Peter Marshall (3) (1946–)

I gave this book three stars because it had enough meat to get me through it but the writing is definitely a two star effort and GoodReads doesn't allow me to assign a half-star.

I was very disappointed in this book. The writing is dry and technical with little love or verve on the subject. Some of the chapters were fantastic, as was the one on John Dee, but the latter part of the book focuses on Rudolf's decline and it reads like a rendition of a list of facts.

I wanted more. More on the alchemists. More on the astrologers. More on their culture and their books. More on some of the local players and politics. More on the Church and the Counter-Reformation. More on the Jesuits and the Capuchin Monks!

There's just not enough meat on this book for me to recommend it. For a vague overview of this period in Prague's history it's fine, but for more on Alchemy and Astrology in Renaissance Prague, it means looking for other sources.… (altro)

A very enjoyable read - its fast paced, doesn't get too bogged down in the details. Its an interesting history that not too many people know about. The biggest thing I got out of this book was that people didn't think the way they do now - certain thoughts just didn't occur to them. An example of this is, it is important to know how the stars move through the solar system. But, there was no reason to find out why. Very thought provoking, and shows a different history than what is given in a high school history class.

Highly recommended.… (altro)