Overview

"In 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."

Full Product Details

9781439189238

Table of Contents

Reviews

Praise for Toby Lester's Fourth Part of the World <p> 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. <p> -- The Atlantic <p>

Praise for Toby Lester's The Fourth Part of the World: <p><p> Perfect for [somebody who] loves biography and nonfiction, particularly idea-driven books like Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel. <p> -- The Wall Street Journal<p>

Praise for Toby Lester's The Fourth Part of the World<p> <p> Fascinating. Without Toby Lester's fine book, the Waldseemuller 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.' <p> -- Minneapolis Star-Tribune<p><p>

Author Information

"Toby Lester is a contributing editor to and has written extensively for ""The Atlantic."" A former Peace Corps volunteer and United Nations observer, he lives in the Boston area with his wife and three daughters. His previous book, ""The Fourth Part of the Wo""rld (2009), about the map that gave America its name, was a finalist for the Barnes & Noble Discover New Writers Award and was picked as a Book of the Year by several other publications. His work has also appeared on the radio program ""This American Life."""

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available