Leonardo on Flight

Science News,  Feb 2, 2008  

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LEONARDO ON FLIGHT DOMENICO LAURENZA

In a time when art, engineering, and natural history were intricately linked, Leonardo da Vinci drew inspiration for his flying machines from the "special

effects" used in theatrical performances in 15th-century Florence. Later, he turned to dragonflies, grasshoppers, birds, and bats for mechanical clues. This beautifully illustrated volume reconstructs Leonardo's dream of human flight. Scientific historian Laurenza traces the development of Leonardo's theories and experiments beside masterfully reproduced drawings from his library. Sketches of how wind affects the behavior of birds near sea cliffs, how wind affects clouds, and how man would look with wings attached to his shoulders provide reminders that science has always been rooted in the powers of observation and imagination. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 2007, 119 p., color illus., paperback, $29.95.

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