英國皇傢海軍退伍軍官。1937年生於倫敦，幾個月後被父母帶到中國。第二次世界大戰爆發後，迴到英國。1953年加入英國皇傢海軍；1957年在“鑽石”號驅逐艦上服役於地中海海域；1959年，在“紐芬蘭”號上擔任航海指揮官，服役於遠東海域；1960年，調到“決心”號戰略導彈核潛艇，任作戰官；1968年，擔任“鰮鯨”號潛艇艇長，被授予海軍中校軍銜，執行全球航行訪問任務。在皇傢海軍的服役期間，他曾率艦沿著偉大的航海傢哥倫布、迪亞斯、卡布拉爾和達·伽馬的航綫行遍世界。退伍之後，他曾多次走訪中國與亞洲各國，專注於研究鄭和率領的中國艦隊先於歐洲航海傢發現新大陸的傳奇旅程。

The brilliance of the Renaissance laid the foundation of the modern world. Textbooks tell us that it came about as a result of a rediscovery of the ideas and ideals of classical Greece and Rome. But now bestselling historian Gavin Menzies makes the startling argument that in the year 1434, China—then the world's most technologically advanced civilization—provided the spark that set the European Renaissance ablaze. From that date onward, Europeans embraced Chinese intellectual ideas, discoveries, and inventions, all of which form the basis of western civilization today.

Florence and Venice of the early fifteenth century were hubs of world trade, attracting traders from across the globe. Based on years of research, this marvelous history argues that a Chinese fleet—official ambassadors of the emperor—arrived in Tuscany in 1434, where they were received by Pope Eugenius IV in Florence. The delegation presented the influential pope with a wealth of Chinese learning from a diverse range of fields: art, geography (including world maps that were passed on to Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan), astronomy, mathematics, printing, architecture, steel manufacturing, military weaponry, and more. This vast treasure trove of knowledge spread across Europe, igniting the legendary inventiveness of the Renaissance, including the work of such geniuses as da Vinci, Copernicus,Galileo, and more.

In 1434, Gavin Menzies combines this long-overdue historical reexamination with the excitement of an investigative adventure. He brings the reader aboard the remarkable Chinese fleet as it sails from China to Cairo and Florence, and then back across the world. Erudite and brilliantly reasoned, 1434 will change the way we see ourselves, our history, and our world.