When is a life not a life?
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This book, like Leonardo himself, is somewhat of a puzzle. It is a five hundred page biography about a man whom it appears we actually know very little about in terms of his daily life and activities. Yes, we have his notebooks and some of his paintings, but these shed little light on his day to day life.
What is clear from this book is that there are very few hard facts about Leonardo to be found. The major Renaissance source of information is Vasari's Life of Painters, which is still in print, only it turns out that Vasari made most of his 'facts' up, and never even actually saw The Mona Lisa in the flesh, so Nicholl is left to piece together fragments.
This is a Time Team like affair where a line of scribbled writing on a manuscript page is analysed minutely by the author and then we are presented with an entire raft of highly plausible but ultimately unknowable events and ideas. Nicholls writes well, his subject is interesting but it is a book that left me frustrated, and only a little more illuminated than when I started it.
Nicholls focuses on Leonardo the artist, and there are good illustrations throughout to support this angle. He goes into considerably less detail on other matters such as anatomy, theories of flight (despite stressing how much this particular topic obsessed Leonardo) and his work with military engineering and water courses. This is a shame, as much of Leonardo's notebooks are taken up with these ideas and it is in these areas that there are no shortage of 'facts' and things to write.
The main problem here is that this puports to be a biography, but is written about a man who seemed both secretive and enigmatic. It would have been much more rewarding to have condensed the life into a hundred pages and used the next four hundred pages to explore Leonardo's own interests and ideas more deeply.
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The man and his time
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Superbly researched, beautifully written, this book vividly evokes the life and times of one of the truly great geniuses of all time. All the fascinating aspects of this complex man's personal life and manifold professional achievements (and failures) are described.
Strongly recommended for anyone with an interest in Da Vinci, Italian history and art or just a great biography.
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A struggle in places but worth the perserverence
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This book is an enlightening read about a truly remarkable man. Da Vinci lived like no other man of his time and like few since. This book explores his life in great detail and although it gets a little dry at times, generally it is a fascinating and inspiring read. Worth sticking with to get a great deal out of it.
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He Ain't Heavy Although the Weight of Knowledge may be.
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If you're expecting a pleasant little frolic through the 'Get Me Out of Here I'm a Celebrity' type all froth and no substance-Leonardo only used the best designers and ate at Chez Ratbag- forget it. If, however, you want to know more about the man, his works, and the Society that produced him read on. Yes! It is a trifle daunting, and involved, in parts but it takes you far beyond Mona Lisa. Leonardo was an extremely complex individual and this book helps you understand just how complex. I'm glad I persevered.
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Da Vinci myths debunked but the man appears greater for it.
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A well researched epic work that kept my interest all the way. I could believe in the author´s take on Da Vinci, his early life, his insecurity of tenure of a career so linked to the fortunes of his patrons.The great works that were never completed, through twists of political events. Dissections, flights, painting, sculpture, and architect of war for the Borgias,via Machiavelli. Da Vinci lived a life like few others, before or after. This great biography illuminates many dark corners.
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