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Ingrid D. Rowland

Giordano Bruno: Philosopher / Heretic Paperback – September 1, 2009

by Ingrid D. Rowland (Author)

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Giordano Bruno (1548–1600) is one of the great figures of early modern Europe, and one of the least understood. Ingrid D. Rowland’s biography establishes him once and for all as a peer of Erasmus, Shakespeare, and Galileo—a thinker whose vision of the world prefigures ours.

Writing with great verve and erudition, Rowland traces Bruno’s wanderings through a sixteenth-century Europe where every certainty of religion and philosophy has been called into question, and reveals how he valiantly defended his ideas to the very end, when he was burned at the stake as a heretic on Rome’s Campo de’ Fiori.

“A loving and thoughtful account of [Bruno’s] life and thought, satires and sonnets, dialogues and lesson plans, vagabond days and star-spangled nights. . . . Ingrid D. Rowland has her reasons for preferring Bruno to Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, even Galileo and Leonardo, and they’re good ones.”—John Leonard, Harper’s

“Whatever else Bruno was, he was wild-minded and extreme, and Rowland communicates this, together with a sense of the excitement that his ideas gave him. . . . It’s that feeling for the explosiveness of the period, and [Rowland’s] admiration of Bruno for participating in it—indeed, dying for it—that is the central and most cherishable quality of the biography.”—Joan Acocella, New Yorker

“Rowland tells this great story in moving, vivid prose, concentrating as much on Bruno’s thought as on his life. . . . His restless mind, as she makes clear, not only explored but transformed the heavens.”—Anthony Grafton, New York Review of Books

“[Bruno] seems to have been an unclassifiable mixture of foul-mouthed Neapolitan mountebank, loquacious poet, religious reformer, scholastic philosopher, and slightly wacky astronomer.”—Anthony Gottlieb, New York Times Book Review

“A marvelous feat of scholarship. . . . This is intellectual biography at its best.”—Peter N. Miller, New Republic

“An excellent starting point for anyone who wants to rediscover the historical figure concealed beneath the cowl on Campo de’ Fiori.”—Paula Findlen, Nation

Print length

352 pages
Language

English
Publisher

University of Chicago Press
Publication date

September 1, 2009
Dimensions

6 x 0.87 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

0226730247
ISBN-13

978-0226730240
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A loving and thoughtful account of [Bruno’s] life and thought, satires and sonnets, dialogues and lesson plans, vagabond days and star-spangled nights. . . . Ingrid D. Rowland has her reasons for preferring Bruno to Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, even Galileo and Leonardo, and they’re good ones.” -- John Leonard ― Harper’s

“Whatever else Bruno was, he was wild-minded and extreme, and Rowland communicates this, together with a sense of the excitement that his ideas gave him. . . . It’s that feeling for the explosiveness of the period, and [Rowland’s] admiration of Bruno for participating in it—indeed, dying for it—that is the central and most cherishable quality of the biography.”

-- Joan Acocella ― New Yorker

“Rowland tells this great story in moving, vivid prose, concentrating as much on Bruno’s thought as on his life. . . . His restless mind, as she makes clear, not only explored but transformed the heavens.” -- Anthony Grafton ― New York Review of Books

"In her provocative biography, a marvelous feat of scholarship, Ingrid D. Rowland brings before us today the pieces of an extraordinary sixteenth-century life. . . . This is intellectual biography at its best." -- Peter N. Miller ― New Republic

"[Rowland's] lively and learned biography removes Bruno from myth and polemic . . . and restores him to the time and place that inspired his dual passion for knowledge as well as faith. She also offers a far richer and multidimensional account of Bruno's peculiar and complex intellectual itinerary than earlier scholars. . . . She takes us inside his head to see the interplay of theology, philosophy and poetry that shaped his worldview." -- Paula Findlen ― Nation

"Informative, engaging, and accessible. . . . Rowland's Giordano Bruno deserves to be recognized for making Bruno's life—from his quiet birth in Nola to his wretched death in Rome—accessible to an Anglophone audience as never before." -- David J. Collins ― H-Net Review

About the Author

Ingrid D. Rowland lives in Rome, where she teaches at the University of Notre Dame’s School of Architecture, and is a regular essayist for the New York Review of Books and the New Republic. She is the author of many books, including The Scarith of Scornello: A Tale of Renaissance Forgery, also published by the University of Chicago Press.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Chicago Press; 1st edition (September 1, 2009)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0226730247
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0226730240
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.12 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.87 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #420,307 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #143 in Historical Italy Biographies
- #360 in Philosopher Biographies
- #533 in Italian History (Books)

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MicheloneTop Contributor: Classical Music

Bruno, A Man of Our Times

Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2016

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This book is much more readable than Wm. Boulting's. Ms. Rowland explicates each of the cosmolgist's writings and takes the reader on a complete tour of Bruno's wanderings. Almost every chapter begins with a poem, some by Bruno and others by other writers. The one by Giles of Viterbo is quite beautiful, speaking of the footprints of God in the forest, being vestiges of His presence with Diana, the Moon looking over from above. Bruno's poetry is also beautiful as is all his writing. The chapter entitled Magic is difficult and I will reread it. Given the times, there is no doubt that Bruno was a heretic and stubborn to admit guilt....and when he does, it is too late. He spends 8 years in prison, probably being tortured to no avail. I began to identify with the hero and together with what's in the news with the current campaign for president and Donald Trump's comments, amounting to Louis XVI's "After me, the deluge", I began to feel very paranoid, indeed. The final chapters deal with the trial and sentencing but don't dwell on Bruno's burning at the stake. Galileo and Kepler had obviously read and been influenced by Bruno. They had the advantage of the telescope, which verified many of the Nolan's pronouncements. Gian Lorenzo Bernini's Fountains of the Four Rivers, in which an obelisk stands above a mountain with "a population of a stone plants, animals and sea monsters." Atop stands a stone dove with olive branch, peace after the 30 Years War. Rowland says the dove "celebrates another kind, the partnership of natural philosophy--science--and religion." Bernini had no doubt that he was inspired by divine inspiration....that science and religion belonged together." Beautiful thoughts beautifully expressed.

13 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Everyone should know Bruno's story.

Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2021

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Currently reading. About half way through. Bruno is one of my intellectual heroes. A free thinker in a time of religious persecution.
Horribly executed for his way of thinking the Church makes "1984's" "Big Brother" look like a Pussycat!

One person found this helpful

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olympia zopolos

Great book

Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2021

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This is a great book . A little bit of history, philosophy and struggles throughout history. Highly recommended as a read and addition to your own library!

One person found this helpful

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David Williams

Excellent Overview

Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2019

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If you're looking for an overview of Bruno, I'll recommend Rowland's book. A most worthy effort.

2 people found this helpful

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Christina Waldman

Wish I had read it sooner

Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2022

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This book far exceeded my expectations. It was not dry or unduly scholarly but very easy to read and understand. Poor Bruno! He was 400 years ahead of his time.

Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2020

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Bruno was a highly interesting person, and this is an honest account of his life.

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Timothy HaughTop Contributor: Baby

A Man We Should Remember Better

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2010

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Giordano Bruno was a name I had come across in various histories of Christianity and/or the Renaissance that I've read through the years but I knew very little about him other than that he was considered a heretic and burned at the stake. When I saw this book, I thought it would be a good opportunity to find out a bit more about someone who was little more than a name to me. Reading this turned out to be quite an eye-opening experience.

On a purely informational level, there is a lot here. Rowland shared a number of anecdotes about Bruno's life which have stuck in my mind: his getting caught with a forbidden book in the latrine, the mockery of his high-flown rhetorical style by the English, his own fondness for mockery and cursing even in the prisons of the Inquisition.

But more telling than the individual anecdotes are the larger ideas that span Bruno's life story. I was particularly fascinated by his expertise in memorization techniques. In a time when books and writing ability were rare, the ability to memorize vast amounts of information was an important skill. Bruno, apparently, was highly prized as a teacher of his own memorization technique which allowed him to make a living during his years as a wanderer across Europe.

And, of course, there was the development of his philosophical ideas. He is probably best known for developing the idea of an infinite universe where the stars could be individual solar systems with their own planets. This alone had implication with his ultimate conflict with the Church. But he also asserted theological ideas that were clearly heretical in the eyes of Christianity, such as that Christ committed a mortal sin in the Garden of Gethsemane. Granted, the Inquisition was a horrible thing, but it becomes clear from reading this that Bruno did himself no favors when facing the Cardinals. It is perhaps during this last section that the dichotomy of Bruno's character most comes to the fore: philosophical egoism vs. true son of the Church. It is the tragedy of Bruno's experience that he could not find a way out of a situation that should have been manageable for him.

It is clear in this book that Bruno had a lot more impact on his better-known peers than he is given credit for. Kepler and Galileo both credit him as an influence. (In fact, shortly before his arrest, Bruno applied for the mathematics professorship at Pisa that went to Galileo.) Professor Rowland should be commended for bringing this important person back before us. If she goes a bit overboard with unenlightening epigraphs and quotations, that is a small price to pay for the wealth of knowledge gained.

24 people found this helpful

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Michael & Margaret Gorman

Good introduction to Bruno

Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2017

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Bruno emerges as a person in this book, which includes accounts of his journey and excerpts from his writings. The reasons why he was labeled a heretic by the church are described in detail, including church politics that made him the victim of Cardinal Bellarmine at a time when Protestants were gaining ground.

3 people found this helpful

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Malcolm U

Intense and thought provoking.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 17, 2018

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Ingrid Rowland's moving account of Giordano Bruno's life and martyrdom is intensely thought provoking. Condemned and burnt as a heretic by the Catholic Church of his day, he stands out as a courageous and creative thinker. Sixteenth century Europe was a very dangerous time to live, especially for those who like Giordano Bruno came into conflict with the Inquisition. Bruno calls into question almost every certainty of religion and philosophy. He had an explosive personality and wasn't going to be silenced by the Pope or his representatives. Born just outside Naples he entered the Dominican Convent in the city where he studied for the priesthood. Often viewed as a martyr to science, a visionary well before his time, he was much more. Ingrid Rowland's research and scholarship is outstanding, but not only that, she has also managed to portray the man himself. this is no dry historical figure from the past, but someone who meets us to-day. A valuable aspect of her book is that she supplies many quotations and dialogues from Bruno's encounters with his contemporaries. Bruno was a peripatetic human being who searched for many places where he might find work and promulgate his ideas. He visited Geneva, Toulouse, Paris, Oxford, London, Wittenberg, Prague, Franfurt, Zurich, and finally Venice and Rome where he was imprisoned for eight years and ultimately burned at the stake in Rome. One thing is clear, he loved life, although he was let down and disappointed time after time. Heretic he might have been, but also one of the most interesting personalities of his day. Ingrid Rowland's book can be thoroughly recommended.

5 people found this helpful

J Payne

Intellectual history at its best

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 31, 2021

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This is one of the most enjoyable books I have read in a long time. Bruno is a complex character who has always fascinated me. This book places him more centrally in 16th century culture, rather than being an isolated, radical eccentric. The writing style is faultless, assuming only a general knowledge of the era and its main currents. It thankfully avoids constant references to pop culture - always the sign of an academic trying too hard to reach 'the masses'.

Tariki

Interesting

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 30, 2019

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Ingrid Rowland wears her learning lightly and does not intrude upon the story of Giordano Bruno. This story seems to be as detailed as it can possibly be given the original texts available. Much of Bruno's own works, including his poetry, is quoted. Very interesting to read about the ferment of thought across Europe in the 16th century.

2 people found this helpful

Romanico

excellent biography

Reviewed in Italy on July 2, 2021

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Excellent biography, a must to read for Bruno scholars

Grady Johnson

Good book

Reviewed in France on September 9, 2018

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Correctly and promtly delivered. Thanks.

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