Prospero's America
Book description
In Prospero's America, Walter W. Woodward examines the transfer of alchemical culture to America by John Winthrop, Jr., one of English colonisation's early giants. Winthrop participated in a pan-European network of natural philosophers who believed alchemy could improve the human condition and hasten Christ's Second Coming. Woodward demonstrates the influence…
Why read it?
1 author picked Prospero's America as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Woodward's biographical approach, and his good fortune in finding a subject who left so much material to peruse, allows readers to come to know early New England in rich detail. Winthrop was a man of wide interests, including alchemy, religion, and medicine, and he used his knowledge to contribute to the physical well being of his neighbors (Native and colonist alike), to steer the Connecticut Colony through political challenges, and to participate in trans-Atlantic scientific exploration. A fascinating read.
From Jenny's list on seventeenth-century America.
If you love Prospero's America...
Secret St. Augustine
Tourists and local residents of St. Augustine will enjoy reading about the secret wonders of their ancient city that are right under their noses. Of course, that includes a few stray corpses and ghosts!
Want books like Prospero's America?
Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Prospero's America.
Share your top 3 reads of 2024!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
1,581
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like Prospero's America, you might also like...
Benghazi! A New History of the Fiasco that Pushed America and its World to the Brink
Benghazi: A New History is a look back at the enigmatic 2012 attack on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya, its long-tail causes, and devastating (and largely unexamined) consequences for US domestic politics and foreign policy. It contains information not found elsewhere, and is backed up by 40 pages of…
Who Is a Worthy Mother?
I grew up thinking that being adopted didn’t matter. I was wrong. This book is my journey uncovering the significance and true history of adoption practices in America. Now, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, the renewed debate over women’s reproductive rights places…
