Out of the Flames: The Remarkable Story of Michael Servetus and One of the Rarest Books in the World [Bound Galley]

Advance Reader's Copy of Bound Galley in paperback. 339pp. Bright, clean & tight copy, unread, in Fine condition. "In the tradition of Longitude and Brunelleschi's Dome, the fascinating story of a bold free thinker who discovered blood circulation, questioned religious orthodoxy, was burned at the stake--and the strange fate of the book that cost him his life. [] Michael Servetus is one of those hidden figureheads of history who is remembered not for his name, but for the revolutionary deeds that stand in his place. Both a scientist and a freethinking theologian, Servetus is credited with the discovery of pulmonary circulation in the human body as well as the authorship of a polemical masterpiece that cost him his life. The Chrisitianismi Restitutio, a heretical work of biblical scholarship written in 1553, aimed to refute the orthodox Christianity that Servetus's old colleague, John Calvin, supported. After the book spread through the ranks of the Protestant hierarchy, Servetus was tried and agonizingly burned at the stake, the last known copy of the Restitutio chained to his leg. [] Servetus's execution is significant because it marked a turning point in the quest for freedom of expression, due largely to the development of the printing press and the proliferation of books in Renaissance Europe. Three copies of the Restitutio managed to survive the burning, despite every effort on the part of his enemies to destroy them. As a result, the book became almost a surrogate for its author, going into hiding and relying on covert distribution until it could be read freely, centuries later. OUT OF THE FLAMES tracks the history of this special work, examining Servetus's life and times and the politics of the first information revolution during the sixteenth century. Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone follow the clandestine journey of the three copies through the subsequent centuries and explore Servetus's legacy and influence over thinkers such as Leibniz, Voltaire, Rousseau, Jefferson, Clarence Darrow, and William Osler who shared his spirit and genius. [] OUT OF THE FLAMES is an extraordinary story providing testament to the power of ideas, the enduring legacy of books, and the triumph of individual courage." [publisher copy] "When Michael Servetus was burned at the stake for heresy in 1553, he had spent much of his life running from the Church. Born into a noble Spanish family, he studied medicine and the humanities extensively. By age 20, he had written a treatise on the Trinity that incensed Church authorities and led him into self-imposed exile. But the book that doomed Servetus was Christianismi Restitutio (Christianity Restored), which challenged, among other ideas, John Calvin's doctrine of predestination and argued that God exists in all people and all things. The reaction to Servetus's text was so vehement that all copies discovered were destroyed. As the Goldstones (book collectors and authors of Used and Rare, etc.) reveal, three copies of the book still exist. In this lively account, the authors vividly recreate a Renaissance world of revolution and reform in which the dissemination of ideas flourished thanks to the printing press. They also trace the paths of the surviving copies of Christianismi Restitutio as they make their way through the hands of Voltaire, Rousseau, Jefferson and physician William Osler. More than a theological treatise, the Christianismi Restitutio contains a paragraph that explains pulmonary circulation, decades before William Harvey generally credited with this discovery announced his find. The Goldstones offer both a portrait of an important but neglected Renaissance humanist and a testimony to the power of books to shape minds and hearts."--Publishers Weekly. Pristine paperback ARC w/sharp corners & crisp edges, a square & tight binding w/no creases in spine & no jacket as issued. Selected bibliography but no Index [TK].…