Sir John Mandeville
~14th century · English (possibly fictional) · Late Medieval
Known for: Author of the most popular medieval travel book—mostly fabricated but enormously influential, inspiring Columbus himself
Mandeville claimed to be an English knight who traveled to the Holy Land, India, China, and beyond. His account describes headless men, one-footed giants, and fountains of youth alongside accurate descriptions of real places.
Most scholars believe the author was a French-speaking compiler who had never traveled, drawing on earlier accounts. Despite its fabrications, the book was enormously popular—it was carried by Columbus. The medieval internet of misinformation.
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