Neal Stephenson's "Quicksilver" is here. A monumental literary feat that follows the author's critically acclaimed "New York Times" bestseller "Cryptonomicon," it is history, adventure, science, truth, invention, sex, absurdity, piracy, madness, death, and alchemy. It sweeps across continents and decades with the power of a roaring tornado, upending kings, armies, religious beliefs, and all expectations.
It is the story of Daniel Waterhouse, fearless thinker and conflicted Puritan, pursuing knowledge in the company of the greatest minds of Baroque-era Europe, in a chaotic world where reason wars with the bloody ambitions of the mighty, and where catastrophe, natural or otherwise, can alter the political landscape overnight. It is a chronicle of the breathtaking exploits of "Half-Cocked Jack" Shaftoe -- London street urchin turned swashbuckling adventurer and legendary King of the Vagabonds -- risking life and limb for fortune and love while slowly maddening from the pox ... and Eliza, rescued by Jack from a Turkish harem to become spy, confidante, and pawn of royals in order to reinvent a contentious continent through the newborn power of finance.
A gloriously rich, entertaining, and endlessly inventive novel that brings a remarkable age and its momentous events to vivid life -- a historical epic populated by the likes of Samuel Pepys, Isaac Newton, William of Orange, Benjamin Franklin, and King Louis XIV -- "Quicksilver" is an extraordinary achievement from one of the most original and important literary talents of our time.
And it's just the beginning ...
Industry Reviews
"A sprawling, engrossing tale." -- Seattle Times "Genius . . . You'll wish it were longer." -- Time magazine "An astonishing achievement." -- Sunday Telegraph "Sprawling, irreverent, and ultimately profound." -- Newsweek [QUICKSILVER] is a rare thing: a 1,000-page book that you don t want to end.--San Antonio Express-News Sprawling, irreverent, and ultimately profound. --Newsweek [O]ften brilliant and occassionally astonishing ...[QUICKSILVER] has wit, ambition and ... moments of real genius. --Book World A sprawling, engrossing tale. --Seattle Times [A]n awe-inspiring book, stuffed with heart-stopping action scenes ... and a treasure trove of forgotten historical lore. --Book An astonishing achievement. --Sunday Telegraph [QUICKSILVER] explores the philosophical concerns of today . . . through thrillingly clever, suspenseful and amusing plot twists. --New York Times Book Review Genius . . . You ll wish it were longer. --Time magazine Stephenson s new machine is a wonderment to behold. A- --Entertainment Weekly Dense, witty, erudite ... and gripping ... a far more impressive literary endeavor than most so-called serious fiction. --Independent "Dense, witty, erudite ... and gripping ... a far more impressive literary endeavor than most so-called "serious" fiction."--Independent "[A]n awe-inspiring book, stuffed with heart-stopping action scenes ... and a treasure trove of forgotten historical lore."--Book "Sprawling, irreverent, and ultimately profound."--Newsweek "Genius . . . You'll wish it were longer."--Time magazine "[O]ften brilliant and occassionally astonishing ...[QUICKSILVER] has wit, ambition and ... moments of real genius."--Book World "A sprawling, engrossing tale."--Seattle Times "[QUICKSILVER] is a rare thing: a 1,000-page book that you don't want to end.--San Antonio Express-News "Stephenson's new machine is a wonderment to behold. A-"--Entertainment Weekly "[QUICKSILVER] explores the philosophical concerns of today . . . through thrillingly clever, suspenseful and amusing plot twists."--New York Times Book Review "An astonishing achievement."--Sunday Telegraph
