Author: Lisa Ann Sandell
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
ISBN: 0545361060
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 422
Book Description
This gripping addition to the Camelot canon -- written in beautiful verse -- has received glowing praise, and is an empowering story of rebellion and courage. Since the days of King Arthur, there have been poems and paintings created in her name. She is Elaine of Ascolat, the Lady of Shalott, and now there is a book all her own. The year is 490 A.D. and 16-year-old Elaine has a temperament to match her fiery red hair. Living on a military base with her father, brothers, and the rest of Arthur's army, Elaine pines for the handsome Lancelot, and longs for a female companion. But when the cruel, beautiful Gwynivere arrives, Elaine is confronted with startling emotions of jealousy and rivalry. Can Elaine find the strength to survive the birth of a kingdom?
Song of the Sparrow
Author: Lisa Ann Sandell
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
ISBN: 0545361060
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 422
Book Description
This gripping addition to the Camelot canon -- written in beautiful verse -- has received glowing praise, and is an empowering story of rebellion and courage. Since the days of King Arthur, there have been poems and paintings created in her name. She is Elaine of Ascolat, the Lady of Shalott, and now there is a book all her own. The year is 490 A.D. and 16-year-old Elaine has a temperament to match her fiery red hair. Living on a military base with her father, brothers, and the rest of Arthur's army, Elaine pines for the handsome Lancelot, and longs for a female companion. But when the cruel, beautiful Gwynivere arrives, Elaine is confronted with startling emotions of jealousy and rivalry. Can Elaine find the strength to survive the birth of a kingdom?
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
ISBN: 0545361060
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 422
Book Description
This gripping addition to the Camelot canon -- written in beautiful verse -- has received glowing praise, and is an empowering story of rebellion and courage. Since the days of King Arthur, there have been poems and paintings created in her name. She is Elaine of Ascolat, the Lady of Shalott, and now there is a book all her own. The year is 490 A.D. and 16-year-old Elaine has a temperament to match her fiery red hair. Living on a military base with her father, brothers, and the rest of Arthur's army, Elaine pines for the handsome Lancelot, and longs for a female companion. But when the cruel, beautiful Gwynivere arrives, Elaine is confronted with startling emotions of jealousy and rivalry. Can Elaine find the strength to survive the birth of a kingdom?
The Storyteller
Author: Dave Grohl
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 006307611X
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 431
Book Description
The #1 New York Times Bestseller * Named one of Variety's Best Music Books of 2021 * Included in Audible's Best of The Year list * A Business Insider Best Memoirs of 2021 * One of NME's Best Music Books of 2021 So, I've written a book. Having entertained the idea for years, and even offered a few questionable opportunities ("It's a piece of cake! Just do 4 hours of interviews, find someone else to write it, put your face on the cover, and voila!") I have decided to write these stories just as I have always done, in my own hand. The joy that I have felt from chronicling these tales is not unlike listening back to a song that I've recorded and can't wait to share with the world, or reading a primitive journal entry from a stained notebook, or even hearing my voice bounce between the Kiss posters on my wall as a child. This certainly doesn't mean that I'm quitting my day job, but it does give me a place to shed a little light on what it's like to be a kid from Springfield, Virginia, walking through life while living out the crazy dreams I had as young musician. From hitting the road with Scream at 18 years old, to my time in Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, jamming with Iggy Pop or playing at the Academy Awards or dancing with AC/DC and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, drumming for Tom Petty or meeting Sir Paul McCartney at Royal Albert Hall, bedtime stories with Joan Jett or a chance meeting with Little Richard, to flying halfway around the world for one epic night with my daughters…the list goes on. I look forward to focusing the lens through which I see these memories a little sharper for you with much excitement.
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 006307611X
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 431
Book Description
The #1 New York Times Bestseller * Named one of Variety's Best Music Books of 2021 * Included in Audible's Best of The Year list * A Business Insider Best Memoirs of 2021 * One of NME's Best Music Books of 2021 So, I've written a book. Having entertained the idea for years, and even offered a few questionable opportunities ("It's a piece of cake! Just do 4 hours of interviews, find someone else to write it, put your face on the cover, and voila!") I have decided to write these stories just as I have always done, in my own hand. The joy that I have felt from chronicling these tales is not unlike listening back to a song that I've recorded and can't wait to share with the world, or reading a primitive journal entry from a stained notebook, or even hearing my voice bounce between the Kiss posters on my wall as a child. This certainly doesn't mean that I'm quitting my day job, but it does give me a place to shed a little light on what it's like to be a kid from Springfield, Virginia, walking through life while living out the crazy dreams I had as young musician. From hitting the road with Scream at 18 years old, to my time in Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, jamming with Iggy Pop or playing at the Academy Awards or dancing with AC/DC and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, drumming for Tom Petty or meeting Sir Paul McCartney at Royal Albert Hall, bedtime stories with Joan Jett or a chance meeting with Little Richard, to flying halfway around the world for one epic night with my daughters…the list goes on. I look forward to focusing the lens through which I see these memories a little sharper for you with much excitement.
FORTNITE (Official): Battle Royale Survival Guide
Author: Epic Games
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0316491284
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 115
Book Description
Win it all with exclusive tips and tricks in Epic Games' ONLY official Battle Royale handbook, including sleek full-color tutorials and featuring the authentic Fortnite holographic seal. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced player sharpening your skills, get ready to dominate Battle Royale! With this essential guide, you'll master key areas of the game, dazzle your friends, and outwit your opponents with clever battle tactics. You'll learn: HOW TO FIGHT BETTER AND SMARTER: Crazy and creative ideas for using game elements to your advantage, whether playing solo or in a squad. SNEAKY SURVIVAL TACTICS: Smart ways to use the Storm to your benefit, top tips for building your way out of trouble, and the best ways to blend into the environment. THE ULTIMATE ISLAND GUIDE: Key places to land and loot and how to get around the island with ease. This book is perfect for fans of ALL ages and offers you a competitive edge straight from Epic Games!
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0316491284
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 115
Book Description
Win it all with exclusive tips and tricks in Epic Games' ONLY official Battle Royale handbook, including sleek full-color tutorials and featuring the authentic Fortnite holographic seal. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced player sharpening your skills, get ready to dominate Battle Royale! With this essential guide, you'll master key areas of the game, dazzle your friends, and outwit your opponents with clever battle tactics. You'll learn: HOW TO FIGHT BETTER AND SMARTER: Crazy and creative ideas for using game elements to your advantage, whether playing solo or in a squad. SNEAKY SURVIVAL TACTICS: Smart ways to use the Storm to your benefit, top tips for building your way out of trouble, and the best ways to blend into the environment. THE ULTIMATE ISLAND GUIDE: Key places to land and loot and how to get around the island with ease. This book is perfect for fans of ALL ages and offers you a competitive edge straight from Epic Games!
Legend
Author: Marie Lu
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 110154595X
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 318
Book Description
"Legend doesn't merely survive the hype, it deserves it." From the New York Times bestselling author of The Young Elites What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets. Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 110154595X
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 318
Book Description
"Legend doesn't merely survive the hype, it deserves it." From the New York Times bestselling author of The Young Elites What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets. Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.
Starless Night
Author: R.A. Salvatore
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
ISBN: 0786954086
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 336
Book Description
To protect his friends from harm, Drizzt Do’Urden returns to the place he left behind long ago—the City of Spiders Though Drizzt is still reeling from the death of his barbarian friend, he is allowed little time to grieve. Dark elves are gathering in the caverns deep under Mithral Hall, hell-bent on destruction. To keep his adopted home and family safe, Drizzt must now return to the dreadful drow city of his birth. Nicknamed the City of Spiders, Menzoberranzan is one of the most dangerous places in the already perilous Underdark. For Drizzt, a rogue elf with a price on his head, stepping foot inside the city is no small risk—it’s certain death. But Drizzt Do'Urden and his companions are no strangers to such dire circumstances. Driven by their love and loyalty to the dwarves of Mithral Hall, they will engage the dark elves in combat and willingly lay down their lives . . . Starless Night is the second book in the Legacy of the Drow series and the eighth book in the Legend of Drizzt series.
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
ISBN: 0786954086
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 336
Book Description
To protect his friends from harm, Drizzt Do’Urden returns to the place he left behind long ago—the City of Spiders Though Drizzt is still reeling from the death of his barbarian friend, he is allowed little time to grieve. Dark elves are gathering in the caverns deep under Mithral Hall, hell-bent on destruction. To keep his adopted home and family safe, Drizzt must now return to the dreadful drow city of his birth. Nicknamed the City of Spiders, Menzoberranzan is one of the most dangerous places in the already perilous Underdark. For Drizzt, a rogue elf with a price on his head, stepping foot inside the city is no small risk—it’s certain death. But Drizzt Do'Urden and his companions are no strangers to such dire circumstances. Driven by their love and loyalty to the dwarves of Mithral Hall, they will engage the dark elves in combat and willingly lay down their lives . . . Starless Night is the second book in the Legacy of the Drow series and the eighth book in the Legend of Drizzt series.
What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. Second Edition
Author: James Paul Gee
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 1466886420
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 233
Book Description
Cognitive Development in a Digital Age James Paul Gee begins his classic book with "I want to talk about video games–yes, even violent video games–and say some positive things about them." With this simple but explosive statement, one of America's most well-respected educators looks seriously at the good that can come from playing video games. This revised edition expands beyond mere gaming, introducing readers to fresh perspectives based on games like World of Warcraft and Half-Life 2. It delves deeper into cognitive development, discussing how video games can shape our understanding of the world. An undisputed must-read for those interested in the intersection of education, technology, and pop culture, What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy challenges traditional norms, examines the educational potential of video games, and opens up a discussion on the far-reaching impacts of this ubiquitous aspect of modern life.
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 1466886420
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 233
Book Description
Cognitive Development in a Digital Age James Paul Gee begins his classic book with "I want to talk about video games–yes, even violent video games–and say some positive things about them." With this simple but explosive statement, one of America's most well-respected educators looks seriously at the good that can come from playing video games. This revised edition expands beyond mere gaming, introducing readers to fresh perspectives based on games like World of Warcraft and Half-Life 2. It delves deeper into cognitive development, discussing how video games can shape our understanding of the world. An undisputed must-read for those interested in the intersection of education, technology, and pop culture, What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy challenges traditional norms, examines the educational potential of video games, and opens up a discussion on the far-reaching impacts of this ubiquitous aspect of modern life.
A Most Remarkable Creature
Author: Jonathan Meiburg
Publisher: Knopf
ISBN: 1101875704
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 401
Book Description
“Utterly captivating and beautifully written, this book is a hugely entertaining and enlightening exploration of a bird so wickedly smart, curious, and social, it boggles the mind.”—Jennifer Ackerman, author of The Bird Way “A fascinating, entertaining, and totally engrossing story.”—David Sibley, author of What It's Like to Be a Bird An enthralling account of a modern voyage of discovery as we meet the clever, social birds of prey called caracaras, which puzzled Darwin, fascinate modern-day falconers, and carry secrets of our planet's deep past in their family history. “As curious, wide-ranging, gregarious, and intelligent as its subject.”—Charles C. Mann, author of 1491 In 1833, Charles Darwin was astonished by an animal he met in the Falkland Islands: handsome, social, and oddly crow-like falcons that were "tame and inquisitive . . . quarrelsome and passionate," and so insatiably curious that they stole hats, compasses, and other valuables from the crew of the Beagle. Darwin wondered why these birds were confined to remote islands at the tip of South America, sensing a larger story, but he set this mystery aside and never returned to it. Almost two hundred years later, Jonathan Meiburg takes up this chase. He takes us through South America, from the fog-bound coasts of Tierra del Fuego to the tropical forests of Guyana, in search of these birds: striated caracaras, which still exist, though they're very rare. He reveals the wild, fascinating story of their history, origins, and possible futures. And along the way, he draws us into the life and work of William Henry Hudson, the Victorian writer and naturalist who championed caracaras as an unsung wonder of the natural world, and to falconry parks in the English countryside, where captive caracaras perform incredible feats of memory and problem-solving. A Most Remarkable Creature is a hybrid of science writing, travelogue, and biography, as generous and accessible as it is sophisticated, and absolutely riveting.
Publisher: Knopf
ISBN: 1101875704
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 401
Book Description
“Utterly captivating and beautifully written, this book is a hugely entertaining and enlightening exploration of a bird so wickedly smart, curious, and social, it boggles the mind.”—Jennifer Ackerman, author of The Bird Way “A fascinating, entertaining, and totally engrossing story.”—David Sibley, author of What It's Like to Be a Bird An enthralling account of a modern voyage of discovery as we meet the clever, social birds of prey called caracaras, which puzzled Darwin, fascinate modern-day falconers, and carry secrets of our planet's deep past in their family history. “As curious, wide-ranging, gregarious, and intelligent as its subject.”—Charles C. Mann, author of 1491 In 1833, Charles Darwin was astonished by an animal he met in the Falkland Islands: handsome, social, and oddly crow-like falcons that were "tame and inquisitive . . . quarrelsome and passionate," and so insatiably curious that they stole hats, compasses, and other valuables from the crew of the Beagle. Darwin wondered why these birds were confined to remote islands at the tip of South America, sensing a larger story, but he set this mystery aside and never returned to it. Almost two hundred years later, Jonathan Meiburg takes up this chase. He takes us through South America, from the fog-bound coasts of Tierra del Fuego to the tropical forests of Guyana, in search of these birds: striated caracaras, which still exist, though they're very rare. He reveals the wild, fascinating story of their history, origins, and possible futures. And along the way, he draws us into the life and work of William Henry Hudson, the Victorian writer and naturalist who championed caracaras as an unsung wonder of the natural world, and to falconry parks in the English countryside, where captive caracaras perform incredible feats of memory and problem-solving. A Most Remarkable Creature is a hybrid of science writing, travelogue, and biography, as generous and accessible as it is sophisticated, and absolutely riveting.
Dune (Movie Tie-In)
Author: Frank Herbert
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0593640349
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 897
Book Description
• DUNE: PART TWO • THE MAJOR MOTION PICTURE COMING NOVEMBER 3rd, 2023 Directed by Denis Villeneuve, screenplay by Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts, based on the novel Dune by Frank Herbert • Starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Léa Seydoux, with Stellan Skarsgård, with Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem Frank Herbert’s classic masterpiece—a triumph of the imagination and one of the bestselling science fiction novels of all time. Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of Paul Atreides−who would become known as Maud'Dib—and of a great family's ambition to bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream. A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what is undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0593640349
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 897
Book Description
• DUNE: PART TWO • THE MAJOR MOTION PICTURE COMING NOVEMBER 3rd, 2023 Directed by Denis Villeneuve, screenplay by Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts, based on the novel Dune by Frank Herbert • Starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Léa Seydoux, with Stellan Skarsgård, with Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem Frank Herbert’s classic masterpiece—a triumph of the imagination and one of the bestselling science fiction novels of all time. Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of Paul Atreides−who would become known as Maud'Dib—and of a great family's ambition to bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream. A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what is undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction.
FORTNITE (Official): The Ultimate Locker
Author: Epic Games
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0316429988
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 353
Book Description
This is the essential resource Fortnite fans have been waiting for--the definitive guide to Fortnite Chapter One, featuring the authentic Fortnite holographic seal. The Ultimate Locker features all your favorite Outfits, pets, back bling, harvesting tools, gliders, contrails, and emotes from Seasons 1 to X, jam-packed into a single book and brought to you exclusively by Epic Games. Arranged season by season and including rarity values, set information, and fun facts throughout, this is a must-have reference for all Fortnite fans.
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0316429988
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 353
Book Description
This is the essential resource Fortnite fans have been waiting for--the definitive guide to Fortnite Chapter One, featuring the authentic Fortnite holographic seal. The Ultimate Locker features all your favorite Outfits, pets, back bling, harvesting tools, gliders, contrails, and emotes from Seasons 1 to X, jam-packed into a single book and brought to you exclusively by Epic Games. Arranged season by season and including rarity values, set information, and fun facts throughout, this is a must-have reference for all Fortnite fans.
The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci (Complete)
Author: Leonardo da Vinci
Publisher: Library of Alexandria
ISBN: 1465514147
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 1118
Book Description
A singular fatality has ruled the destiny of nearly all the most famous of Leonardo da Vinci's works. Two of the three most important were never completed, obstacles having arisen during his life-time, which obliged him to leave them unfinished; namely the Sforza Monument and the Wall-painting of the Battle of Anghiari, while the third—the picture of the Last Supper at Milan—has suffered irremediable injury from decay and the repeated restorations to which it was recklessly subjected during the XVIIth and XVIIIth centuries. Nevertheless, no other picture of the Renaissance has become so wellknown and popular through copies of every description. Vasari says, and rightly, in his Life of Leonardo, "that he laboured much more by his word than in fact or by deed", and the biographer evidently had in his mind the numerous works in Manuscript which have been preserved to this day. To us, now, it seems almost inexplicable that these valuable and interesting original texts should have remained so long unpublished, and indeed forgotten. It is certain that during the XVIth and XVIIth centuries their exceptional value was highly appreciated. This is proved not merely by the prices which they commanded, but also by the exceptional interest which has been attached to the change of ownership of merely a few pages of Manuscript. That, notwithstanding this eagerness to possess the Manuscripts, their contents remained a mystery, can only be accounted for by the many and great difficulties attending the task of deciphering them. The handwriting is so peculiar that it requires considerable practice to read even a few detached phrases, much more to solve with any certainty the numerous difficulties of alternative readings, and to master the sense as a connected whole. Vasari observes with reference to Leonardos writing: "he wrote backwards, in rude characters, and with the left hand, so that any one who is not practised in reading them, cannot understand them". The aid of a mirror in reading reversed handwriting appears to me available only for a first experimental reading. Speaking from my own experience, the persistent use of it is too fatiguing and inconvenient to be practically advisable, considering the enormous mass of Manuscripts to be deciphered. And as, after all, Leonardo's handwriting runs backwards just as all Oriental character runs backwards—that is to say from right to left—the difficulty of reading direct from the writing is not insuperable. This obvious peculiarity in the writing is not, however, by any means the only obstacle in the way of mastering the text. Leonardo made use of an orthography peculiar to himself; he had a fashion of amalgamating several short words into one long one, or, again, he would quite arbitrarily divide a long word into two separate halves; added to this there is no punctuation whatever to regulate the division and construction of the sentences, nor are there any accents—and the reader may imagine that such difficulties were almost sufficient to make the task seem a desperate one to a beginner. It is therefore not surprising that the good intentions of some of Leonardo s most reverent admirers should have failed.
Publisher: Library of Alexandria
ISBN: 1465514147
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 1118
Book Description
A singular fatality has ruled the destiny of nearly all the most famous of Leonardo da Vinci's works. Two of the three most important were never completed, obstacles having arisen during his life-time, which obliged him to leave them unfinished; namely the Sforza Monument and the Wall-painting of the Battle of Anghiari, while the third—the picture of the Last Supper at Milan—has suffered irremediable injury from decay and the repeated restorations to which it was recklessly subjected during the XVIIth and XVIIIth centuries. Nevertheless, no other picture of the Renaissance has become so wellknown and popular through copies of every description. Vasari says, and rightly, in his Life of Leonardo, "that he laboured much more by his word than in fact or by deed", and the biographer evidently had in his mind the numerous works in Manuscript which have been preserved to this day. To us, now, it seems almost inexplicable that these valuable and interesting original texts should have remained so long unpublished, and indeed forgotten. It is certain that during the XVIth and XVIIth centuries their exceptional value was highly appreciated. This is proved not merely by the prices which they commanded, but also by the exceptional interest which has been attached to the change of ownership of merely a few pages of Manuscript. That, notwithstanding this eagerness to possess the Manuscripts, their contents remained a mystery, can only be accounted for by the many and great difficulties attending the task of deciphering them. The handwriting is so peculiar that it requires considerable practice to read even a few detached phrases, much more to solve with any certainty the numerous difficulties of alternative readings, and to master the sense as a connected whole. Vasari observes with reference to Leonardos writing: "he wrote backwards, in rude characters, and with the left hand, so that any one who is not practised in reading them, cannot understand them". The aid of a mirror in reading reversed handwriting appears to me available only for a first experimental reading. Speaking from my own experience, the persistent use of it is too fatiguing and inconvenient to be practically advisable, considering the enormous mass of Manuscripts to be deciphered. And as, after all, Leonardo's handwriting runs backwards just as all Oriental character runs backwards—that is to say from right to left—the difficulty of reading direct from the writing is not insuperable. This obvious peculiarity in the writing is not, however, by any means the only obstacle in the way of mastering the text. Leonardo made use of an orthography peculiar to himself; he had a fashion of amalgamating several short words into one long one, or, again, he would quite arbitrarily divide a long word into two separate halves; added to this there is no punctuation whatever to regulate the division and construction of the sentences, nor are there any accents—and the reader may imagine that such difficulties were almost sufficient to make the task seem a desperate one to a beginner. It is therefore not surprising that the good intentions of some of Leonardo s most reverent admirers should have failed.