Gavin Menzies is the bestselling author of 1421: The Year China Discovered America , 1434: The Year a Magnificent Chinese Fleet Sailed to Italy and Ignited the Renaissance , and The Lost Empire of Atlantis: History's Greatest Mystery Revealed . His ideas have been profiled in the New York Times Magazine and the Wall Street Journal , and he has lectured at the Library of Congress, Royal Geographical Society, National Maritime Museum, and other prestigious venues. He served in the Royal Navy between 1953 and 1970. His knowledge of seafaring and navigation sparked his interest in the epic voyages of Chinese Admiral Zheng He. Menzies lives in London.