Giordano Bruno has been called many things: heretic, genius, magician, martyr, madman, prophet of science, philosophical firebrand, and, occasionally, an unbearable dinner guest. This book cuts through centuries of mythmaking to reveal the real Bruno—restless friar, wandering intellectual, cosmological revolutionary, and unapologetic troublemaker—explained in clear, modern language with a healthy dose of irony. You’ll follow Bruno from his unruly childhood in Nola to the Dominican Order he quickly exhausted, through half of Europe as he offended Protestants and Catholics with equal enthusiasm, and finally to the infamous Inquisition trial that sealed his fate. Along the way, you’ll explore his explosive ideas: an infinite universe filled with countless worlds, a divine presence infused in every particle of matter, a living cosmos without center or hierarchy, and a vision of science and magic that blurred boundaries long before they were defined. This book explains Bruno’s major works—cosmological dialogues, metaphysical treatises, poetic visions, savage satires, and intricate magical theories—while comparing his ideas to the philosophical giants he challenged. It also traces his extraordinary afterlife: how a stubborn friar executed in 1600 became a symbol of intellectual freedom, a muse for scientists and artists, and a surprisingly adaptable figure in modern pop culture.
