Customer Reviews (1)

Leading commentary on a legal legend--simply wonderful.
Simply a wonderful read.If ever you have encountered Bacon, Prof. Coquillette of Boston College Law School will delight you with his historical and jurisprudential analysis of one of the heavyweights of English legal and political history.Coquillette's prose dances as he works through the twists and turns of Bacon's life, times, and master works.A "must read" for the serious student of Anglo-American legal thought ... Read more

Book Description
Jerry Weinberger here seeks to establish Francis Bacon's rightful place among the founders--with Machiavelli and Hobbes--of the modern political tradition, claiming that Bacon's view of the sources of the modern age has great resonance for the problems of our contemporary scientific society. ... Read more

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"The Shakespeare Controversy," otherwise known as "Who Wrote Shakespeare?," has been a literary problem for generations. Countless attempts have been made to show that someone other than Shakespeare, or some group of people, wrote the Plays and The Sonnets. Peck's method of solving this problem was to look for cipher (secret writing) that might reveal the real author.Rather than searching the thousands of lines of The Plays and The Sonnets for ciphers, he singled out the odd original epitaph on Shakespeare's tombstone as a possible source of a concealed message.The peculiarities of the inscription had coaxed others before him to grapple with its strange context.In this exciting book, the author has demonstrated the importance of mathematical probability in support of ciphers.The math is simplified by interesting explanations.With the ciphers, he then answers the question of authorship while tying Sir Francis Bacon to the Tudor family. ... Read more

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This work provides an original account of Francis Bacon's conception of natural inquiry.Perez-Ramos sets Bacon in an epistemological tradition that postulates an intimate relation between objects of cognition and objects of construction, and regards the human knower as, fundamentally, a
maker.By exploring the background to this tradition, and contrasting the responses of major philosophers of the 17th century with Bacon's own, the book charts Bacon's contribution to the modern philosophy of science. ... Read more

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Coincidences; The Early Authorship of Shake-Speare; The Late Authorship of Shake-Speare; The Place of the Shake-Speare Dramas in Bacon's System of Philosophy; The Classical Element in the Plays; Johnson's Masque, "Time Vindicated;" Bacon's Poetic Gifts; Origin of the Pseudonym Shake-Speare. ... Read more

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This ambitious and important book provides the first truly general account of Francis Bacon as a philosopher.It explores in detail how and why Bacon attempted to transform the largely esoteric discipline of natural philosophy into a public practice through a program in which practical science provided a model that inspired many from the 17th to the 20th centuries. This book will be recognized as a major contribution to Baconian scholarship of special interest to historians of early modern philosophy, science, and ideas.Download Description
This ambitious and important book provides the first truly general account of Francis Bacon as a philosopher. It describes how Bacon transformed the values that had underpinned philosophical culture since antiquity by rejecting the traditional idea of a philosopher as someone engaged in contemplation of the cosmos. The book explores in detail how and why Bacon attempted to transform the largely esoteric discipline of natural philosophy into a public practice through a program in which practical science provided a model that inspired many from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries. Stephen Gaukroger shows that this reform of natural philosophy was dependent on the creation of a new philosophical persona: a natural philosopher shaped through submission to the dictates of Baconian method. This book will be recognized as a major contribution to Baconian scholarship, of special interest to historians of early-modern philosophy, science, and ideas. ... Read more

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Francis Bacon and the Rhetoric of Nature offers a synthesis of Bacon’s views about language and nature.John Briggs clarifies the close relation between Bacon’s famous reform of scientific method and his less well-known conceptions of rhetoric, nature, and religion.He examines traditional views of nature and persuasion that were influential in the intellectual and practical life of early-seventeenth-century England, and shows how Bacon replaces the “old nature” – with is gradual unfolding of organic potential – with a “new nature” of violence, secrecy, and instantaneous revelation rewarding the self-abnegating, assiduous sons of science.

Briggs explores Bacon’s paradoxes and puzzles in the context of the older Aristotelian and cosmological perspective, paying particular attention to the views of persuasion.He points out a remarkable and complex consistency in Bacon’s use of Solomon, Moses, Paul, and the Greeks, and reveals the depth of Bacon’s conviction that nature is God’s code, which scientists decipher and exploit.He uncovers, throughout in Bacon’s work, a darker, more Machiavellian and ingenious Bacon than the twentieth-century admirers of his rationalist façade have identified. ... Read more

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Cogent, Circumspect, Intriguing
Briggs seeks to illuminate Bacon's own understanding of science, and the role man may play in deciphering nature.The most interesting part of this book is the painstaking and illuminating attention Briggs pays to the tradition in which Bacon did his thinking and wrought his innovations.Briggs uncovers and deftly articulates subtle and influential 15th-16th century theories of magic and rhetoric that are fascinating and richly suggestive. I have found it to be a cogent, richly informative, and probing exploration of Bacon within the intellectual context in which he did his thinking.An invaluable read for students of rhetoric/language and the history of science.
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Why was it that Francis Bacon, trained for high political office, devoted himself to proposing a celebrated and sweeping reform of the natural sciences? Julian Martin's investigative study looks at Bacon's family context, his employment in Queen Elizabeth's security service and his radical critique of the relationship between the Common Law and the monarchy, to find the key to this important question. Deeply conservative and elitist in his political views, Bacon adapted Tudor strategies of State management and bureaucracy, the social anxieties and prejudices of the late Elizabethan governing elite, and a principal intellectual resource of the English governing classes - the Common Law - into a novel vision and method for the sciences. Bacon's axiom that 'Knowledge is Power' takes on far-reaching implications in Martin's challenging argument that the reform of natural philosophy was a central part of an audacious plan to strengthen the powers of the Crown in the State. ... Read more

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How we arrived at a capacity for taking cold, hard looks at the facts of nature -- and whether we ever truly have done so -- are questions that continue to engage both historians of science and students of culture. Historians of modern European intellectual history commonly credit Francis Bacon with laying the groundwork for a mode of study that begins without presuppositions, religious or otherwise, the kind of searching we know as research and long have credited as being "disinterested."

In Objectivity in the Making, Julie Robin Solomon shows how "disinterestedness" became a dominant principle of intellectual modernity by examining Bacon's notion of scientific self-distancing against the background of early modern political ideology, socioeconomic behavior, and traditions of learning. Solomon places him between two cultures -- Jacobean monarchical mercantilism and the self-distancing strategies of early-seventeenth-century traders and travelers. She shows that Bacon -- by virtue of his prominent political position within the Jacobean court, familiarity with prevailing commercial practices, and humanistic learning -- made his signal contributions to natural philosophy because of where he stood at a critical juncture.

Customer Reviews (1)

Old Princeton's doxology for 19thC science, built by Bacon
This is a scholarly work, by a competent historian and excellent writer, the book will get nowhere near the attention and reading it deserves, perhaps explaining why it is out-of-print.

The people who need to read it the most, are perhaps the least likely to read it, the young earth creationists. The author has at least two high level motivations to write this book. The first is to demonstrate specifically how in a particular time and place, early 19thC America, a particular religious group, Old Princeton as heir of Reformation Calvinism, works to tie religion and culture together to solve societal intellectual problems. pg 174 "It may be questioned whether religious leaders at any previous point in the nation's past ahd achievd a more unabashed union of gospel and culture than this."(this referring to the Presbyterian Old School baconist interpretation of both science and religion) Secondly, he desires as a historian to cast light on the thoughts of today by tracing their roots historically and philosophically. "It is therefore feasible to suggest that the most important contemporary echo of Baconian biblicism in not to be heard within Presbyterianism as such, but within the huge party of conservative evangelicalism which has adherents within every denomination and which today perpetuates in varying degrees the essential theological tents of Fundamentalism, including biblical inerrancy." pg 173

We are used to the analogy of religion and science at war, we are less accustomed to the 19thC thinking of the two books of God; special revelation in the words of the Bible, and general revelation in the book of nature, as read by science. The two books, not warfare is the analogy that dominated American religious thought, especially the particular school represented by Princeton, until the rise of Darwinianism in 1870's. The contention that the two books, as written by the same reasonable God could not contradict each other is crucial to the theology as explained in the book.The book develops the theme that a particular way of reading both books, Baconism developed as a reaction to the French Enlightment with its accent on the unfettered by religion rise of man's Reason to explain the world.

The best part of the book is what he calls the doxological relationship of theology to science. pg 78 "More often, religious values were stated explicitly. Edward Everett, as usual, captured the full essence of current conceptions: 'the great end of all knowledge is to enlarge and purify the soul, to fill the mind with noble contemplations, to furnish a refined pleasure, and to lead our feeble reason from the works of nature up to its great Author,' Everett considered this 'as the ultimate aim of science.'" Having grown up in a world dominated by materialist science the chapter on doxological science was reason enough to have spent the time reading this book. That our forefather's in the faith, at a crucial time in the development of the relationship of modern science and theology; saw science as anawe-inspiring, devotional subject is a breath of fresh cool air on a world presently seen by science as aloof, uninterested in humankind, random, and downright unfriendly, dominated by forces of impersonality certainly not a loving God. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Royal Navy and the steam engine
As an inventor, I read Wallace's book with interest. He describes 3 episodes of innovation in earlier centuries. The first is probably the most crucial. Around the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. When the Royal Navy unintentionally provided important support for the development and continual refinement of the steam engine, over a period of 100 years. A contribution not commonly known. Most accounts of the stream engine rightfully credit Trevithick, Watt, Stevenson and Newcomen. But in that era, the supplementary assistance furnished by the Royal Navy is posited by Wallace to have also been vital. Wallace describes the extensive support in terms of material and manpower that the Navy provided.

The two other essays in the book might also be of interest to readers. ... Read more

Product Description
The true story revealed through encrypted messages within the whole works of Shakespeare far exceeds the drama, comedy, tragedy, intrigue, betrayal, false identity and heroism of the actual plays! A real cipher wheel exists today and the author has painstakingly decoded the works of Shakespeare and compared them to known historic events to create a poignant and tragic tale that ends on a note of triumphant. Illustrations and code wheels included so the reader can do it themselves. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great Read.
Don't bother reading this book if you still believe that Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare. It would be just too much information. But if you want to find out more about Francis Bacon and his 'pens' then this book is a goldmine of background and reasons why. Very readable. Dovetails nicely into Alfred Dodd's work on the same subject.

One has to admire the persistence and minute attention to detail.
Scholar of mysticism Virginia M. Fellows presents The Shakespeare Code, a one-of-a-kind revelation of hidden codes concealed in the works of Shakespeare and other writers of his time. Exposing amazing and scandalous stories, such as the hidden marriage of Elizabeth the "Virgin Queen", tales of murder and scandal, corruption, and the true-life story of code-devisor Francis Bacon, The Shakespeare Code is at once both shocking and intriguing. An amazing compendium of ciphers and methodologies applied to classic literature, from bi-formed alphabets to Dr. Owen's cipher to Ignatius Donnelly's cipher and more; regardless of whether one agrees with all the author's conclusions, one has to admire the persistence and minute attention to detail.

Reviewed by Amy Lignor
This book explores the story of Sir Francis Bacon, the (alleged) son of Queen Elizabeth I, The Virgin Queen.A cipher wheel exists today that was used to painstakingly decode the works of Williams Shakespeare and find, within the folds of literary genius, the story of an ignored heir to the Tudor throne.

There are many adjectives I could use here, dear reader.Exciting, intriguing, beguiling - but I think I will stick with...fantastic!You will be amazed by the little known fact, (at least to most), that there are two societies (which are still in operation today) called the Stratfordians (who believe that William Shakespeare is definitely who he said he was and the much beloved writer of, well, any time period); and a group called the Baconians, who truly believe (and, in this reader's opinion) has offered a ton of information that states the case that Sir Francis Bacon was the real Shakespeare, who simply hired old Will to be the "mask" that hid Bacon's works from the Queen.Much like the Montagues and Capulets, these "families" are still battling for the real truth.

Bacon was a member, if not the originator, of a secret society of `pens'; writers who used Athena, the goddess of Athens, as their representative.The goddess of Athens, by the way, was known as the Spear-Shaker (hmm).

There is an extremely well-thought out and, fantastically presented, case for Francis Bacon, here.And, I must say, I believe that Virginia Fellows and the Baconians have a valid point.This book shows the cipher that was discovered in Shakespeare's works that make it not only real and of great historical value, but, most importantly, believable that the fiery Queen Elizabeth was at one time produced on the written page as Lady Macbeth and Cleopatra.Francis Bacon, being only one of Queen Elizabeth's unrecognized offspring, buried the "real" story in the words of `Shakespeare' so that he would not be brought before his volatile mother, accused of treason, and lose his head at the Tower of London.

Perfect, mesmerizing, deliciously fun, this book is for anyone interested in history, codes, science, literature, conspiracies - pretty much anything.This is not akin to another familiar, best-selling `Code'.It is quite real, and a work of pure genius.Let the debate begin!

The Bard merely a mask for the true writer of literature's finest words - Francis Bacon
Reviewed by Amelia Bibb for Reader Views (4/07)

Virginia M. Fellows executes beautifully the telling of what some might call only a theory and others argue a fact.William Shakespeare had neither the upbringing nor true talent to have written literature's finest works; moreover, the true identity of the author of our beloved works is none other than Francis Bacon.

Bacon, labeled a poet by writers such as Shelley, has left this revelation and the story of his true identity in the very text of sonnets and plays.Two hundred years pass, and several parties take over the painstaking tasks of creating the Word Cypher, constructing the wheel that extracts the code, and then transcribing each passage to unlock the Shakespeare Code.

Now here's where it gets really interesting.According to the findings, the Code reveals...or depending on how you understand your history, confirms the theory that Francis Bacon is the illegitimate son of Queen Elizabeth, The Virgin Queen.I can see why she wouldn't want that bit of information flying about.

I enjoyed the walk through history, and I especially enjoyed the feeling of being a part of the "big secret.""The Shakespeare Code" gives the reader a sense of feeling or thought that they've joined a secret society of learned people who challenge the mainstream ideals of history and literature.Just because your 7th Grade Lit teacher says so, doesn't make it truth!It's a thought-provoking book, and I have already recommended it to several friends.

Fascinating! Worth the $10 investment
As someone who's always had an inkling that there's more to this idea of "Shakespeare" than meets the eye, it's enlightening and encouraging to get the details. Written in a way that really keeps you wanting to read, without even deviating from the facts -it's impressively done. I thought The DaVinci Code was good but this is way better. One of those cases where the truth is more interesting than the fiction.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone. ... Read more