marco Polo was lured by the promise of unprecedented wealth. Sven Hedin by a thirst for adventure and the trappings of world fame. Confronted by the most daunting terrain on earth, they went in search of the impossible a lasting connection between East and West Along the old Silk Road. Italy, 1296 A.D. A Venetian trader languishes in jail and wonders if he will ever get out. His name is Marco Polo and he's now a prisoner of war the victim of an ongoing conflict between Genoa and his native Venice. Polo is afraid he will die here in jail and he's come up with an amazing strategy for survival. A book about his life and his travels. An incredible story that might allow his name to live on forever. "There has been no man, Christian or pagan, Mongol or Indian, or of any race whatsoever, who has known or explored so much of the world and its great wonders as have I, Marco Polo."