The City of Light

In 1270 Jacob d'Ancona, a Jewish scholar-merchant, embarked on a remarkable voyage from his native Italy to Zaitun, a vast coastal metropolis in southern China. Translated and edited by David Selbourne from a manuscript hidden from the outside world for centuries, this account of the journey provides a first-person insight into life in the 13th century, describing a thriving mercantile economy, whose vigorous manufacture and lavish consumption in the shadow of the impending Mongol invasion represent the swansong of a wealthy, decadent and surprisingly modern society. D'Ancona's participation as a foreign trader in the grand civic debates sheds light on, for example, the contemporary relationship of Jews and Christians, and the role for the individual in society - issues of enduring relevance.