Description

‘A dazzling tale, brilliantly told’ Peter Frankopan
‘A wonderful book’ Sunday Telegraph, 5*
‘Triumphant’ Literary Review

DURING THE AGE OF DISCOVERY, in the autumn of 1550, an anonymously authored volume containing a wealth of geographical information new to Europeans was published in Venice under the title Navigationi et Viaggi (Journeys and Navigations). This was closely followed by two further volumes that, when taken together, constituted the largest release of geographical data in history, and could well be considered the birth of modern geography.

The editor of these volumes was a little-known public servant in the Venetian government, Giovambattista Ramusio. He gathered a vast array of both popular and closely guarded narratives, from the journals of Marco Polo to detailed reports from the Muslim scholar and diplomat Leo Africanus.

In an enthralling narrative, Andrea di Robilant brings to life the man who used all his political skill, along with the help of conniving diplomats and spies, to democratise knowledge and show how the world was much larger than anyone previously imagined.

Publisher Review

An extraordinary story that reads more like a thriller than a book about history. A dazzling tale, brilliantly told. * Peter Frankopan, author of The Earth Transformed * What happens when the whole world-picture changes rapidly and decisively? Who assembles the critical information needed to construct a radically new understanding of the way things are? Thanks to the digital revolution, we have been living through such a disorienting transformation, but it is not the first time that received wisdom has been shattered and in urgent need of reassembling. The epochal voyages of the late 15th and early 16th century tore up the traditional European map of the globe and its inhabitants. Andrea di Robilant’s wonderful book explores a succession of thrilling, often terrifying encounters with the other and reconstructs the career of the visionary collector who gave the public access to knowledge of how profoundly their world had changed. * Stephen Greenblatt, author of The Swerve: How the World Became Modern * A saga that grips and enthrals from start to finish. * Sunday Times on Autumn in Venice * Hemingway [is] an enduringly fascinating character, one whom di Robilant, with his easy-paced style, has sympathetically brought to life. — Andrew Lycett * Literary Review on Autumn in Venice * Effortlessly and expertly explores the secret desires, successes, and depressive obstacles that shrouded Ernest Hemingway’s final productive years. * New York Journal of Books on Autumn in Venice * A treasure trove of exciting tales and adventures, populated by a fascinating cast, that gives a thorough understanding of how Europeans discovered and mapped the other continents * Paul Strathern, author of The Medici * Andrea di Robilant takes us on a remarkable voyage of discovery, sharing the story of Giovambattista Ramusio, whose monumental work revolutionised our understanding of the world. The story brims with secrecy and skulduggery, drawing in popes and pirates, and beautifully captures the excitement and tumult of the years when Europeans were filling in the blank spaces on their maps. A great read for history buffs and adventure-seekers alike. * Ross King, author of The Bookseller of Florence * Andrea di Robilant illuminates the geopolitical machinations and heart-pounding voyages of 17th-century explorers… Scrupulously research ed, This Earthly Globe reveals the riveting foundations of modern geography and cartography. * Scientific American *