Description
Book SynopsisPhilip Theophrastus Aureolus Bombastus von Hohenheim - known to later ages as Paracelsus - stands on the borderline between medieval and modern; a name that is familiar but a man who has been hard to perceive or understand. Contemporary of Luther, enemy of established medicine, scourge of the universities (''at all the German schools you cannot learn as much as at the Frankfurt Fair''), army surgeon and alchemist, myths about him - from his treating diseases from beyond the grave in mid-nineteenth century Salzburg to his Faustian bargain with the devil to regain his youth - have been far more lasting than his actual story. Even during his lifetime, he was rumoured to travel with a magical white horse and to store the elixir of life in the pommel of his sword.
But who was Paracelsus and what did he really believe and practice? Although Paracelsus has been seen as both a charlatan and as a founder of modern science, Philip Ball''s book reveals a more richly complex man - who us
Trade Review
Praise for The Devil's Doctor
Brilliant... This prodigiously learned volume can only reinforce Ball's reputation as one of our most versatile and gripping science writers. John Carey
* Sunday Times *
Stirring and fascinating reading... This is a remarkable piece of work, entertaining and edifying in a way in which so few biographies are.
Niall Griffiths * Telegraph *
'This biography is a study of a culture as well as of a man, and in analysing the life and thought of Paracelsus, Ball brings to light a largely forgotten phase of human understanding. It is a considerable achievement.'
Peter Ackroyd * The Times *
[A] wonderfully rich biography... Inspiring and important.' * Guardian *
Praise for Critical Mass:
'This is a wide-ranging and dazzlingly informed book. I can promise you'll be amazed.' Bill Bryson
* Daily Express *
