Nancy Marie Brown
Author
Publisher
St. Martin's Press
Pub. Date
2015.
Language
English
Description
In the early 1800's, on a Hebridean beach in Scotland, the sea exposed an ancient treasure cache: 93 chessmen carved from walrus ivory. Norse netsuke, each face individual, each full of quirks, the Lewis Chessmen are probably the most famous chess pieces in the world. Who carved them? Where? Brown explores these mysteries by connecting medieval Icelandic sagas with modern archaeology, art history, forensics, and the history of board games.
2) The abacus and the cross: the story of the Pope who brought the light of science to the Dark Ages
Author
Publisher
Basic Books
Pub. Date
c2010
Language
English
Description
Traces the achievements of medieval Pope Sylvester II, revealing his lesser-known role in promoting scientific awareness throughout turn-of-the-first-millennium Catholicism and his introduction of Arabic numerals to Europe.
Author
Publisher
Pegasus Books
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
"Icelanders believe in elves. Why does that make you laugh?, asks Nancy Marie Brown, in this wonderfully quirky exploration of our interaction with nature. Looking for answers in history, science, religion, and art--from ancient times to today--Brown finds that each discipline defines what is real and unreal, natural and supernatural, demonstrated and theoretical, alive and inert. Each has its own way of perceiving and valuing the world around us....