History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

Great Book
Excellent
Just what I wanted
Noteworthy notebooks
Gift

Leonardo's Notebooks
Leonardo da Vinci , and H. Anna Suh
Manufacturer: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1579124577

Book Description

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) possessed arguably the greatest mind the world has ever known. Artist, draftsman, inventor, and philosopher, his contributions to modern society are profound and wide-reaching. Throughout his life, Leonardo kept dozens of notebooks, elegant studies on topics ranging from architecture to botany to philosophy—indeed nearly anything of which the human imagination could conceive.

Leonardo’s Notebooks collects a variety of the most fascinating of these studies and compiles them into one monumental volume that demystifies his insights and clearly illustrates his ideas, experiments, and observations with hundreds of his original sketches, line drawings, and paintings. Topics include Anatomy and the Movement of the Human Figure; Botany and Landscape; Engineering and Military Engineering; Physical Sciences; Aerodynamics and Flight; Geography—and more.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2007-09-16

This is a great book that I had been looking forward to getting for a while. The images and writting is good, although a bit hard to understand at times. The ONLY problem I have with this book that gets it a 4 out of 5 stars for me is the fact that it is so tall and wide. Granted it makes looking at the pictures much easier but it also makes storage of this book MUCH harder. The book is to tall to stand on any but the top shelf on all of my book shelfs and it is so wide that it protudes from the edge of the shelf.

Don't let this distract you from getting this book however. It's detailed pictures are wonderful considering the orginal size of the works and the translations help with the reading. There's a section for each catagory, such as anatomy and lighting, which really helps if you want to look at certain types of works. The greatness of these pictures will have you looking at each page for hours, just to see all the details.

I would suggest this book for anyone from an art lover to a history fanatic. I use it as a reference book for one of my drawing classes. It's a great buy for anyone and everyone.

Excellent.......2007-08-21

Not one single problem with this book, I would recomend buying it for anyone anytime

Just what I wanted.......2007-06-27

I have always wanted a book just with Leonardo's sketches and annotation. Printed on beautiful paper and in great detail. This is a wonderful book, that I will draw much inspiration from.

Noteworthy notebooks.......2007-02-23

If you enjoy researching from old documents, you will enjoy this book. It isn't an easy read, however, if you're looking for just an armchair novel. Leonardo had his opinions on many subjects, and wrote fairly technically. The drawings are wonderful, as you might expect, and the diversity of subjects gives the reader a glimpse into his wide range of interests.

Gift.......2007-01-15

This was a Christmas gift for my father. He liked the background detail and all the glossy pages of artwork.

Average customer rating:

Fantastic
A beautiful book!
Another life for Botticelli

Botticelli: Life and Work
Ronald Lightbown
Manufacturer: Abbeville Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0896599310

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic.......2006-02-27

This book is worth the money if only for the reproductions. Lots of large plates with a lot of close ups as well. If you only want one book on Botticelli this would be a good one.

A beautiful book!.......2005-08-14

This is fascinating book about the life of Botticelli and techniques he used. The reproductions are wonderful, including some close-ups of characters from selected paintings. I recently returned from Italy, and having viewed many of these paintings at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence makes the reading and the beautiful color plates throughout the book all the more enjoyable. I would highly recommend this book to fans of Renaissance art.

Another life for Botticelli.......2003-11-03

In the life of Sandro Botticelli, Lightbown does not remark the big season of secret science that linked several artists in and around Florence.
This science that today we can call "esoterism" come from the recent middle age and increased in Florence his importance.
The Great Lorenzo dei Medici was one of the most important men of this matter.

Average customer rating:

Absolutly great book
Wondorous Pictures

Botticelli
Frank Zollner
Manufacturer: Prestel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3791332724

Book Description

Featuring more than two hundred full-color illustrations, this opulent celebration of the life and art of the Renaissance genius covers Sandro Botticelli's complete paintings.

Botticelli is one of the most beloved figures of the Renaissance period and his seductive Venus and graceful Primavera are among the world's most recognizable works of art. This large-format catalogue raisonné of Botticelli's paintings by the distinguished Renaissance art historian Frank Zöllner is highlighted by meticulous scholarship and breathtaking illustrations. Presented in chronological order, the facts of Botticelli's life and career are insightfully discussed against the background of the artistic upheaval that marked the Renaissance period. The artist's reinterpretations of ancient myths as well as his religious paintings are thoughtfully explored in this sumptuously illustrated volume, which make this a comprehensive and thoroughly up-to-date study that will please scholars and delight lovers of fine books everywhere.

Customer Reviews:

Absolutly great book.......2007-05-09

The quality of photos of the paintings is very good. The book is a bit oversized so it may not fit most bookshelfs but for art lovers it is a must have.

Wondorous Pictures.......2005-12-07

Turgid German scholarship locked into tracing classical sources cannot conceive the creative brilliance which is such a feature of Florentine Renaissance art, surpassing all others. Moreover, thoroughness is a means, not a virtue. The illustrations, by contrast, are brilliant.

On Leon Battista Alberti: His Literary and Aesthetic Theories

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Swimming in Tar
Swimming in Tar

On Leon Battista Alberti: His Literary and Aesthetic Theories
Mark Jarzombek
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0262100428

Book Description

Listen to Alberti's voice. This is what Mark Jarzombek has done in studying virtually all of Alberti's writings on philosophy, ethics, aesthetics architecture, and literature. Jarzombek's thorough grasp of Alberti's thought and painstaking analysis of his elusive identity transform our image of this remarkable man carving out a new place for Alberti in literary theory, art history, and Renaissance scholarship.

Instead of warming over the stereotypes of Alberti as a "universal man" or as a proponent of "civic Humanism," Jarzombek explores Alberti's views on the relationship between the writer and society. He asserts that, while Alberti was indeed an architect, an art theorist and a man of letters, he was above all a theoretician of writing: "Everywhere one turns, the problems of writing, authorship and textuality seem to appear, from his first writings... to his last."

Jarzombek, opening the possibilities for a different type of discussion of Alberti and of such major works as De pictura and De re aedificatora, places Alberti more accurately within the context of his times and clarifies the intertextual relationship among his works. Jarzombek's investigation brings to light themes that have remained hidden in the complex world of Alberti's speculations

The Alberti of Jarzombeks book is an outsider struggling to resolve conflicting impulses of pessimism and hope. He is also a profound and willful thinker who, while amalgamating contemporary trends, did not endorse them but countered with a cosmological philosophy of his own.

Mark Jarzombek is Assistant Professor of Architectural History at Cornell University.

Customer Reviews:

Swimming in Tar.......2001-08-22

I am disappointed to see this book catalogued, once again, under architecture theory. I don't know where to file it, but not here. It is a dense conglomerate of interpretations of and anachronistic projections onto the theories of Alberti. As such it deals with architecture only tangentially. Even specialists in Architecture theory and history will find the writing opaque, pointlessly recondite, and unfocused. Paragraphs are divided at apparent random, sentences bury the principal clause deep in strata of grad-school gobbledygook, and even the most lucid statements require excavation. If there were some brilliant insight to redeam the writing, I might suspend disbelief, but nowhere does M.J. treat us to an IDEA. The whole piece reads like a Master's thesis. The value of the book lies in it's openminded rethinking of traditional assumptions in Alberti scholarship. Most of these, including the idea that Alberti was a sort of proto-modern in his theory (as I read it anyway) seem somewhere between provocative and wild. Some are exciting. But I am left feeling that M.J. has mostly just used Alberti as a lense for modern theory. This is not required reading. Don't bother.

Swimming in Tar.......2001-08-22

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Piero Della Francesca
Jacqueline Guillaud
Manufacturer: Clarkson Potter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0517571110
Release Date: 1988-11-22

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Tintoretto

Manufacturer: Paul Holberton publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1903470463

Book Description

Jacopo Tintoretto was recognized in his own lifetime as an extraordinarily prolific and bold painter, and his status as one of the great Renaissance painters is unchallenged. With Titian and Veronese, Tintoretto shared a new pictorial language characterized by bravura brushwork, but he went further by creating a style that synthesized Tuscan and Venetian techniques, combining Titian's very loose brushwork and Michelangelo's draftsmanship. Tintoretto perfected an extraordinarily efficient production system that enabled him to generate an impressive volume of paintings. The present book is based on a very thorough examination of fifty paintings and twenty drawings that enable readers to appreciate the originality and true artistic personality of one of the most outstanding painters in the history of art. Beautifully produced, it is a landmark publiciaton on Tintoretto, attempting to explain how and why he painted in the way he did—both unsettling and fascinating his contemporaries. It investigates particularly his "model theatres."

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Magnificent Book

Pieter Bruegel
Philippe Roberts-Jones
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0810935317

Book Description

Famous for his robust scenes of peasant life and his incomparable mountain landscapes, the beloved 16th-century artist Pieter Bruegel is generally considered the greatest Flemish painter of the Renaissance. This book, the most up-to-date monograph on Bruegel, incorporates the latest art-historical research and new information gleaned from recent restoration of his work. The authors, an art historian and a painting conservator, each bring their special expertise to bear on the many outstanding questions about the artist's life, technique, and the often enigmatic meaning of his paintings.

Bruegel's enduring appeal brought huge crowds to a recent show of his drawings at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Lavishly illustrated not only with Bruegel's paintings, drawings, and engravings but also with telling details and archival material rarely or never shown elsewhere, this sumptuous book on this enormously popular artist will find a wide audience.

Customer Reviews:

Magnificent Book.......2003-09-27

Pieter Bruegel Elder is a very well known and hugely influential artist, whose relatively small body of survived through centuries paintings and graphics are incredibly important for the art as whole, and that magnificent book - written with deep respect and admiration to the great flemish master is a definite must have to anyone who is intersted in art history and beyond.What impressed me the most in that excellent reference to the Bruegel's time, art and life is a quality of reproduction of the art work-its really,really great-accurate,vibrant and crisp.

The Lives of the Artists (Oxford World's Classics)

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A must for any art historian
Works and lives of great masters by their contemporary
Mainly a Scholar's Tool
Magnanimous Homage to Giants of Italian Art!
A great classic

The Lives of the Artists (Oxford World's Classics)
Giorgio Vasari
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 019283410X

Book Description

These biographies of the great quattrocento artists have long been considered among the most important of contemporary sources on Italian Renaissance art. Vasari, who invented the term "Renaissance," was the first to outline the influential theory of Renaissance art that traces a progression
through Giotto, Brunelleschi, and finally the titanic figures of Michaelangelo, Da Vinci, and Raphael. This new translation, specially commissioned for the World's Classics series, contains thirty-six of the most important lives and is fully annotated.

Customer Reviews:

A must for any art historian.......2007-03-08

This book was a text for a grad school seminar I had. After nearly 500 years, Vasari remains the best "eyewitness" to the lives and works of his contemporary artists. Although he does take some liberties, such as trying to fit many artists into the traditional hero mold of child prodigy/discovered by master/quickly surpasses master, he also gives us a glimpse into the glorious time that shaped so many artistic geniuses.

Works and lives of great masters by their contemporary.......2006-08-06

"Do you admire a beautiful tower resounding with sacred sound?
By my design this tower also reached for the stars.
But I am Giotto, why cite such deeds?
My name alone is worth a lengthy ode."
[From the Live of Giotto di Bondone]
Classic masterpiece containing selection of lives of famous Italian masters of art, written by their (almost) conterporary. This work is tedious and difficult to read at times (Vasari is describing at length all importatnt works of old masters). But still, this account is valuable for particular details about techniques used by old masters or condidtions under which their masterpieces were created... Kind regards, Mario.

Mainly a Scholar's Tool.......2005-05-10

Vasari's classic text is well written (translated, I guess I should say) but extremely tiresome. For nearly every artist he simply lists their works, and rarely with more analysis than by describing them as "life-like" or "beautiful." For example, here is what he says about Titian's Assumption of the Virgin in Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice, one of his most famous and celebrated paintings: "He did a panel for the main altar containing Our Lady ascending into heaven, with the twelve apostles standing below her and watching her ascent, but since this work was painted on canvas and perhaps poorly cared for, little of it can be seen." That's it. The only exception to his utter factual tediousness is Michelangelo's Life, where, although he goes into almost no description of the works themselves besides his characteristic fulsomeness, he does provide some interesting anecdotes. If you are looking to understand and analyze Renaissance art than this book will not help you. If you are looking to engage in scholarly debate over the origins and documentations of the discussed works then you should probably read the original, unedited version in Italian anyway.

Magnanimous Homage to Giants of Italian Art!.......2005-02-15

Vasari's LIVES has lived for over 450 years, and it's easy to see why! From Cimabue to Titian, he covers (in this edition)over 40 artists during about a 250 year period! A great artist himself, Vasari spares no superlatives in describing the work and lives of these individuals.They are just about all "most excellent", and produced titanic painting, sculpture, and architecture. He claims (erroneouly, according to the editors) that one murdered his rival, and definitely was not a nice guy. But the rest are generally given the royal treatment. Oddly,Botticelli seems a tad slighted. The Big Three, Leonardo,Raphael, and Michaelangelo are practically bathed in the light of the devine!.Many anecdotes are mentioned, which give real life and sometimes fun to these Olympians. Plus, discussions of the progress and styles/ techniques which come full flower with these Big Three.

A great classic .......2005-01-09

Vasari is a pleasure to read. His love of his subject his understanding of art his appreciation of those greater than him all make the work inspiring. He writes the lives of the artists, and in the course of this tells the story of Renaissance Art. He begins with Cimabue and in this work finishes with Titian. His climax is in his chapter on his friend, teacher, and model for all that is great as painter, sculptor, architect Michelangelo. Vasari has a technical understanding of painting and so this work is rich in its description not only of the artists' but of their greatest works. It also has anecdotal richness, gossip and as I understand quite a bit of apocryphal material which later art historians will dispute. Nonetheless it is a prime source document containing information about the lives of artists who otherwise would be largely forgotten. But above all I think the work is a tribute to the creative spirit of the artist in service of the Divine .
The Penguin edition as I understand it contains only a small proportion( though the most important)of the lives. It is nonetheless highly recommended not only for those who will study this artist or visit the sites at which it is located but for all who are interested in the human spirit in creative struggle and triumph.

Average customer rating:

A Very Enjoyable Read
Well done
A letdown in the genre of historical fiction
Karen takes you back to DaVinci's life and times
Leonardo's Swans

Leonardo's Swans: A Novel
Karen Essex
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0767923065
Release Date: 2007-01-09

Book Description

Isabelle d’Este, daughter of the Duke of Ferrara, born into privilege and the political and artistic turbulence of Renaissance Italy, is a stunning black-eyed blond and an art lover and collector. Worldly and ambitious, she has never envied her less attractive sister, the spirited but naïve Beatrice, until, by a quirk of fate, Beatrice is betrothed to the future Duke of Milan. Although he is more than twice their age, openly lives with his mistress, and is reputedly trying to eliminate the current duke by nefarious means, Ludovico Sforza is Isabella’s match in intellect and passion for all things of beauty. Only he would allow her to fulfill her destiny: to reign over one of the world’s most powerful and enlightened realms and be immortalized in oil by the genius Leonardo da Vinci. Isabella vows that she will not rest until she wins her true fate, and the two sisters compete for supremacy in the illustrious courts of Europe.

A haunting novel of rivalry, love, and betrayal that transports you back to Renaissance Italy, Leonardo’s Swans will have you dashing to the works of the great master—not for clues to a mystery but to contemplate the secrets of the human heart.

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Chapter One

X * FORTUNA (CHANCE)

FROM THE NOTEBOOK OF LEONARDO:

When Fortune comes, seize her firmly at the forelock, for I tell you, she is bald at the back.

IN THE YEAR 1489; IN THE CITY OF FERRARA

She grew up in a land of fairy tales and miracles. That is what Isabella is explaining to Francesco as they ride through Ferrara's streets. It is Christmastime, and though there is no snow on the dry stone road, the horses shoot clouds of steam into the frigid air through their nostrils.

This is the first time she has been allowed to escort her fiancé through the city on one of his visits. Francesco Gonzaga, future Marquis of Mantua, has come to Ferrara to romance his soon-to-be bride and to enjoy the city's many Christmas pageants ordered by Isabella's father, Duke Ercole d'Este, a great patron of the theater. Isabella believes that the more she tells Francesco of Ferrara's secrets and wonders, and the more she shows him of her father's spectacular building projects and improvements, the more he will realize her value.

In this very church, Isabella says, pointing to St. Mary's of the Ford, almost two hundred years ago on Easter Sunday, the priest broke the Eucharist in two, and flesh and blood came spraying forth, covering the walls of the church and splattering the entire flock.

"The parishioners watched in awe," Isabella says, eyes wide with drama. "The Bishop of Ferrara and the Archbishop of Ravenna came to see it. They instantly recognized it as the body and blood of Christ and declared it a true miracle of the Eucharist."

Francesco solemnly makes the sign of the cross as they ride past the church, but his eyebrows arch skeptically, making him look entirely out of step with the act.

Beatrice trots ahead of the pair of lovers, her long braid swinging in saucy rhythm with the horse's mane, as uninterested as her steed in their conversation.

"Isn't that right, Beatrice?" Isabella asks her sister for confirmation of her story, hoping that the odd girl does not say anything to contradict her. Beatrice is a puzzle to Isabella, a fact that the older sister blames on the girl's unsupervised upbringing in wild Naples. The girl is a feral, unformed thing, alternately shy, naive, aloof, and bold--the latter especially apparent when riding or hunting. How such a small fourteen-year-old girl, who is not particularly courageous outside of these activities, excels at all manly sport is a mystery to Isabella, but the fact of Beatrice's prowess remains, no matter how enigmatic.

"I wouldn't know. I wasn't there!" Beatrice finally answers without turning around, but they can hear her laugh at her own joke.

The animal's swaying ass taunts Isabella, who knows that her sister is dying to break away from them to test the horse's speed. Francesco has brought Drago, the pure white Spanish charger, from his family's stud farm on the island of Tejeto, as a gift for the girls' father. But Beatrice immediately took over the animal, talking to him in whispers that should be reserved for a lover, and hopping upon him and riding away, as if the painstakingly bred horse was meant to carry a little girl in a pink riding dress and not a fearsome knight in armor.

"I'll tell you a miracle that happened right here in Ferrara that is even better," Francesco says, sidling his horse right up to Isabella's so that their legs touch. She knows she should pull away, that her mother would rail against this sort of indiscriminate physical contact, even with leather riding boots providing a barrier to the couple's much-craved intimacy, but instead, she rides with slow care so that they might continue to brush against one another.

"What miracle is that?" she asks, suppressing a smile.

"That your father agreed that you should be my wife," he answers.

You have no idea j

Customer Reviews:

A Very Enjoyable Read.......2007-09-16

As one who normally gravitates to English historical fiction, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this book, but was drawn to it because of the inclusion of Leonardo da Vinci. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing and the period of Italian history presented. It takes you to a different time and place with ease. After finishing the book, I find myself wanting to read more Italian historical fiction and to visit the works of Leonardo da Vinci at the Louvre. Just the kind of inspiration you hope to get from a great book!

Well done.......2007-07-16

I enjoyed this novel more than Essex's IN THE COMPANY OF A COURTESAN. Over all, the book is a well done weaving of fact and fiction. Essex is a talented writer - I thoroughly enjoy her style and ability to move the story along rather quickly. My main critisim is lack of character development and telling nuances. Just a little more heart and depth to each of the main women characters would have really made this a show stopper. In general, it read like a very visual movie and a great story that I have not read in a novel version before.

I especially enjoyed *learning* a little more about several of the lovely faces that grace Leonardo's work. I say "learning," assuming that the general story is close to the facts and conceivably possible - which seems to be the case. Mind you that I am no Italian historical biographer - I'm sure Essex took the needed literary liberty as needed. A wonderful read!

A letdown in the genre of historical fiction.......2007-06-04

This book had very little to do with the aforementioned painting and with Leonardo da Vinci in general, in which case I was let down because it turned out to be something I did not expect. Based on a true tale of Renaissance era power families in Italy, the characters seemed like mere ciphers who existed solely to report the goings on of the day. Essex seemingly couldn't decide between an historical work or historical fiction and, as a result, this book is neither. Given authors like Dunant and Gregory, historical fiction can be so much more in the hands of a gifted storyteller. This book was a disappointment through and through.

Karen takes you back to DaVinci's life and times.......2007-05-22

Very enjoyable read, a real insight to Leonardo DaVinci and his contemporaries. The characters come alive!

Leonardo's Swans.......2007-05-13

For anyone who enjoys historical fiction AND/OR is planning a trip to Milan, THIS is the book for you. The story line was easy to follow and hard to put down. The details of the Sforza Castle, of Leonardo's various works and his quirks, and the history of ruling families in Italy during the 1400's-1500's was fascinating! It honestly made my last trip to Milan much more meaningful as I almost felt I knew Isabella and the Moro. A GREAT read!

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