The crowds all across Europe adore the Turk, and the success of Baron von Kempelen seems assured. Von Kempelen and his helpers tour his remarkable invention all around Europe to amaze and entertain the public, but despite many valiant attempts and close calls, no one is able to beat the extraordinary chess machine. The chess machine is secretly operated from inside by the Italian dwarf Tibor, a God-fearing social outcast whose chess-playing abilities and diminutive size make him the perfect accomplice in this grand hoax. But what the Habsburg court hails as the greatest innovation of the century is really nothing more than a brilliant illusion. A book that makes you proud to be human.Vienna 1770: Baron Wolfgang von Kempelen unveils a strange and amazing invention, the Mechanical Turk, a sensational and unbeatable chess-playing automaton. Being a true gentleman keeps him engaged as a human being when his life is taken away. A wealthy gentleman is placed under house arrest in a Moscow hotel for having expressed opinions, in his youth, that don’t align with the current state politics. I mentioned a short passage of this book in an earlier post. Fascinating read for engineers, inventors, or anyone dying for a strange story.Ī Gentleman in Moscow – Amor Towles.
Historical fiction based on a true story. Except the automaton is not quite what it seems. The Mechanical Turk, a chess playing automaton built by Baron Wolfgang von Kempelen in the 1770’s defeats all opponents while touring Europe’s royal courts. The suspense builds like a time bomb when she’s accused of murder by the white folks that shunned her and never lifted a finger to help. I can’t remember ever being so invested in the well being and safety of a character, in this case, a little girl left to fend for herself in a swamp. I was number thirty on waiting list so it took another 2 months. I kept hoping to find this book on the New Books shelf at the Kentwood Library and after months of waiting placed a hold on it. After reading the book look up the movie starring Jimmy Stewart. This novel tells the story of a man accused of murder and his plea of temporary insanity, based on an actual case in the U.P. If you are a trout fisherman you may have read the book Trout Madness, a collection of funny stories about fly fishing in the U.P. I found a first edition, first printing of this at an estate sale. Here are a few recommendations.Īnatomy of a Murder – Robert Traver. With seven months between the regular trout season I catch up on reading.
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