Measure of a Man

Name: Measure of a Man
Author: Marco Malvaldi, Howard Curtis, Katherine Gregor

The acclaimed Italian author spins a tale of Renaissance innovation, intrigue and murder in this historical novel about Leonardo da Vinci.

October 1493. Florence is still mourning the death of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Columbus’ ships have only recently reached the New World, and Milan is experiencing a renaissance under the leadership of Ludovico il Moro. Not far from Milan’s Castle, a peculiar man named Leonardo da Vinci lives above his workshop. Da Vinci doesn’t eat meat, writes from right to left, and struggles to get paid by his employers. Yet his fame extends beyond the Alps, to the French court of Charles VIII.

Charles has sent envoys on a mission to uncover the Italian inventor’s rumored secret plans for an invincible mechanical knight. Meanwhile, after a man is found dead in the Castle’s courtyard, il Moro turns to Da Vinci for help. Five hundred years after Leonardo’s death, Marco Malvaldi combines literature, science, history, and mystery to bring back to life one of the greatest figures of the Renaissance.

Marco Malvaldi, Howard Curtis, Katherine Gregor

Marco Malvaldi was born and lives in Pisa, where he obtained a PhD in Chemistry from the “Normale” University. His previous books include the Bar Lume series, featuring Massimo the Barman and the four elderly sleuths. He is the winner of both the Isola d’Elba Award and the Castiglioncello Prize for his crime novels.

For Europa Editions, Howard Curtis has translated five novels by Jean-Claude Izzo, including all three books in his Marseilles trilogy, as well as fiction by Francisco Coloane, Canek Sánchez Guevara, Caryl Férey, and two previous books by Santiago Gamboa.

Katherine Gregor translates from Italian, Russian and French. She is also a playwright and a fiction writer and maintains a regular blog at scribedoll.wordpress.com.