The Magic Circle of Rudolf II: Alchemy and Astrology in Renaissance Prague (Hardcover) by Peter Marshall

from TheDivineOomba

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...

from Stbalbach

I first heard about Rudolf II while reading a history of collecting. Even though Rudolf II was Holy Roman Emperor, king of the largest empire in Europe, that part of his life is the least interesting and this book thankfully does not spend too much time on politics. Rudolf, too, would have been p...

from DinadansFriend

this was the court to which Johann Kepler was both astrologer and astronomer, and it is a colourful account of the social side of Science in the seventeenth century. Rudolph was a rather dubious catholic, and a he had to do some fancy dancing to avoid confrontations with the Inquisition. The mate...