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The Voynich Manuscript: The Mysterious Code That Has Defied Interpretation for Centuries
PDF Download The Voynich Manuscript: The Mysterious Code That Has Defied Interpretation for Centuries
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Review
"If you think all languages have been deciphered, this manuscript offers up a challenge--and provides unique symbols leading to the possibility that it's a lost alchemical work." (Diane C. Donovan, California Bookwatch, Dec 2006)
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From the Back Cover
ANCIENT MYSTERIES Since its discovery by Wilfrid Voynich in an Italian monastery in 1912, the Voynich Manuscript has baffled scholars and cryptanalysts with its unidentifiable script and bizarre illustrations. Written in an unknown language or an as-yet undecipherable code, this medieval manuscript contains hundreds of illustrations of unknown plants, cosmological charts, and inexplicable scenes of naked “nymphs” bathing in a green liquid that some interpret as a symbolic depiction of human reproduction and the joining of the soul with the body. Gerry Kennedy and Rob Churchill explore the mystery surrounding the Voynich Manuscript, examining the many existing theories about the possible authors of this work and the information it may contain. They trace the speculative history of the manuscript and reveal those who may be connected to it, including Roger Bacon, John Dee, Edward Kelley, and the Cathars. With the possibility that it may be a lost alchemical text or other esoteric work, this manuscript remains one of the most intriguing yet enigmatic documents ever to have come to light. GERRY KENNEDY is a freelance writer and has produced a number of BBC Radio 4 programs, including one on the Voynich Manuscript in 2001. ROB CHURCHILL is a professional writer who has written scripts for many production companies, including the BBC and Thames Television. Both authors were consultants for the BBC/Mentorn Films documentary The Voynich Mystery. They live in London.
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Product details
Paperback: 328 pages
Publisher: Inner Traditions; 3rd Edition, First North American edition (August 28, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1594771294
ISBN-13: 978-1594771293
Product Dimensions:
6 x 0.9 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review:
3.7 out of 5 stars
30 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#339,014 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
I bought this book recently, and I must say I'm impressed. I found it to be very informative. However, I also have to say that it is lacking in the way photos of pages in the MS. The text and the drawings in the MS are discussed, but since the MS is so long and so "illustrated," it's disappointing that so few of the pages in the document are actually shown in this book. But this is still a really good book for what IS in it (or for most of what's in it), in my opinion. The VMS is one of the most fascinating enigmas (if not THE most fascinating one) that I've become familiar with. Everything about it is mystifying. Who wrote it? Why did they write it? Is it in an "encrypted" natural language, or is it perhaps in a "made-up" language? Just exactly what is the significance of the many plants, of the mostly-naked females, and of the other strange imagery? Is the MS "mystical," or does it have some botanical or medical or religious significance? Do the text and the drawings really even have to do with each other? To this very day, the answers to these questions remain uncertain, though theories abound. Since the publication of this book, the VMS has been carbon-dated and appears to have been created between 1403-1438, and so it seems unlikely that it's a hoax, as the book several times admits it may be --- and as one of the authors believed (believes?) it was (is?); one thing that's for sure is that it isn't a 20th-Century hoax perpetrated by Wilfrid Voynich himself (or for that matter, by anyone else). Thus, a good bit of what it is in the book is now outdated (most of that stuff is in the last two chapters). But most of it is still "contemporary." This book discusses many of the theories and "decryptions" that have been put forward, and how they were carried out --- as well as how they were flawed. Probably the best example of a so-called "solution" to the puzzle of the VMS was the very-convoluted one presented by Prof. William Romaine Newbold, who firmly believed, as did Wilfrid Voynich himself, that the MS was the work of Roger Bacon. The best "debunker" in the book is probably Prof. John Mathews Manly, who worked to show that Newbold's "decryption" was wrong. The book also concerns the many methods of creating ciphers, and their strengths and weaknesses. (A cipher may SEEM "unbreakable" when in fact it's far from it, as the book demonstrates.) Of all the attempts that have been made to "crack" the MS' "cipher" (if that's even what it truly is), and to figure out how the cipher might have been created in the first place, NONE have produced "results" that are completely respectable, if at all. Could it be that the MS is the product of a "not right" mind, or of someone suffering from migraine hallucinations? Not one "explanation" for the MS seems entirely satisfactory. Perhaps there isn't just one explanation, and there are many different factors at work. As I said before, I found this book to be very informative. But, in addition to the lack of photos from the VMS, it has some other shortcomings, at least in my opinion. For one thing, on page 152 it says of the MS, "there are no doubled letters." But, earlier, on page 117, in the discussion of James Martin Feely's "Voynichese to Latin" translations of the "Voynichese words" appearing on that page, one of the "Voynichese" letters (the one that looks like a 'c' and that Feely "transcribes" as 'm') clearly appears twice in a row in the words. 'MM' and even 'MMM' also appear in many of Feely's other "transcriptions," and there is one instance of 'NN.' [Edit from Oct.'13: Since I first posted this review, I've realized that there are also many other instances in the book where the same letter shows up twice in a row in Voynichese words!] Inconsistent, unless I've missed something or don't have something straight. And, as someone else pointed out, the authors don't seem to understand alchemy. (I suppose it could well be that the MS was meant as an alchemical experiment.) There were also places where I found the book to be sort of tedious, although it managed to hold my interest nonetheless. (The inclusion of the outdated stuff is a potential problem, as that stuff was still "valid" when the book was published, but at the same time, will fool those who aren't aware of the fact that the MS has been carbon-dated, or of its apparent [approximate] age.) I must say also that there are a few places in the book that trouble me a bit, for reasons that are rather personal. The authors are apparently atheists who do not believe in the existence of the spiritual world, or in any truly "spiritual" or "psychical" manifestations. I respect those who do not subscribe to any religion and who do not believe in the "spiritual" or the "psychical," and I don't want to argue with any of them here, but to me, the authors' attitude toward these matters is kind of off-putting. I don't doubt that people can and probably have misinterpreted purely "scientific" occurrences as "spiritual"/"psychic"/"divine intervention," but I firmly believe that science cannot account for everything, at least not entirely. But again, I don't want to argue with anyone. I'm not here to shoot anyone because of what they believe or don't believe. Despite my issues with the book, I really do think it's really good overall!
A great book. Full of possibilities; a nice review of the now long history of this mysterious manuscript. After reading the book, I have a feeling that it is not supposed to be deciphered and it is some sort of Alchemy in a form of book: whoever researches it, finds the truth they are looking for, or they believe in. Nobody got rich with the manuscript, as far as i can tell, but many had the feeling they reached some sort of a personal satisfaction of one's innermost desires.The last owner of the manuscript donated it but there is a mention that he personally went to the Vatican Library and found out that the Vatican was surprised that they did not have it there, when it should have received from Villa Mondragone in 1912...
The authors present a wide-ranging account of the approaches that have been taken to interpreting the VM. The writing is a bit bumpy, perhaps because of the multiple authors, but that doesn't interfere with the lucidity and cohesion of the book as a whole. I especially appreciated the material on the history of cryptography and cryptanalysis in chapters 4 and 5: an exceptionally clear yet adequately terse account of the methods that underlie the core of efforts both old and new to decipher the script. I'm less sure of the value of attempts to gain insight from the graphics, presented in chapter 6. Yet some consideration of them is absolutely necessary, since they provide the atmosphere that's certainly out of this world, making anyone examining the VM believe there must be something of value hidden within it.Sadly the book was published before the results of radio-carbon dating of the vellum were published. If accurate, that dating rules out origination prior to the 15th century. However, the samples used for that analysis may have skewed the results, so I don't suppose we've heard the last word in that arena yet.One thought the book prompted, which so far as I know hasn't been considered. Could the VM be simply a fantasy-fiction work, not deliberately intended to deceive or defraud as a hoax would?
The authors do a fantastic job describing the Voynich manuscript's rich history and the history of efforts to break its secrets. It is only harmed by being pre-2011 and therefore the 1404-1438 radiocarbon dating of the MS was not complete. That means some avenues of research and thought are now obsolete. Reader be warned! This is no fault of the authors, however.
A superb overview of the Voynich Mystery, the authors balance the clinical analysis needed with a thought provoking writing style. Opening every possible door and examining each thoroughly before shutting them, only at the end are we left with their own opinions as to what this thing is and what it might mean. From cryptography to psychiatry to theology to in the dirt historical research, every angle is examined. An excellent recitation and discussion of a fascinating mystery.I would happily buy an updated version detailing recent technical analysis carried out on the manuscript.From my view, the it's most likely this thing is simply a 15th century hoax related to alchemy- that "science" was infected with hoaxes. But if it's not the significant improvement in computing power in recent years should eventually crack whatever code exists. So hopefully one day we'll know what those plump nymphs were really up to.
A great curiosity and does give a person a lot to think about. Makes a person wish they had an actual copy to study.
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