The Friar and the Cipher: Roger Bacon and the Unsolved Mystery of the Most Unusual Manuscript in the World (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Nancy Goldstone (Author) "ROGER BACON WAS BORN IN SOMERSET, in southwest England, about one hundred miles west of London..." (more)
Key Phrases: Roger Bacon, Francis Bacon, Opus Majus (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Goldstones, bibliophiles and authors of Out of the Flames and other books, offer a witty biography of controversial 13th-century Dominican friar Roger Bacon, whose Opus Majus "presented a way of thinking, of approaching science, that is virtually unsurpassed in the thousand years since its creation." According to the Goldstones, by challenging the accepted view of the Bible as the source of literal truth, it opened a schism between religion and science. The Church's response, recounted here, was filled with political intrigue, heroes and villains, and enough twists and turns to keep readers immersed. But this book's highlight is the story of a mysterious book discovered in 1912 and named for its owner, Wilfrid Voynich. The manuscript has a coded text enhanced by hundreds of illustrations depicting exotic plants, astronomical phenomena and strange "strings of tiny naked women cavorting in a variety of fountains, waterfalls, and pools." Various experts have attributed the manuscript to Bacon—but as it has kept its secrets from some of the world's greatest cryptanalysts, including some in the CIA and England's MI-8, as well as the largest supercomputers in the world, the attribution remains speculative. But these efforts make a compelling story for readers of the history of science and of code breaking. B&w illus.
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From Booklist

In 1919, the discovery of the phrase "To me, Roger Bacon" in a centuries-old manuscript startled the antiquarian book trade. The world of cryptography also took notice, for the manuscript was in a still-unsolved cipher. Therein lies the historical detective story that the Goldstones tell. Essentially, the authors wrap the provenance of the Voynich manuscript, as it is called, around a biography of Roger Bacon, an English scholar of the 1200s. The Goldstones dynamically render the medieval time, describing the intellectual ferment--especially the implications of Aristotle's findings for Catholic doctrine--in which Bacon lived. Regarding Bacon as a pioneer of empiricism in science, the authors' contrast him with logician Thomas Aquinas, champion of biblical revelation as the way to truth. Were Bacon's ideas too hot, hence the cipher? Leaving the question open, the Goldstones then relate a rather rambunctious chain of possession that links John Dee, the Elizabethan magus who might have found the manuscript, with its present owner, Yale University. In engaging, entertaining fashion, the Goldstones offer history readers an intriguing mystery. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday (February 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767914732
• ISBN-13: 978-0767914734
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #562,237 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Excuse for a History Lesson, October 2, 2005

By	Timothy Haugh (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The Goldstone's last collaboration, Out of the Flames, is a great book. It concerns sixteenth century scholar Michael Servetus and his book Christianismi Restituto in which Servetus recounts his discovery of pulmonary circulation well before Harvey, the man usually credited with the discovery. In The Friar and the Cipher the Goldstone's attempt a similar look at history through the lens of important books with Roger Bacon and a book known as the Voynich manuscript.

The Voynich manuscript is a mystery. Discovered in 1912, this book has remained unfathomable for nearly a century. Not only is it a strange concoction of drawings and diagrams but it is also written in a code that has remained unbroken since its discovery despite the efforts of some of the greatest code-breakers of the twentieth century. In fact, no one is even sure who the author of the manuscript is, though one of the likeliest of authors is thirteenth century proto-scientist Roger Bacon.

This gives the authors an opportunity to test the claim by going through a history of thirteenth century scholarship. Roger Bacon, the friar of the title, is ostensibly the main subject but the Goldstone's are going for much more. We learn about the revival of Aristotle and Plato in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. We learn about the rise of the universities the new religious orders like the Dominicans and Franciscans. And we learn about many of the other great thinkers of the age like Thomas Aquinas and Albertus Magnus as well as a host of lesser known names, if no less influential thinkers.

It is a wonderful history and fun to read but somewhat less satisfying than Out of the Flames, mainly because there is an uncertainty here that wasn't in the previous book. With Christianismi Restituto, the provenance of the remaining three manuscripts and the fact that Servetus was the author is not in doubt. Out of the Flames traced a known history and revived the reputation of a man whose name is unjustly forgotten. Roger Bacon may be no less deserving of having his name polished for modern readers; however, bringing Bacon to life through this manuscript is less convincing. As the authors allow, there is no proof that Bacon is the author of this manuscript. In fact, it may have been written centuries after him. And since no one knows what this book is actually about, there is no proof that the author was some sort of genius. He may have simply been very clever at creating codes and ciphers, which comes across as rather pointless if no one can even decipher the code.

Ultimately, this book is a good one with a lot of interesting history and some information about a literary mystery that still remains unsolved. That alone makes it worth reading. And if it's not the Goldstone's best, it is still excellent. And it leaves one wondering what the Goldstones are going to tackle next.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A mysterious founder of modern science, April 18, 2005

By	Joseph G. Wick (Los Angeles, California United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A terrific read. The authors are bibliophiles rather than cryptographers, but darn good biographers too. The subject of this book is a mysterious manuscript supposedly written in a cipher that has eluded all attempts at complete decoding. However, there is a strong belief that it is the product of the 13th century scholar Roger (not Francis) Bacon. He is what this book is really about. After briefly describing what's known of the book's provenance, now at Yale's library, the authors wonderfully weave what is known of Roger Bacon's life into the context of his time, which occupies the central focus of the book. This is followed by sketches of a variety of interesting characters who were influenced by Roger Bacon or the book. They include the Elizabethans, John Dee, Sir Francis Walsingham, and Francis Bacon, and Rudolf II of Bohemia. Capping these characters are the more modern professional and amateur cryptographers who have tried to decipher the book. Throughout, the style is refreshing, literate, and compelling. While the mystery is largely unsolved regarding the manuscript, the authors make it clear that Roger Bacon deserves more regard and examination as a founder of the modern scientific method.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating History Of A Manuscript, April 13, 2005

By	John D. Cofield - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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This is advertised as the story of the Voynich Manuscript, a mysterious volume of untranslatable and esoteric notes and drawings which surfaced in 1912. Apparently the work of the famed English medieval scientist Roger Bacon, the Voynich Manuscript has defied every translator and codebreaker.

The Goldstones have padded out the story of the manuscript itself (what can there be to say about a manuscript that no one can figure out?) with some fascinating material about Bacon and his contemporaries like Thomas Aquinas, all of whom were active during the 13th century buildup to what later came to be called the European Renaissance.

As a result, this book is part mystery, part history, and both parts are fascinating.