An enchanting novel on the life and origins of Leonardo da Vinci’s mother, as imagined by the author of the “absolutely superb” (Diane Haeger, author of The Secret Bride) Mademoiselle Boleyn. A young woman named Caterina was only fifteen years old in 1452 when she bore an illegitimate child in the tiny village of Vinci. His name was Leonardo, and he was destined to change the world forever. Caterina suffered much cruelty as an unmarried mother and had no recourse when her boy was taken away from her. But no one knew the secrets of her own childhood, nor could ever have guessed the dangerous and heretical scheme she would devise to protect and watch over her remarkable son. This captivating novel imagines the story of Caterina—the brilliant young woman, the adventurer, the alchemist—during the fascinating period of the Renaissance.
An enchanting novel on the life and origins of Leonardo da Vinci’s mother, as imagined by the author of the “absolutely superb” (Diane Haeger, author of The Secret Bride) Mademoiselle Boleyn. A young woman named Caterina was only fifteen years old in 1452 when she bore an illegitimate child in the tiny village of Vinci. His name was Leonardo, and he was destined to change the world forever. Caterina suffered much cruelty as an unmarried mother and had no recourse when her boy was taken away from her. But no one knew the secrets of her own childhood, nor could ever have guessed the dangerous and heretical scheme she would devise to protect and watch over her remarkable son. This captivating novel imagines the story of Caterina—the brilliant young woman, the adventurer, the alchemist—during the fascinating period of the Renaissance.
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.
Juliet Capelletti must choose between a traditionally loveless marriage to her father's business partner or fulfillment of her poetic dreams in this new take on the story of the woman who inspired Shakespeare's most famous female character. Original.
"The boy's disappearance could not be explained. That was Prester's problem, or soon would be." Combine one troubled boy with his concerned prep school teacher. Stir in a pinch of quantum physics, add Italian Renaissance political intrigue, and serve piping hot with Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Machiavelli, the Medici’s, and a Borgia Pope on the side. That is the perfect recipe for a time travel adventure crackling with historical detail. Lorenzo’s Daggers is a delightfully entertaining story of time travel between modern-day New England and 15th century Italy. Author Ron McGaw keeps the pages turning quickly with endearing characters, taut prose, and a riveting storyline that stands alone for its novelty and intrigue. But Lorenzo’s Daggers is more than just good fiction. It is also a deft portrayal of Renaissance Florence—a city of prolific genius that produced some of the most creative minds of Western Civilization. Through the travels and travails of protagonist Prester John, readers can well imagine the life and times of the Renaissance giants of Western art, science, political theory, architecture, and philosophy. Lorenzo’s Daggers—a worthy read! Brigadier General Lance Betros (retired) Former Head - Department of History, West Point
An exquisite sequel to "The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn", "Maxwell's second novel breathes extraordinary life into the scandals, political intrigue, and gut-wrenching battles that typified Queen Elizabeth's reign" ("Publishers Weekly").
Da Vinci's Cases: Three Adventures of Young Leonardo Da Vinci's Cases by Alfred Bekker 360 pages Three mysterious adventures of young Leonardo da Vinci: Leonardo and the Mystery of the Villa Medici Leonardo and the Conspirators of Florence Leonardo and the Mystery of the Alchemist The year 1462, location: the small village Vinci near Florence: Ten-year-old Leonardo and his friend Carlo experience a lot of adventures: a spy must be unmasked, the boys are kidnapped by disguised bandits and a testament has disappeared. Leonardo and Carlo need to find a solution in all cases. Alfred Bekker, born in 1964, writes fantasy, historical novels, criminal novels and books for young readers. His historical adventures for young readers are full of suspense, stuff which even kids who hate reading cannot resist.
Da Vinci's Cases by Alfred Bekker 201 pages Two mysterious adventures of young Leonardo da Vinci: Leonardo and the Mystery of the Villa Medici Leonardo and the Conspirators of Florence The year 1462, location: the small village Vinci near Florence: When knocking around in the forest with his friend Carlo, ten-year-old Leonardo and Carlo were kidnapped by disguised bandits and brought into a cave. There, another prisoner is locked in: Luca, son of a rich patrician. The case seems to be clear: ransom blackmailing! But the bandits did not expect that Leonardo and Carlo would put their noses in the case. Alfred Bekker, born in 1964, writes fantasy, historical novels, criminal novels and books for young readers. His historical adventures for young readers are full of suspense, stuff which even kids who hate reading cannot resist. The German-language print edition (6 parts) was published in 2008 in the Arena Taschenbuchverlag; Translations are in Turkish, Indonesian, Czech, Danish, English and Bulgarian.
Although Leonardo’s Giant Crossbow is one of his most popular drawings, it has been one of the least understood. "Leonardo’s Giant Crossbow" offers the first in-depth account of this drawing’s likely purpose and its highly resolved design. This fascinating book has a wealth of technical information about the Giant Crossbow drawing, as it’s a complete study of this project, though this is as accessible to the general audience as much as it is also informative with new discoveries for the professors of engineering, technology and art. The book explores the context of Leonardo’s invention with an examination of the extensive documentary evidence, a short history of the great crossbow and ballista, the first accurate translation of the text and the technical specifications, and a detailed analysis of Leonardo’s design process for the crossbow, from start to finish. Dozens of preparatory drawings, along with the recent discovery of nearly invisible metal stylus preparatory incisions under the ink of the Giant Crossbow drawing, are evidence of Leonardo’s intent to offer engineers and other viewers a thorough design of the massive machine. The book proposes these new discoveries with the help of a strategy that had been at the core of Leonardo’s working philosophy: the proportional method. As proven with an analysis of the Giant Crossbow project, he used a consistent approach to 1/3rd proportions throughout the design and drawing process and employed this kind of proportional strategy at the start of almost every important project. Thanks to this proof of his knowledge of geometry, evidence of his studies of impetus and force, and thanks to the highly polished and complex nature of the Giant Crossbow design, a later date for the drawing is proposed in the present book, associating the drawing with his drafting capabilities around 1490-93.
