Pamela H. Smith
The Book of Michael of Rhodes provides a remarkable glimpse into the individual life of a mariner the harsh conditions of his service at sea the material conditions of Venetian trade the making of knowledge in Renaissance culture and the fraught process for a vernacular author of transforming his lived experience into the written word. This collection is a marvel.
John Jeffries Martin
In this volume of essays—meant to accompany the first published edition of Michael of Rhodes's remarkable maritime manuscript, an international community of scholars offers a brilliant assessment of the context and significance of Michael's surprisingly rich compendium of writings on mathematics, astronomy, shipbuilding, and his own life. Not only is this collection a model of collaborative scholarship; it also opens a window onto the highly textured world of a mariner whose curiosity and genius will do no less than transform our understanding of the Renaissance. That Michael started out his career as an oarsman for the Venetian fleet is only one of the surprises in the life of this extraordinary intellectual.
Endorsement
The Book of Michael of Rhodes provides a remarkable glimpse into the individual life of a mariner the harsh conditions of his service at sea the material conditions of Venetian trade the making of knowledge in Renaissance culture and the fraught process for a vernacular author of transforming his lived experience into the written word. This collection is a marvel.
—
Pamela H. Smith, Department of History, Columbia University
From the Publisher
"In this volume of essays, meant to accompany the first published edition of Michael of Rhode's remarkable maritime manuscript, an international community of scholars offers a brilliant assessment of the context and significance of Michael's surprisingly rich compendium of writings on mathematics, astronomy, shipbuilding,and his own life. Not only is this collection a model of collaborative scholarship; it also opens a window onto the highly textured world of a mariner whose curiosity and genius will do no less than transform our understanding of the Renaissance. That Michael started out his career as an oarsman for the Venetian fleet is only one of the surprises in the life of this extraordinary intellectual." John Jeffries Martin , professor of history, Duke University
John Martin
"In this volume of essays, -meant to accompany the first published edition of Michael of Rhode 's remarkable maritime manuscript, -an international community of scholars offers a brilliant assessment of the context and significance of Michael's surprisingly rich compendium of writings on mathematics,astronomy, shipbuilding, and his own life. Not only is this collection a model of collaborative scholarship; it also opens a window onto the highly textured world of a mariner whose curiosity and genius will do no less than transform our understanding of the Renaissance. That Michael started out his career as an oarsman for the Venetian fleet is only one of the surprises in the life of this extraordinary intellectual." —John Jeffries Martin, professor of history, Duke University
