Leonardo Da Vinci

By Walter Isaacson

'To read this magnificent biography of Leonardo da Vinci is to take a tour through the life and works of one of the most extraordinary human beings of all time in the company of the most engaging, informed, and insightful guide imaginable. Walter Isaacson is at once a true scholar and a spellbinding writer. And what a wealth of lessons there are to be learned in these pages.' David McCullough

Based on thousands of pages from Leonardo’s astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Walter Isaacson weaves a narrative that connects his art to his science. He shows how Leonardo’s genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy.

He produced the two most famous paintings in history, The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. But in his own mind, he was just as much a man of science and technology. With a passion that sometimes became obsessive, he pursued innovative studies of anatomy, fossils, birds, the heart, flying machines, botany, geology, and weaponry. His ability to stand at the crossroads of the humanities and the sciences, made iconic by his drawing of Vitruvian Man, made him history’s most creative genius.

His creativity, like that of other great innovators, came from having wide-ranging passions. He peeled flesh off the faces of cadavers, drew the muscles that move the lips, and then painted history’s most memorable smile. He explored the math of optics, showed how light rays strike the cornea, and produced illusions of changing perspectives in The Last Supper. Isaacson also describes how Leonardo’s lifelong enthusiasm for staging theatrical productions informed his paintings and inventions.

Leonardo’s delight at combining diverse passions remains the ultimate recipe for creativity. So, too, does his ease at being a bit of a misfit: illegitimate, gay, vegetarian, left-handed, easily distracted, and at times heretical. His life should remind us of the importance of instilling, both in ourselves and our children, not just received knowledge but a willingness to question it—to be imaginative and, like talented misfits and rebels in any era, to think different.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Oct 17, 2017
• ISBN: 9781471166778

Walter Isaacson

Walter Isaacson is the bestselling author of biographies of Jennifer Doudna, Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs, Benjamin Franklin, and Albert Einstein. He is a professor of history at Tulane and was CEO of the Aspen Institute, chair of CNN, and editor of Time. He was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2023. Visit him at Isaacson.Tulane.edu.

Reviews for Leonardo Da Vinci

[victoriajz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Whew! After quite a spell, I finished the book - well worth it, as it is quite detailed, with illustrations and images and explains the nature of Leonardo's genius. I was particularly taken with the discussion of Leonardo's interest in and knowledge of mathematics and various theorems which would not be [re]discovered for a couple of hundred years. A long read, but well worth it - enlightening and entertaining.

[breic-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don't think this is a great biography. While Isaacson does a good job at giving both details and a high-level big picture, and at trying to draw lessons from Leonardo da Vinci's life, I don't think that he does a great job in giving us a feeling for Leonardo or his time (perhaps because of a dearth of sources), Isaacson isn't insightful when writing about da Vinci's art, and he has a strange penchant for quoting Steve Jobs. Despite the flaws, though, I loved the book. Da Vinci was such an amazing person, truly inspirational. I learned so much. I don't know if the facts are on Wikipedia, but Isaacson does a good job tying them together into a strong narrative. > Yet another prolonged attempt involved dividing a circle into many sectors, which he then subdivided into triangles and semicircles. He arranged these slices into a rectangle and repeated the process with smaller and smaller slices, approaching the limit of infinitely small triangles. His impulses prefigured those that would lead to the development of calculus, but Leonardo did not have the skills that allowed Leibniz and Newton to devise this mathematical study of change two centuries later.

[writemoves · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm not sure that any book could adequately cover the achievements and creativity of Leonardo da Vinci. Though this book is over 524 pages, I am sure another 500 pages could easily be written on this amazing man. I rated this book four stars but if I had an appreciation for art history, sculpture and painting, I probably would rate it 5 . There is a lot of detail and analysis of various da Vinci paintings, art and sculpture that regrettably this reader has no appreciation. Nonetheless the biography of da Vinci is a fascinating story in itself. Da Vinci had incredible mental bandwidth – – he was an artist, painter, sculptor, military engineer, scientist, botanist, musician, theater director, mathematician, astronomer etc.

Da Vinci did provide examples and a paper trail of his creative work, projects and thoughts. He provided notebooks totaling over 7200 pages. His notebooks contained his to do lists, ideas, sketches and random thoughts on a variety of disciplines.

If readers are not intrigued in knowing about da Vinci they may be turned off by the sheer weight of the book. They can wait for the movie version which I understand is in the works.

[lynnb_64 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've heard this book described so well this way: A book about a Renaissance man, by a Renaissance man. Walter Isaacson is a wonderful writer, and provides us with a nice mix of both Leonardo the man, and his accomplishments.I attended a lecture about Leonardo at a local university and learned that thousands of pages from his notebooks are missing. My mind boggles at what else Mr. da Vinci may have envisioned! This book is beautiful, with many drawings and illustrations. It is a tribute to the importance of curiosity.

[danielstj · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was an amazing biography. In it is Leonardo da Vinci in all his majesty, and intimacy, pieced together from accounts, his notebooks, and supporting documents. All in all, it's a swooping masterpiece that abounds with technical skill as he entices it, and rewards it, with the fruits of what Leonardo da Vinci meant for history and what he stood for.Definitely recommended: 5 stars!

[thebookbabe · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Rating based on readability of the book. Excellently written, never boring, very interesting - looking forward to reading more by Isaacson.

[travelster · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Nowhere as good as Steve Jobs or Einstein.

[pierthinker · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Isaacson is a consummate biographer of scientific and technical men. This work on Leonardo da Vinci is a brilliant analysis of An exceptional man, someone who can easily be labelled ‘genius’.Isaacson tells us little about who da Vinci was and focuses much more on what da Vinci did. He has absorbed da Vinci’s extensive writings that survive and has clearly been astonished at the breadth, depth, the sheer wonder of what he found. The range of subjects covered from arts and science, the depth of da Vinci’s studies and the juxtaposition of his notes on the page that reveal he was often thinking deeply about five different completely unrelated things at once and then drawing out that these things are actually related in some deep and previously unseen way.This work led me to understand the artist and scientist in da Vinci better than any other biography of a similar figure has ever done. I was moved by Isaacson’s last chapter where he attempts to describe what genius is and how da Vinci’s character led him to be such a great man.This book deserves a five star rating, but loses half a star because of the rather poor quality of the illustrations (of which there are many). Often Isaacson’s detailed descriptions of da Vinci’s paintings and drawings cannot be followed through the illustrations because the definition is too low - we cannot see the detail that both da Vinci and Isaacson want us to see.

[maryroberta · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Okay, given could only rely on notebooks for most part. Not as good as other large scale biographies. Loved how much of a procrastinator LDV was. Remarkable for any time. Nice that was reading during whirlwind weekend in Rome.

[infjsarah · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I listened to this on audio which might seem strange for a book where the illustrations matter but it actually works well. I don't know that I would have gotten through the detail when reading it but on audio it didn't matter so much. I did slightly speed up the narration as I found it a bit slow.Like most people I know a little bit about Leonardo and I have seen some of the notebooks in the British Library but a little was all it was.I now know a lot more and very interesting it was too. For a man who rarely completed anything he's pretty famous!!! Gives hope to all us procrastinators ;) Recommended read.

[whiskey3pa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The physical product, hardbound, is a 5 star item. The writing is a 3 star, so it averaged to 4 stars. The collection of illustrations is tremendous, really fantastic, not so much the text. It is adequate writing but not rivetting. I felt the same about his Franklin book, so apparently the author and I are not a great fit.

[maneekuhi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

THREE REASONS TO BUY THE HARDBOUND EDITION OF THIS BOOK....1.) It is a great reference book. It is perfect to have around on a coffee table and share the gorgeous photos inside with family, friends, guests. Included are obviously the Mona Lisa and Last Supper, but also Michelangelo's David and Leonardo's many, many drawings and doodles. If you want to have one "show-off" book this is it. It is also a great gift. 2.) It is a great product. This edition is the epitome of a printed book. Pick it up - surprise! For its size, it's incredibly heavy. Why? The publisher wisely chose a particularly heavy paper stock, one that would do justice to the 144 illustrations. The cover, the four-page timeline of Leonardo's life, the cast of characters....all contribute to this first rate book. If you are browsing and come across this book, be sure to read the two paragraph Coda at page 525. It's incredibly fascinating, pay no attention to the subject matter, just read it. I would have used it as intro material.3.) Though I am a huge Kindle fan and read most of my books on a Kindle I feel the hardbound version of "Leonardo" is the only one to read, mainly because of the color illustrations. And you will probably want to do a lot of flipping around.Isaacson tells his story well, starting with Leonardo's early life as the bastard son of a well to do Florence notary. Throughout, the author does an excellent job of relating Leonardo's life within the context of life including politics, economics and entertainment of the times. Don't be put off by the length - many of the illustrations are full page and the 525 pages before Notes is actually 300 plus pages of text, very readable. The sheer volume of Leonardo art, studies and projects is staggering as is the frustration with his propensity to abandon so many uncompleted and undocumented. Reading the book I found it incredible that Leonardo discoveries continue even into the 21st century.

[deldevries · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book that is enhanced with great writing. I particularly enjoyed the interaction of Da Vinci in history. Interacting with the father of double entry accounting, Pacioli, artists such as Michelangelo, traders and noblemen and rulers. Art, engineering, science, and religion. Walter Isaacson never believed that history should be dull and dusty. This book brings the era to life in full color.

[josephking6602 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful book with a great story to tell! The illustrations were well done and truly worth the high(er)-cost of this book. Leonardo's life story and personal history were captivating, and the author presented just the right amount of detail. The explanations were appropriate for both the art expert as well as the layman. I would highly recommend this book to any art-lover and to any lover of biographies. Isaacson is a master!

[michael_lilly-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An excellent biography that is somewhat non-traditional and not strictly chronological because out of necessity it focuses more on Leonardo's work than on biographical details. The solid information on his life is limited, but Isaacson makes up for it by wonderfully annotating his paintings and notebooks. Very well illustrated with Leonardo's work. The text ties into the illustrations beautifully. Four stars instead of five because the text is a little repetitious at times.

[michaelbartley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. Da Vinci was ahead of his time. he was passionate about learning and understanding the world. when his journals were studied it was found that his insights about nature were found to correct years later. his failing was that had no desire to put his thoughts into print.

[doondeck · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very readable recounting of a the life of a genius.

[SANA BUTT · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A VERY GOOD APPROACH Towards initiative readings of history collection

[stevetempo_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An extraordinary celebration of a most extraordinary personWalter Issacson unpacks the life of Leonardo in brilliant detail and then collects those details together and gives you multiply views of his life and contributions. After reading this wonderful work, I feel like I’ve know Leonardo. It has my Highest recommendation.

[wickenden-285487 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An engrossing and informative work.

[tgraettinger_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Inspiring in many ways - esp. since Leonardo wasn't perfect. He rarely finished anything and rarely took on new work - and neither bothered him. He just wanted to keep learning new things, and everything. This book humanized him for me.In my mind, the book itself took some time to find its stride, but eventually it did. It was worth the slog thru some of the early chapters.

[briandarvell_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great book about one of humanity’s all time great individuals. Isaacson does a great job illustrating Leonardo along with the world he lived in. My only desire is if there were even more images of the notebook pages as Isaacson described them.

[arewenotben · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Slightly over long but there's obviously a lot to cram in. I'd never fully appreciated Leonardo da Vinci's efforts in science before reading - I knew of his attempted inventions and anatomy studies but he really was breaking new ground in several fields, albeit often purely for his own curiosity and never published or announced. Inspiring guy.

[baochuan-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As biographies, this one holds my attention and I have a good grasp of Leonardo's life, career, and his personality.

[scottjpearson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

With biographies of Steve Jobs, Einstein, and now Leonardo, Walter Isaacson has become America’s foremost biographer of intellectuals. In this work, which tracks the prodigious creative output of a genius, Isaacson tries to piece together a narrative from a series of artistic, scientific, and engineering feats and, of course, from Leonardo’s own diaries. That is a difficult chore to achieve about a man from over 500 years ago. It’s even more difficult to think that we have very little sense of the personal affectations of this genius.

Unlike with recent bios Jobs and Einstein, Isaacson approaches Leonardo as a light appearing in an extraordinarily dark age. The lack of good sources certainly hamper this work. I found myself unable to read large swaths of this book at one sitting because of the lack of narrative. Certainly, scholarly discussion exists, and Isaacson makes good use of it. Nonetheless, the challenge of chronicling a life so far back limits this work’s human interest.

Since Leonardo’s polymath ways showed most brightly in painting, this book contains many pages with color replications of Leonardo’s art. It reads like a 600-page work of art history, with the occasional rabbit trail into whatever curiosity fancied Leonardo’s mind. I don’t know a lot about art history, so I found this introduction helpful and accessible. Isaacson expressively engages the reader with wonder – as it should be with a genius.

Isaacson concludes this work with some observations about what Leonardo’s genius can teach us moderns. “Seek knowledge for its own sake.” “Respect facts.” “Create for yourself, not just for patrons.” This advice provides a nice book-end to the sheer power involved in engaging Leonardo’s mind. Some in our day deny that human nature exists at all. I’m not sure Leonardo teaches us about particular human nature. But he does teach us about genius nature. Those who wish to extend themselves more into developing great work should heed Isaacson’s investigations.

[bookmarque · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

People throw around the word genius a lot these days and you can become pretty jaded about it. That’s why reading about someone as staggeringly brilliant as Leonardo can be a bit exhausting. Not only is it the sheer number of things he pioneered or perfected, but the detail Isaacson goes into. That is the main reason it took me most of a year to finish this book. Another is that it is a bit repetitive in the sense that his paintings, studies, notebooks and life circumstances didn’t differ that much and all received the same breathless awe. Not that he wasn’t deserving; he was. He more than many others. Here are a few things I learned and loved about Leonardo -> He was gay and almost out...as out as you could be at this time> He eschewed religion, but paid it lip service as the times and patrons dictated> He had a fine sense of frivolity and whimsy > He invented musical instruments, but didn’t play them> He didn’t complete a lot of paintings and left very few completed ones behind considering how revered he is as a painter> He is the first person to have understood and explained that arteriosclerosis is a function of time> He discovered that the blood itself makes heart valves work> He was often distracted and did not complete a lot of his work, or else bring it to its most logical conclusion> He hardly published anything> Some paintings are lost as are some notebooks, but surprisingly a lot survivedEarly on we understand that while Leonardo was a book buyer and had an extensive library, he wasn’t formally educated and considered it a benefit. He was of the opinion that rote learning stifled true discovery and thinking. He preferred to experiment and not just take someone else’s conclusions as the truth. Admirable and the genesis of the modern scientific method. It is too bad that he didn’t publish his findings as they could have been beneficial decades and even centuries before someone else found the same thing and it became commonly accepted or the de facto best practice. An amazing person and an interesting book, but one that tried my patience at times.

[cakecop_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Extremely well written by Isaacson. This book captures the importance of Leonardo's accomplishments. Most of the chapters filled me with excitement about Leonardo. This book represents the best in non-fiction biography.

[renzomalo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great read, its only real drawback being Mr. Isaacson's predilection toward fawning over the individual pieces of art displayed in a book printing on photo-quality paper, which gave it the curb weight of a Greyhound bus. The history, however, was a wonderful tour of Da Vinci's world and, as much as was possible, the workings of the great man's mind.

[kayanelson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was excellent. I read it slowly so that I could savor every word. The book was very readable and Leonardo was an extremely interesting person. It must have been hard to be him. In today's world he probably would be under review for OCD or another type of mental illness. I learned so much and now I do want to step back and look at the world in a different way, stop and smell the roses!

[cariola_6 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very solid, well researched biography of the painter, sculptor, inventor, architect, and all around genius. Isaacson delves into the connections between Leonardo and his family, patrons, lovers, rivals, and subjects. In exploring the paintings, he employs a standard art historian approach, analyzing the works and how they demonstrate DaVinci's artistic development. I gained a better understanding and appreciation for the artist, and my knowledge of politics and society in Renaissance Italy was expanded. I listened to the book on audio, admirably read by the actor Alfred Molina. It came with a downloadable supplement that was helpful--but I'd recommend springing for the print version, if you can afford it.