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Da Vinci's Ghost : Genius, Obsession, and How Leonardo Created the World in His Own Image by Toby Lester (2012, Hardcover)
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DA VINCI'S GHOST: GENIUS, OBSESSION, AND HOW LEONARDO CREATED THE WORLD IN HIS OWN IMAGE By Toby Lester - Hardcover **BRAND NEW**.
- Compralo SubitoDA VINCI'S GHOST: GENIUS, OBSESSION, AND HOW LEONARDO By Toby Lester - Hardcover
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Informazioni su questo prodotto
Product Identifiers
PublisherFree Press
ISBN-101439189234
ISBN-139781439189238
eBay Product ID (ePID)109068078
Product Key Features
Book TitleDa Vinci's Ghost : Genius, Obsession, and How Leonardo Created the World in His Own Image
Number of Pages304 Pages
LanguageEnglish
TopicIndividual Artists / General, Europe / Renaissance, Historical, History / Renaissance
Publication Year2012
IllustratorYes
GenreArt, Biography & Autobiography, History
AuthorToby Lester
FormatHardcover
Dimensions
Item Height1.1 in
Item Weight19.3 Oz
Item Length9 in
Item Width6 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
LCCN2011-027966
Dewey Edition23
ReviewsPraise for Toby Lester's The Fourth Part of the World "Maps intricate, absurd, fantastical, ridiculous fill this beautiful book, reinforcing Lester's thesis that they tell us as much about their makers as our surroundings. The heretofore unknown fourth part of the world was an enormous, unspoiled continent whose natural resources could be exploited and whose natives could be converted, sold into slavery, or exterminated. Like any train wreck, the controversies of this historical moment fascinate." - The Christian Science Monitor, "Like Da Vinci's famous drawing, Toby Lester's book is a small wondera work of brilliant compression that illuminates a whole world of life and thought. Lester proves himself to be the perfect guide to the Renaissance and beyondaffable, knowledgeable, funny. Leonardo's Virtruvian Man turns out to be a road map that can take us to remarkable placesonce you learn how to read it." Cullen Murphy, editor at large, Vanity Fair, " Da Vinci's Ghost is as ingeniously crafted as one of its namesake's famous inventions. Like Leonardo himself, Toby Lester can take a single sheet of paper-in this case, the most famous drawing in all of art history-and make it teem with stories, characters, insights, and ideas." -Adam Goodheart, author of 1861: A Civil War Awakening, "One of the great contributions of books like this is to keep the reader from taking for granted a familiar object. Lester's detective story has a satisfying number of insights...covers a broad swath of history...[and] braids intellectual threads--philosophy, anatomy, architecture, and art--together in a way that reaffirms not only Leonardo's genius but also re-establishes the significance of historical context in understanding great works of art." --Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review, "Fascinating. Without Toby Lester's fine book, the Waldseemller Map might remain an interesting historical footnote. Instead, one now understands the creation of the map as a world-changing moment, "a birth certificate for the world that came into being in 1492 -- and a death warrant for the one that was there before.'" -- Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "In reconstructing the forgotten story of Vitruvian Man, Toby Lester, a canny decoder of images and a great storyteller, sheds new light on the enigmatic Leonardo DaVinci." -Chris Anderson, Editor in Chief of Wired, author of The Long Tail and Free, "Lester pulls on the threads of Waldseemüller's map and finds an extraordinary braid of influences. [He] builds a cumulative tale of rich, diverse influences that he juggles with gathering speed and showmanship until the whir of detail coalesces into an inspired, imaginative piece of mapmaking." -- San Francisco Chronicle, "An intellectual detective story. By using the [Waldseemller] map as a lens through which to view a nexus of myth, imagination, technology, stupidity, and imperial ambition, Lester has penned a provocative, disarming testament to human ambition and ingenuity." - The Boston Globe, Praise for Toby Lester's Fourth Part of the World “An intellectual detective story. By using the [Waldseem ller] map as a lens through which to view a nexus of myth, imagination, technology, stupidity, and imperial ambition, Lester has penned a provocative, disarming testament to human ambition and ingenuity.â€� The Boston Globe, Praise for Toby Lester's The Fourth Part of the World "Thrilling. Vital to anyone interested in knowing the story of this country. An elegant and thoughtful account of the one morsel of cartographic history that would shake the world's foundations. [Lester's] is a rare and masterly talent." -Simon Winchester, author of, most recently, The Man Who Loved China, Lester pulls on the threads of Waldseemller's map and finds an extraordinary braid of influences. [He] builds a cumulative tale of rich, diverse influences that he juggles with gathering speed and showmanship until the whir of detail coalesces into an inspired, imaginative piece of mapmaking. San Francisco Chronicle|9781439189238|, Compelling ... allows us to see how a group of European Renaissance scholars 'managed to arrive at a new understanding of the world as a whole.' Mr. Lester bravely ventures where few have gone before." The New York Times, "One of the great contributions of books like this is to keep the reader from taking for granted a familiar object. Lester's detective story has a satisfying number of insights…covers a broad swath of history…[and] braids intellectual threads-philosophy, anatomy, architecture, and art-together in a way that reaffirms not only Leonardo's genius but also re-establishes the significance of historical context in understanding great works of art." -Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review, Da Vinci's Ghost is both a beautiful and a brilliant book. After reading Lester's account, you will never be able to look at Leonardo's Vitruvian Man the same way again. -Howard Markel, author of An Anatomy of Addiction, "Erudite, elegant, enthralling. This is a wonderful book. Toby Lester understands, and makes us understand, the unique intensity with which Leonardo saw the world. He saw it not only in its infinite diversity but also as an impression of his own self, an explanation of what it means to be human. Hence Vitruvian Man." -Sister Wendy Beckett, author of The Story of Painting, "Lester pulls on the threads of Waldseemller's map and finds an extraordinary braid of influences. [He] builds a cumulative tale of rich, diverse influences that he juggles with gathering speed and showmanship until the whir of detail coalesces into an inspired, imaginative piece of mapmaking." -- San Francisco Chronicle, Praise for Toby Lester's The Fourth Part of the World: "Perfect for [somebody who] loves biography and nonfiction, particularly idea-driven books like Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel. " - The Wall Street Journal, Maps intricate, absurd, fantastical, ridiculous fill this beautiful book, reinforcing Lester's thesis that they tell us as much about their makers as our surroundings. The heretofore unknown fourth part of the world was an enormous, unspoiled continent whose natural resources could be exploited and whose natives could be converted, sold into slavery, or exterminated. Like any train wreck, the controversies of this historical moment fascinate. - The Christian Science Monitor, Lester captures the passion, curiosity and, at times, the hubris behind the European explorations. His real interest lies in the evolution of Europeans' perception of the world, as reflected by their maps, an approach that works splendidly. To mid-millennial Europeans, there was nothing over the western sea but mystery and legends about islands, monsters and mythical beings. It took courage to sail off into that unknown, and Lester's book offers a clear survey of how people came to understand the world in which they lived. The Washington Post, Praise for Toby Lester's Fourth Part of the World Marvelously imaginative, exhaustively researched. . . . Guiding the reader Virgil-like through the Age of Discovery, Lester introduces a chronologically and conceptually vast array of Great Men (Columbus, Vespucci, Polo, Copernicus, et al.), competing theories, monastic sages, forgotten poets, opportunistic merchants, unfortunate slaves, and more. That he relates it all so cleanly and cogentlyvia elegant prose, relaxed erudition, measured pacing, and purposeful architectureis a feat. That he proffers plentiful visual delights, including detailed views of the legendary document, is a gift. This map, Lester writes, draws you in, reveals itself in stages, and doesnt let go. Nor does this splendid volume. The Atlantic, "One of the great contributions of books like this is to keep the reader from taking for granted a familiar object. Lester's detective story has a satisfying number of insights…covers a broad swath of history…[and] braids intellectual threads-philosophy, anatomy, architecture, and art-together in a way that reaffirms not only Leonardo's genius but also re-establishes the significance of historical context in understanding great works of art." --Publishers Weekly STARRED Review, " Da Vinci's Ghost is as ingeniously crafted as one of its namesake's famous inventions. Like Leonardo himself, Toby Lester can take a single sheet of paper-in this case, the most famous drawing in all of art history-and make it teem with stories, characters, insights, and ideas." -Adam Goodheart, author of 1861: The Civil War Awakening, Praise for Toby Lester's The Fourth Part of the World "Compelling ... allows us to see how a group of European Renaissance scholars 'managed to arrive at a new understanding of the world as a whole.' Mr. Lester bravely ventures where few have gone before." - The New York Times, "Thrilling. Vital to anyone interested in knowing the story of this country. An elegant and thoughtful account of the one morsel of cartographic history that would shake the world's foundations. [Lester's] is a rare and masterly talent." -Simon Winchester, author of, most recently, The Man Who Loved China, "Every once in a while that rare book comes along that is not only wonderfully written and utterly compelling but also alters the way you perceive the world. Toby Lester's "Da Vinci's Ghost" is such a book. Like a detective, Lester uncovers the secrets of an iconic drawing and pieces together a magisterial history of art and ideas and beauty." -David Grann, author of The Lost City of Z, Praise for Toby Lester's The Fourth Part of the World “Thrilling. Vital to anyone interested in knowing the story of this country. An elegant and thoughtful account of the one morsel of cartographic history that would shake the world's foundations. [Lester's] is a rare and masterly talent." Simon Winchester, author of, most recently, The Man Who Loved China, Praise for Toby Lester's The Fourth Part of the World “Maps intricate, absurd, fantastical, ridiculous fill this beautiful book, reinforcing Lester’s thesis that they tell us as much about their makers as our surroundings. The heretofore unknown fourth part of the world was an enormous, unspoiled continent whose natural resources could be exploited and whose natives could be converted, sold into slavery, or exterminated. Like any train wreck, the controversies of this historical moment fascinate.â€� The Christian Science Monitor, "In reconstructing the forgotten story of Vitruvian Man, Toby Lester, a canny decoder of images and a great storyteller, sheds new light on the enigmatic Leonardo DaVinci." Chris Anderson, Editor in Chief of Wired, author of The Long Tail and Free, "Erudite, elegant, enthralling. This is a wonderful book. Toby Lester understands, and makes us understand, the unique intensity with which Leonardo saw the world. He saw it not only in its infinite diversity but also as an impression of his own self, an explanation of what it means to be human. Hence Vitruvian Man." --Sister Wendy Beckett, author of The Story of Painting, Da Vincis Ghost is both a beautiful and a brilliant book. After reading Lesters account, you will never be able to look at Leonardos Vitruvian Man the same way again. Howard Markel, author of An Anatomy of Addiction, Praise for Toby Lester's The Fourth Part of the World “Lester captures the passion, curiosity and, at times, the hubris behind the European explorations. His real interest lies in the evolution of Europeans' perception of the world, as reflected by their maps, an approach that works splendidly. To mid-millennial Europeans, there was nothing over the western sea but mystery and legends about islands, monsters and mythical beings. It took courage to sail off into that unknown, and Lester's book offers a clear survey of how people came to understand the world in which they lived.â€� The Washington Post, "Every once in a while that rare book comes along that is not only wonderfully written and utterly compelling but also alters the way you perceive the world. Toby Lester's "Da Vinci's Ghost" is such a book. Like a detective, Lester uncovers the secrets of an iconic drawing and pieces together a magisterial history of art and ideas and beauty." --David Grann, author of The Lost City of Z, Like almost everyone, I've seen Leonardo's drawing of the nude man in the circle. But until I read Toby Lester's terrific new book, I had no idea about the story behind the pictureor even that there *was* a story behind the picture. Deftly weaving together art, architecture, history, theology and much else, Da Vinci's Ghost is a first-rate intellectual enchantment. Charles Mann, author of 1493, Compelling ... allows us to see how a group of European Renaissance scholars 'managed to arrive at a new understanding of the world as a whole.' Mr. Lester bravely ventures where few have gone before." - The New York Times, Praise for Toby Lester's The Fourth Part of the World "Fascinating. Without Toby Lester's fine book, the WaldseemÜller Map might remain an interesting historical footnote. Instead, one now understands the creation of the map as a world-changing moment, "a birth certificate for the world that came into being in 1492 -- and a death warrant for the one that was there before.'" - Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "Lester captures the passion, curiosity and, at times, the hubris behind the European explorations. His real interest lies in the evolution of Europeans' perception of the world, as reflected by their maps, an approach that works splendidly. To mid-millennial Europeans, there was nothing over the western sea but mystery and legends about islands, monsters and mythical beings. It took courage to sail off into that unknown, and Lester's book offers a clear survey of how people came to understand the world in which they lived." - The Washington Post, An intellectual detective story. By using the [Waldseemller] map as a lens through which to view a nexus of myth, imagination, technology, stupidity, and imperial ambition, Lester has penned a provocative, disarming testament to human ambition and ingenuity. The Boston Globe, Lester captures the passion, curiosity and, at times, the hubris behind the European explorations. His real interest lies in the evolution of Europeans' perception of the world, as reflected by their maps, an approach that works splendidly. To mid-millennial Europeans, there was nothing over the western sea but mystery and legends about islands, monsters and mythical beings. It took courage to sail off into that unknown, and Lester's book offers a clear survey of how people came to understand the world in which they lived. - The Washington Post, "Thrilling. Vital to anyone interested in knowing the story of this country. An elegant and thoughtful account of the one morsel of cartographic history that would shake the world's foundations. [Lester's] is a rare and masterly talent." --Simon Winchester, author of, most recently, The Man Who Loved China, "Like Da Vinci's famous drawing, Toby Lester's book is a small wonder-a work of brilliant compression that illuminates a whole world of life and thought. Lester proves himself to be the perfect guide to the Renaissance and beyond-affable, knowledgeable, funny. Leonardo's Virtruvian Man turns out to be a road map that can take us to remarkable places-once you learn how to read it." -Cullen Murphy, editor at large, Vanity Fair, Praise for Toby Lester's The Fourth Part of the World "Lester pulls on the threads of WaldseemÜller's map and finds an extraordinary braid of influences. [He] builds a cumulative tale of rich, diverse influences that he juggles with gathering speed and showmanship until the whir of detail coalesces into an inspired, imaginative piece of mapmaking." - San Francisco Chronicle", "One of the great contributions of books like this is to keep the reader from taking for granted a familiar object. Lester's detective story has a satisfying number of insights...covers a broad swath of history...[and] braids intellectual threads-philosophy, anatomy, architecture, and art-together in a way that reaffirms not only Leonardo's genius but also re-establishes the significance of historical context in understanding great works of art." -Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review, "Every once in a while that rare book comes along that is not only wonderfully written and utterly compelling but also alters the way you perceive the world. Toby Lesters Da Vinci's Ghost is such a book. Like a detective, Lester uncovers the secrets of an iconic drawing and pieces together a magisterial history of art and ideas and beauty." David Grann, author of The Lost City of Z, Praise for The Fourth Part of the World "One of this year's most captivating and richly detailed histories." - The News Tribune, Fascinating. Without Toby Lester's fine book, the Waldseemüller Map might remain an interesting historical footnote. Instead, one now understands the creation of the map as a world-changing moment, "a birth certificate for the world that came into being in 1492 -- and a death warrant for the one that was there before.'" - Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "Maps - intricate, absurd, fantastical, ridiculous - fill this beautiful book, reinforcing Lester's thesis that they tell us as much about their makers as our surroundings. The heretofore unknown fourth part of the world was an enormous, unspoiled continent whose natural resources could be exploited and whose natives could be converted, sold into slavery, or exterminated. Like any train wreck, the controversies of this historical moment fascinate." - The Christian Science Monitor, "Compelling ... allows us to see how a group of European Renaissance scholars 'managed to arrive at a new understanding of the world as a whole.' Mr. Lester bravely ventures where few have gone before." -- The New York Times, "Lester pulls on the threads of Waldseemüller's map and finds an extraordinary braid of influences. [He] builds a cumulative tale of rich, diverse influences that he juggles with gathering speed and showmanship until the whir of detail coalesces into an inspired, imaginative piece of mapmaking." - San Francisco Chronicle, Praise for The Fourth Part of the World “One of this year's most captivating and richly detailed histories." The News Tribune, "An intellectual detective story. By using the [WaldseemÜller] map as a lens through which to view a nexus of myth, imagination, technology, stupidity, and imperial ambition, Lester has penned a provocative, disarming testament to human ambition and ingenuity." - The Boston Globe, "Like Da Vinci's famous drawing, Toby Lester's book is a small wonder--a work of brilliant compression that illuminates a whole world of life and thought. Lester proves himself to be the perfect guide to the Renaissance and beyond--affable, knowledgeable, funny. Leonardo's Virtruvian Man turns out to be a road map that can take us to remarkable places--once you learn how to read it." --Cullen Murphy, editor at large, Vanity Fair, Praise for Toby Lester's Fourth Part of the World "Marvelously imaginative, exhaustively researched. . . . Guiding the reader Virgil-like through the Age of Discovery, Lester introduces a chronologically and conceptually vast array of Great Men (Columbus, Vespucci, Polo, Copernicus, et al.), competing theories, monastic sages, forgotten poets, opportunistic merchants, unfortunate slaves, and more. That he relates it all so cleanly and cogently-via elegant prose, relaxed erudition, measured pacing, and purposeful architecture-is a feat. That he proffers plentiful visual delights, including detailed views of the legendary document, is a gift. This map, Lester writes, 'draws you in, reveals itself in stages, and doesn't let go.' Nor does this splendid volume." - The Atlantic, Maps intricate, absurd, fantastical, ridiculous fill this beautiful book, reinforcing Lesters thesis that they tell us as much about their makers as our surroundings. The heretofore unknown fourth part of the world was an enormous, unspoiled continent whose natural resources could be exploited and whose natives could be converted, sold into slavery, or exterminated. Like any train wreck, the controversies of this historical moment fascinate. The Christian Science Monitor, Da Vinci's Ghost is as ingeniously crafted as one of its namesake's famous inventions. Like Leonardo himself, Toby Lester can take a single sheet of paper-in this case, the most famous drawing in all of art history-and make it teem with stories, characters, insights, and ideas. -Adam Goodheart, author of 1861: The Civil War Awakening, Praise for Toby Lester's Fourth Part of the World “Marvelously imaginative, exhaustively researched. . . . Guiding the reader Virgil-like through the Age of Discovery, Lester introduces a chronologically and conceptually vast array of Great Men (Columbus, Vespucci, Polo, Copernicus, et al.), competing theories, monastic sages, forgotten poets, opportunistic merchants, unfortunate slaves, and more. That he relates it all so cleanly and cogentlyvia elegant prose, relaxed erudition, measured pacing, and purposeful architectureis a feat. That he proffers plentiful visual delights, including detailed views of the legendary document, is a gift. This map, Lester writes, ‘draws you in, reveals itself in stages, and doesn’t let go.’ Nor does this splendid volume.â€� The Atlantic, " Da Vinci's Ghost is as ingeniously crafted as one of its namesake's famous inventions. Like Leonardo himself, Toby Lester can take a single sheet of paper--in this case, the most famous drawing in all of art history--and make it teem with stories, characters, insights, and ideas." --Adam Goodheart, author of 1861: The Civil War Awakening, Praise for Toby Lester's The Fourth Part of the World "Lester captures the passion, curiosity and, at times, the hubris behind the European explorations. His real interest lies in the evolution of Europeans' perception of the world, as reflected by their maps, an approach that works splendidly. To mid-millennial Europeans, there was nothing over the western sea but mystery and legends about islands, monsters and mythical beings. It took courage to sail off into that unknown, and Lester's book offers a clear survey of how people came to understand the world in which they lived." - The Washington Post, "An intellectual detective story. By using the [Waldseemüller] map as a lens through which to view a nexus of myth, imagination, technology, stupidity, and imperial ambition, Lester has penned a provocative, disarming testament to human ambition and ingenuity." -- The Boston Globe, Da Vincis Ghost is as ingeniously crafted as one of its namesakes famous inventions. Like Leonardo himself, Toby Lester can take a single sheet of paperin this case, the most famous drawing in all of art historyand make it teem with stories, characters, insights, and ideas. Adam Goodheart, author of 1861:The Civil War Awakening, " Da Vinci's Ghost is both a beautiful and a brilliant book. After reading Lester's account, you will never be able to look at Leonardo's Vitruvian Man the same way again." --Howard Markel, author of An Anatomy of Addiction, One of the great contributions of books like this is to keep the reader from taking for granted a familiar object. Lester's detective story has a satisfying number of insights…covers a broad swath of history…[and] braids intellectual threads-philosophy, anatomy, architecture, and art-together in a way that reaffirms not only Leonardo's genius but also re-establishes the significance of historical context in understanding great works of art. -Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review, "Erudite, elegant, enthralling. This is a wonderful book. Toby Lester understands, and makes us understand, the unique intensity with which Leonardo saw the world. He saw it not only in its infinite diversity but also as an impression of his own self, an explanation of what it means to be human. Hence Vitruvian Man." Sister Wendy Beckett, author of The Story of Painting, Praise for Toby Lester's Fourth Part of the World "An intellectual detective story. By using the [WaldseemÜller] map as a lens through which to view a nexus of myth, imagination, technology, stupidity, and imperial ambition, Lester has penned a provocative, disarming testament to human ambition and ingenuity." - The Boston Globe, Praise for Toby Lester's The Fourth Part of the World “Fascinating. Without Toby Lester's fine book, the Waldseem ller Map might remain an interesting historical footnote. Instead, one now understands the creation of the map as a world-changing moment, "a birth certificate for the world that came into being in 1492 -- and a death warrant for the one that was there before.’" Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Praise for Toby Lester's The Fourth Part of the World "Lester pulls on the threads of Waldseem ller's map and finds an extraordinary braid of influences. [He] builds a cumulative tale of rich, diverse influences that he juggles with gathering speed and showmanship until the whir of detail coalesces into an inspired, imaginative piece of mapmaking.â€� San Francisco Chronicle", "Maps - intricate, absurd, fantastical, ridiculous - fill this beautiful book, reinforcing Lester's thesis that they tell us as much about their makers as our surroundings. The heretofore unknown fourth part of the world was an enormous, unspoiled continent whose natural resources could be exploited and whose natives could be converted, sold into slavery, or exterminated. Like any train wreck, the controversies of this historical moment fascinate." -- The Christian Science Monitor, "Fascinating. Without Toby Lester's fine book, the Waldseemüller Map might remain an interesting historical footnote. Instead, one now understands the creation of the map as a world-changing moment, "a birth certificate for the world that came into being in 1492 -- and a death warrant for the one that was there before.'" -- Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "Compelling ... allows us to see how a group of European Renaissance scholars 'managed to arrive at a new understanding of the world as a whole.' Mr. Lester bravely ventures where few have gone before." -- The New York Times, Perfect for [somebody who] loves biography and nonfiction, particularly idea-driven books like Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel. - The Wall Street Journal, "Lester pulls on the threads of Waldseemller's map and finds an extraordinary braid of influences. [He] builds a cumulative tale of rich, diverse influences that he juggles with gathering speed and showmanship until the whir of detail coalesces into an inspired, imaginative piece of mapmaking." - San Francisco Chronicle, "In reconstructing the forgotten story of Vitruvian Man, Toby Lester, a canny decoder of images and a great storyteller, sheds new light on the enigmatic Leonardo DaVinci." --Chris Anderson, Editor in Chief of Wired, author of The Long Tail and Free, "An intellectual detective story. By using the [Waldseemller] map as a lens through which to view a nexus of myth, imagination, technology, stupidity, and imperial ambition, Lester has penned a provocative, disarming testament to human ambition and ingenuity." -- The Boston Globe, "An intellectual detective story. By using the [Waldseemüller] map as a lens through which to view a nexus of myth, imagination, technology, stupidity, and imperial ambition, Lester has penned a provocative, disarming testament to human ambition and ingenuity." -- The Boston Globe, Perfect for [somebody who] loves biography and nonfiction, particularly idea-driven books like Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel. The Wall Street Journal, " Da Vinci's Ghost is both a beautiful and a brilliant book. After reading Lester's account, you will never be able to look at Leonardo's Vitruvian Man the same way again." -Howard Markel, author of An Anatomy of Addiction, Lester pulls on the threads of Waldseemüller's map and finds an extraordinary braid of influences. [He] builds a cumulative tale of rich, diverse influences that he juggles with gathering speed and showmanship until the whir of detail coalesces into an inspired, imaginative piece of mapmaking. - San Francisco Chronicle|9781439189238|, One of the great contributions of books like this is to keep the reader from taking for granted a familiar object. Lesters detective story has a satisfying number of insightscovers a broad swath of history[and] braids intellectual threadsphilosophy, anatomy, architecture, and arttogether in a way that reaffirms not only Leonardos genius but also re-establishes the significance of historical context in understanding great works of art. Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review, Praise for Toby Lester's Fourth Part of the World "Marvelously imaginative, exhaustively researched. . . . Guiding the reader Virgil-like through the Age of Discovery, Lester introduces a chronologically and conceptually vast array of Great Men (Columbus, Vespucci, Polo, Copernicus, et al.), competing theories, monastic sages, forgotten poets, opportunistic merchants, unfortunate slaves, and more. That he relates it all so cleanly and cogently--via elegant prose, relaxed erudition, measured pacing, and purposeful architecture--is a feat. That he proffers plentiful visual delights, including detailed views of the legendary document, is a gift. This map, Lester writes, 'draws you in, reveals itself in stages, and doesn't let go.' Nor does this splendid volume." -- The Atlantic, " Da Vinci's Ghost is as ingeniously crafted as one of its namesake's famous inventions. Like Leonardo himself, Toby Lester can take a single sheet of paper--in this case, the most famous drawing in all of art history--and make it teem with stories, characters, insights, and ideas." --Adam Goodheart, author of 1861: The Civil War Awakening, Praise for Toby Lester's The Fourth Part of the World: “Perfect for [somebody who] loves biography and nonfiction, particularly idea-driven books like Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel. â€� The Wall Street Journal, "In reconstructing the forgotten story of Vitruvian Man, Toby Lester, a canny decoder of images and a great storyteller, sheds new light on the enigmatic Leonardo DaVinci." --Chris Anderson, Editor in Chief of Wired, author of The Long Tail and Free, "Fascinating. Without Toby Lester's fine book, the Waldseemller Map might remain an interesting historical footnote. Instead, one now understands the creation of the map as a world-changing moment, "a birth certificate for the world that came into being in 1492 -- and a death warrant for the one that was there before.'" - Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "Erudite, elegant, enthralling. This is a wonderful book. Toby Lester understands, and makes us understand, the unique intensity with which Leonardo saw the world. He saw it not only in its infinite diversity but also as an impression of his own self, an explanation of what it means to be human. Hence Vitruvian Man." --Sister Wendy Beckett, author of The Story of Painting, "Every once in a while that rare book comes along that is not only wonderfully written and utterly compelling but also alters the way you perceive the world. Toby Lester's "Da Vinci's Ghost" is such a book. Like a detective, Lester uncovers the secrets of an iconic drawing and pieces together a magisterial history of art and ideas and beauty." --David Grann, author of The Lost City of Z, "Every once in a while that rare book comes along that is not only wonderfully written and utterly compelling but also alters the way you perceive the world. Toby Lester's Da Vinci's Ghost is such a book. Like a detective, Lester uncovers the secrets of an iconic drawing and pieces together a magisterial history of art and ideas and beauty." -David Grann, author of The Lost City of Z, "Perfect for [somebody who] loves biography and nonfiction, particularly idea-driven books like Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel. " - The Wall Street Journal, "Lester captures the passion, curiosity and, at times, the hubris behind the European explorations. His real interest lies in the evolution of Europeans' perception of the world, as reflected by their maps, an approach that works splendidly. To mid-millennial Europeans, there was nothing over the western sea but mystery and legends about islands, monsters and mythical beings. It took courage to sail off into that unknown, and Lester's book offers a clear survey of how people came to understand the world in which they lived." -- The Washington Post, Thrilling. Vital to anyone interested in knowing the story of this country. An elegant and thoughtful account of the one morsel of cartographic history that would shake the world's foundations. [Lester's] is a rare and masterly talent." Simon Winchester, author of, most recently, The Man Who Loved China, "Thrilling. Vital to anyone interested in knowing the story of this country. An elegant and thoughtful account of the one morsel of cartographic history that would shake the world's foundations. [Lester's] is a rare and masterly talent." --Simon Winchester, author of, most recently, The Man Who Loved China, "Like almost everyone, I've seen Leonardo's drawing of the nude man in the circle. But until I read Toby Lester's terrific new book, I had no idea about the story behind the picture-or even that there *was* a story behind the picture. Deftly weaving together art, architecture, history, theology and much else, Da Vinci's Ghost is a first-rate intellectual enchantment." -Charles Mann, author of 1493, "Like almost everyone, I've seen Leonardo's drawing of the nude man in the circle. But until I read Toby Lester's terrific new book, I had no idea about the story behind the picture--or even that there *was* a story behind the picture. Deftly weaving together art, architecture, history, theology and much else, Da Vinci's Ghost is a first-rate intellectual enchantment." --Charles Mann, author of 1493, "Compelling ... allows us to see how a group of European Renaissance scholars 'managed to arrive at a new understanding of the world as a whole.' Mr. Lester bravely ventures where few have gone before." - The New York Times, Fascinating. Without Toby Lester's fine book, the Waldseemller Map might remain an interesting historical footnote. Instead, one now understands the creation of the map as a world-changing moment, "a birth certificate for the world that came into being in 1492 -- and a death warrant for the one that was there before." Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "Perfect for [somebody who] loves biography and nonfiction, particularly idea-driven books like Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel. " -- The Wall Street Journal, Praise for Toby Lester's The Fourth Part of the World “Compelling ... allows us to see how a group of European Renaissance scholars 'managed to arrive at a new understanding of the world as a whole.' Mr. Lester bravely ventures where few have gone before." The New York Times, An intellectual detective story. By using the [Waldseemüller] map as a lens through which to view a nexus of myth, imagination, technology, stupidity, and imperial ambition, Lester has penned a provocative, disarming testament to human ambition and ingenuity. - The Boston Globe, "Fascinating. Without Toby Lester's fine book, the Waldseemüller Map might remain an interesting historical footnote. Instead, one now understands the creation of the map as a world-changing moment, "a birth certificate for the world that came into being in 1492 -- and a death warrant for the one that was there before.'" - Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Dewey Decimal741.092
SynopsisIn Da Vinci's Ghost , critically acclaimed historian Toby Lester tells the story of the world's most iconic image, the Vitruvian Man, and sheds surprising new light on the artistry and scholarship of Leonardo da Vinci, one of history's most fascinating figures. Deftly weaving together art, architecture, history, theology, and much else, Da Vinci's Ghost is a first-rate intellectual enchantment." -- Charles Mann, author of 1493 Da Vinci didn't summon Vitruvian Man out of thin air. He was inspired by the idea originally formulated by the Roman architect Vitruvius, who suggested that the human body could be made to fit inside a circle, long associated with the divine, and a square, related to the earthly and secular. To place a man inside those shapes was to imply that the human body could indeed be a blueprint for the workings of the universe. Da Vinci elevated Vitruvius' idea to exhilarating heights when he set out to do something unprecedented, if the human body truly reflected the cosmos, he reasoned, then studying its anatomy more thoroughly than had ever been attempted before--peering deep into body and soul--might grant him an almost godlike perspective on the makeup of the world. Written with the same narrative flair and intellectual sweep as Lester's award-winning first book, the "almost unbearably thrilling" (Simon Winchester) Fourth Part of the World, and beautifully illustrated with Da Vinci's drawings, Da Vinci's Ghost follows Da Vinci on his journey to understanding the secrets of the Vitruvian man. It captures a pivotal time in Western history when the Middle Ages were giving way to the Renaissance, when art, science, and philosophy were rapidly converging, and when it seemed possible that a single human being might embody--and even understand--the nature of the universe.
LC Classification NumberNC257.L4A78 2012
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