"1434. The Year a Magnificent Chinese Fleet Sailed to Italy and Ignited the Renaissance" by Gavin Menzies
William Morrow, HarperCollins Publishers e-books | 2008 | ISBN: 0061686993 | 386 pages | PDF | 7 Mb 
The New York Times bestselling author of 1421 offers another stunning reappraisal of history, presenting compelling new evidence that traces the roots of the European Renaissance to Chinese exploration in the fifteenth century. Erudite and brilliantly reasoned, 1434 will change the way we see ourselves, our history, and our world.