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."
"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
"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 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 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
"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
"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
"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
"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 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
"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 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
"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
"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
"One of this year's most captivating and richly detailed
histories."--The News 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
"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, a contributing editor to The Atlantic, goes back to ancient Rome and the influence of first-century architect Vitruvius for a history of Leonardo da Vinci's "Vitruvian Man," the famous image depicting a man fitting his body into a square and a circle by adjusting his arms and legs. Enlightening and carefully researched, this account of Leonardo's life and work reveals the human qualities of the self-taught genius as it discusses the scientific, theological, philosophical, and artistic beliefs of the early Renaissance that led to the drawing. VERDICT Narrator Stephen Hoye does a credible job of bringing this exciting historical period to life. Art enthusiasts, history buffs, and those wanting to know more about the great Leonardo, as well as the idea of man as a microcosm for the world, will appreciate this audiobook. ["A book for anyone who has wondered about the genius of Leonardo da Vinci and the Italian Renaissance," read the review of the Free Pr: S. & S. hc, LJ 2/1/12.-Ed.]-Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Ask a Question About this Product More... |