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Fortune is a River: Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolò Machiavelli's Magnificent Dream to Change the Course of Florentine History
In the tradition of the New York Times bestselling Longitude comes a popular history that reveals the little known story of what happened when two of the world's most brilliant minds met. Italy, the year 1502. Leonardo da Vinci, engineer and possible spy in the court of Cesare Borgia, crosses paths with Niccolo Machiavelli, at that time Florentine ambassador.The two men formed a friendship, and joined together in an attempt to carry out one of Leonardo's most fantastic dreams: to build a system of canals that would make the Arno river navigable from Florence to the sea. While the primary reason for the project was military, da Vinci and Machiavelli also had commerce in mind. They envisioned a day when explorers would be able to sail from the city center to the sea and back, bringing riches from the New World for the greater glory of Florence.
278 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 4, 2020
In the late '90s there was a brief fashion for popular microhistories, and while some of them were very good, most were under-researched cash grabs that tried to draw attention away from their lack of substance with flashy full-colour pictures (regardless of their relevance), dust-jacketed hard covers, and even deckle edges.
Fortune is a River tries to be a microhistory about Florence's failed attempt to starve Pisa and gain a sea port by diverting the course of the Arno in 1503. Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the engineers who submitted a preliminary set of plans and Niccolò Machiavelli, in his capacity as a secretary of the Ten of War of Florence, signed off on the project, but the execution fell to an otherwise obscure engineer called Columbino, and he's usually the one you see credited (or blamed) in this connection because Da Vinci's plan to dig one deep channel was utterly unworkable and it was Columbino who decided to dig two shallow ones and have the diverted river cut out the rest by erosion instead (which failed). Columbino isn't exciting enough as a historical figure, though, and the whole project can barely fill a dozen pages productively, so Masters instead focuses on Da Vinci and Machiavelli, including embarrassingly poor biographies of both—hagiographies, is the word—and inventing connections between two men who possibly never even met in person.
His attempts at padding those out suffer from the fact that Masters has a child's conception of the March of History, doesn't actually seem to know anything about life in Renaissance Italy (which doesn't stop him from trying to portray it through a hyper-American ideological lens), and really just doesn't even have the breadth of knowledge required to carry a conversation on apparently any subject.
The story of the attempted diversion of the Arno could have been an engaging long-form article or blog post, and I'll grant it might have been stretched to an okay microhistory with some effort. Only by a historian, though, and not by a neocon "political philosopher".
Fortune is a River tries to be a microhistory about Florence's failed attempt to starve Pisa and gain a sea port by diverting the course of the Arno in 1503. Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the engineers who submitted a preliminary set of plans and Niccolò Machiavelli, in his capacity as a secretary of the Ten of War of Florence, signed off on the project, but the execution fell to an otherwise obscure engineer called Columbino, and he's usually the one you see credited (or blamed) in this connection because Da Vinci's plan to dig one deep channel was utterly unworkable and it was Columbino who decided to dig two shallow ones and have the diverted river cut out the rest by erosion instead (which failed). Columbino isn't exciting enough as a historical figure, though, and the whole project can barely fill a dozen pages productively, so Masters instead focuses on Da Vinci and Machiavelli, including embarrassingly poor biographies of both—hagiographies, is the word—and inventing connections between two men who possibly never even met in person.
His attempts at padding those out suffer from the fact that Masters has a child's conception of the March of History, doesn't actually seem to know anything about life in Renaissance Italy (which doesn't stop him from trying to portray it through a hyper-American ideological lens), and really just doesn't even have the breadth of knowledge required to carry a conversation on apparently any subject.
The story of the attempted diversion of the Arno could have been an engaging long-form article or blog post, and I'll grant it might have been stretched to an okay microhistory with some effort. Only by a historian, though, and not by a neocon "political philosopher".
November 21, 2017
Fortune is a River, is a book about Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolo Machiavelli and Florence, that most interesting place and time where the Renaissance came into existence, changing the Western world forever.
Leonardo da Vinci was a pivotal contributor to this new world which we inhabit, often without thinking too much about how it came to be. While his art has stood the test of time and made him famous, his philosophy, studies of the natural world, engineering and basis of modern science are staggering in their magnitude. All of these attributes of this fascinating man are developed in this book.
Niccolo Machiavelli is mostly remembered as a politician, statesman and writer. In fact I didn't know that much about him going into this book and it was interesting to know more. Through Machiavelli, more than da Vinci, we learn a lot about Italian politics of the time. A LOT, I cannot emphasise this too much, because unless you already have a pretty solid grounding in the city state historical political situation, this is going to be hard for you to follow; I got left behind regularly.
While this book purports to be about the massive project to change the course of a river, (in the ongoing wars between Florence and Pisa), in fact that is a very small portion of the book. Barely a chapter in total goes into it and I was pretty disappointed by that. While the author obviously sees it as an exciting event, it is lost in the text and I can't help wondering if the title of the book was originally something else, and got changed, or the theme of the book was different and got edited down. In any case, it does not really deliver on it's promise.
The association between da Vinci and Machiavelli is also much more nebulous than the book promises; sure, they knew each other, collaborated and corresponded a little but a lot of the book exaggerates their relationship and relies heavily on '...must have known..' 'could have met' and similar phrases to convince the reader of a greater association that is evident.
So, while I enjoyed a lot of this book, a fair bit of it is too heavy going for a casual reader; perhaps it is aimed at academics, who specialise in this area? I don't regret reading it and I got a lot out of it, but it seems to me that the focus of the book was buried in the authors scholarly enthusiasm for miscellaneous information and his two leading characters.
Leonardo da Vinci was a pivotal contributor to this new world which we inhabit, often without thinking too much about how it came to be. While his art has stood the test of time and made him famous, his philosophy, studies of the natural world, engineering and basis of modern science are staggering in their magnitude. All of these attributes of this fascinating man are developed in this book.
Niccolo Machiavelli is mostly remembered as a politician, statesman and writer. In fact I didn't know that much about him going into this book and it was interesting to know more. Through Machiavelli, more than da Vinci, we learn a lot about Italian politics of the time. A LOT, I cannot emphasise this too much, because unless you already have a pretty solid grounding in the city state historical political situation, this is going to be hard for you to follow; I got left behind regularly.
While this book purports to be about the massive project to change the course of a river, (in the ongoing wars between Florence and Pisa), in fact that is a very small portion of the book. Barely a chapter in total goes into it and I was pretty disappointed by that. While the author obviously sees it as an exciting event, it is lost in the text and I can't help wondering if the title of the book was originally something else, and got changed, or the theme of the book was different and got edited down. In any case, it does not really deliver on it's promise.
The association between da Vinci and Machiavelli is also much more nebulous than the book promises; sure, they knew each other, collaborated and corresponded a little but a lot of the book exaggerates their relationship and relies heavily on '...must have known..' 'could have met' and similar phrases to convince the reader of a greater association that is evident.
So, while I enjoyed a lot of this book, a fair bit of it is too heavy going for a casual reader; perhaps it is aimed at academics, who specialise in this area? I don't regret reading it and I got a lot out of it, but it seems to me that the focus of the book was buried in the authors scholarly enthusiasm for miscellaneous information and his two leading characters.
September 12, 2024
My actual rating for this book would be 3.5 stars.I am greatly fascinated by Leonardo da Vinci and I was very intrigued by the title of this book when I picked it up in a used bookstore. It promised to delve into a professional relationship that I had not read about anywhere else, that between Leonardo and Niccolò Machiavelli. However I agree with other reviews that the title is somewhat misleading. The subject of the book, the project to deviate the Arno river in order to force the city of Pisa into surrendering to Florence, is specifically addressed in just one chapter. This, I think, is not the author's fault: this subject has rarely been discussed in a book and the documentary evidence is relatively little. Besides, as the author points out, there is no direct proof that Leonardo and Macchiavelli discussed about the project or even met in person, although there is definitely circumstancial evidence that Macchiavelli knew about the project drawn up by Leonardo and the two most likely had contact, but didn't left any written evidence of this.
The book is basically a short biography of the two subjects of the story, focusing on their respective talents as well as on the time and events that surrounded the Arno project.
Perhaps the title ought to be different, but I still think that the book is worth as a general introduction to two of the most intriguing and emblematic characters of the Reinassance.
In conclusion, do not expect a groundbreaking report of a previously overlooked relationship that might have changed the course of history. In my opinion, if you enjoy reading about politics, science, human talents and Reinassance history, you'll still gain some insights from this book.
The book is basically a short biography of the two subjects of the story, focusing on their respective talents as well as on the time and events that surrounded the Arno project.
Perhaps the title ought to be different, but I still think that the book is worth as a general introduction to two of the most intriguing and emblematic characters of the Reinassance.
In conclusion, do not expect a groundbreaking report of a previously overlooked relationship that might have changed the course of history. In my opinion, if you enjoy reading about politics, science, human talents and Reinassance history, you'll still gain some insights from this book.
June 13, 2021
Expertly written and cited, a book to be meditated upon and slowly read through over time, like the meanderings of the river in the title and in the quotes by the two men. My only complaint, and it is a small one, is that the initial meeting before the major collaboration (an attempt to divert the Arno) at the heart of the book remains conjecture. Words like "tantalizing" dot the text, because due to Machiavelli's propensity to write in code and hide the stuff dearest to him, he does not mention DaVinci whilst they are both at the Borgia's residence, so we can never know. The failed collaboration itself is worth the read, however, and Masters sets you up with all of the context you will ever need to fully understand why it was attempted and the after effects it would have on both men.
December 7, 2022
(Jim Cook’s review)
Fortune is a River is a story of the lives and works of two Renaissance men, Leonardo Da Vinci and Niccolo Machiavellli, and a river, the Arno, a major Italian river in the Tuscany region. Masters’ book is a delight to read and I loved the numerous illustrations, most of which were drawings made by Leonardo.
These two Florentines knew each other but there is evidence of only one collaborative effort: to canalize the Arno and deprive Pissa of a waterway to their busy port. If successful, the project would also have provided Florence with direct access, via the Arno, to a seaport.
The work on diverting the Arno was carried out in 1503-04 and up to two thousand men at a time were employed digging the canal.
The project failed - the objective was probably beyond the technology available at that time - and both men did their best subsequently to downplay their participation in what was seen as the Arno boondoggle.
In telling this story Masters also takes the time to sketch both the lives and the works of these two extraordinary people. Both were polymaths. Leonardo was known as a great artist and a singer as well as a multi-talented engineer and inventor. Niccolo was known as a skilled mediator, diplomat, poet, playwright, and he was a political theorist of genius.
In the ‘70s I studied Masters’ great work on the political philosophy of Rousseau but that is the only thing of his I had read before this book. Although he was a student of Leo Strauss he is no “Straussian.” For example, he obviously disagrees with Strauss’ view that “Machiavelli was a teacher of evil”(Thoughts on Machiavelli: 1958, p. 9). Instead, Masters has this to say: “Critics have often written as if Nicclo was inventing the brutality and decption of the rulers he praised. In fact, many of the passages that have contributed to this interpretation were descriptions of ordinary practices in Renaissance politics…In the book, [The Prince] Niccolo presents himself as commenting on the realities he observd, writing as a practicing statesman rather than a moral theorist” (p. 180).
Fortune is a River has an excellent selection of
Sources” at the end of it for those interested in following up on either of the men or the context and history of Renassainse Italy. The Notes section is also good (it’s 35 pages long) and unobtrusive (notes are keyed to the text by page number and italisized phrase). Sadly, Masters’ web link to more extensive scholarly footnotes has expired and does not work.
Highly recommendd!
Fortune is a River is a story of the lives and works of two Renaissance men, Leonardo Da Vinci and Niccolo Machiavellli, and a river, the Arno, a major Italian river in the Tuscany region. Masters’ book is a delight to read and I loved the numerous illustrations, most of which were drawings made by Leonardo.
These two Florentines knew each other but there is evidence of only one collaborative effort: to canalize the Arno and deprive Pissa of a waterway to their busy port. If successful, the project would also have provided Florence with direct access, via the Arno, to a seaport.
The work on diverting the Arno was carried out in 1503-04 and up to two thousand men at a time were employed digging the canal.
The project failed - the objective was probably beyond the technology available at that time - and both men did their best subsequently to downplay their participation in what was seen as the Arno boondoggle.
In telling this story Masters also takes the time to sketch both the lives and the works of these two extraordinary people. Both were polymaths. Leonardo was known as a great artist and a singer as well as a multi-talented engineer and inventor. Niccolo was known as a skilled mediator, diplomat, poet, playwright, and he was a political theorist of genius.
In the ‘70s I studied Masters’ great work on the political philosophy of Rousseau but that is the only thing of his I had read before this book. Although he was a student of Leo Strauss he is no “Straussian.” For example, he obviously disagrees with Strauss’ view that “Machiavelli was a teacher of evil”(Thoughts on Machiavelli: 1958, p. 9). Instead, Masters has this to say: “Critics have often written as if Nicclo was inventing the brutality and decption of the rulers he praised. In fact, many of the passages that have contributed to this interpretation were descriptions of ordinary practices in Renaissance politics…In the book, [The Prince] Niccolo presents himself as commenting on the realities he observd, writing as a practicing statesman rather than a moral theorist” (p. 180).
Fortune is a River has an excellent selection of
Sources” at the end of it for those interested in following up on either of the men or the context and history of Renassainse Italy. The Notes section is also good (it’s 35 pages long) and unobtrusive (notes are keyed to the text by page number and italisized phrase). Sadly, Masters’ web link to more extensive scholarly footnotes has expired and does not work.
Highly recommendd!
May 19, 2017
This was an intriguing little book. That is not a bad thing, other perhaps than the term "little". For while Pasquale Villari's The Life and Times of Machiavelli is something like 1000 pages, this dual biography of Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolo Machiavelli, focusing on what seems to be an hypothetical (professional; though the former is generally thought to have been gay and the latter was rather ribald) relationship between the two, with a couple chapters on their project of moving the Arno, both to harm their enemy Pisa, against whom they were at war, and to turn Florence into a port, this being the great time of exploration and adventure in the decades following the explorations of their fellow Italians Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci, is only about 200 pages. Oh how much more could be told were it to be expanded threefold!?
If there is one objection which I must raise, and I even told this to the author - having emailed him for the bibliography (the book says it can be found on his website, but it is not there) and seeing his reply, "what did you think of FORTUNE IS A RIVER?" - is the seemingly tenuous leaps made throughout the book to show a continued line of communication between Machiavelli and da Vinci. Several times, something along the lines of Leonardo hasn't been in Florence for awhile, so how else could he have known to write to this person unless Niccolo told him? is said, which, considering the fame of Leonardo in his own time, that he grew up in Florence, and that he surely knew many people, seems to me to be grasping at straws for the sake of the continuity of the book.
However, this singular objection aside, I did greatly enjoy this work. How could I not, when it is about one of the greatest places in history - Florence - during its greatest time in history - the Renaissance - and featuring two of the greatest personages of that place and time? While it is certainly not the most academic of books, it is well-written and enjoyable through-and-through.
If there is one objection which I must raise, and I even told this to the author - having emailed him for the bibliography (the book says it can be found on his website, but it is not there) and seeing his reply, "what did you think of FORTUNE IS A RIVER?" - is the seemingly tenuous leaps made throughout the book to show a continued line of communication between Machiavelli and da Vinci. Several times, something along the lines of Leonardo hasn't been in Florence for awhile, so how else could he have known to write to this person unless Niccolo told him? is said, which, considering the fame of Leonardo in his own time, that he grew up in Florence, and that he surely knew many people, seems to me to be grasping at straws for the sake of the continuity of the book.
However, this singular objection aside, I did greatly enjoy this work. How could I not, when it is about one of the greatest places in history - Florence - during its greatest time in history - the Renaissance - and featuring two of the greatest personages of that place and time? While it is certainly not the most academic of books, it is well-written and enjoyable through-and-through.
January 3, 2023
Masters’ exploration of the friendship between da Vinci and Machiavelli is put on display in this informative, yet purposely vague reoccurrence of history. He explains forthright that fortune does not serve well in their plan to divert the Arno River toward Florence. And Masters dives into the fact that there really is not a hard record of meetings between the two revolutionaries. However, the efforts of the two are portrayed well in the duality of their histories that Masters displays in the text.
This piece of literature does not go without its drawbacks, although. There is a place in the book where the editing seems to have doubled a paragraph at the end of a chapter. This may have been on purpose from the author, yet the wording is verbatim. Another drawback is that the preface touts the friendship of da Vinci and Machiavelli, however, there is little word on it. Masters does explain this at the beginning due to lack of hard evidence of meeting.
Masters does well to wrap of the text by conveying Machiavelli’s and da Vinci’s principles to real world government and science fundamentals. A true text of information better served as an informative introduction of the “friendship” between two Florentines that sparked a wave of discussion and advancement in their world of knowledge.
This piece of literature does not go without its drawbacks, although. There is a place in the book where the editing seems to have doubled a paragraph at the end of a chapter. This may have been on purpose from the author, yet the wording is verbatim. Another drawback is that the preface touts the friendship of da Vinci and Machiavelli, however, there is little word on it. Masters does explain this at the beginning due to lack of hard evidence of meeting.
Masters does well to wrap of the text by conveying Machiavelli’s and da Vinci’s principles to real world government and science fundamentals. A true text of information better served as an informative introduction of the “friendship” between two Florentines that sparked a wave of discussion and advancement in their world of knowledge.
April 3, 2020
Vraiment mauvais. Est-ce la traduction française ? Des erreurs inexcusables, comme confondre les décennales avec les discours sur la deuxième décade de Tite Live. . Une "fan-fiction", qui fait semblant de s'appuyer sur des données concrètes. Un roman (comme celui de Boucheron, pourtant un vrai historien, lui) aurait été acceptable voire sympathique. Pour un essai historique, c'est purement n'importe quoi.
September 7, 2020
I enjoyed this book a lot. It served the purpose of being a short biography of each man as well as telling an interesting story.
I also liked the last chapter which showed how the ideas of these two men influenced history for centuries after.
I also liked the last chapter which showed how the ideas of these two men influenced history for centuries after.
March 17, 2025
Highly readable history of the intertwined lives of Leonardo da Vinci and Machiavelli. At times as meandering as the Arno River, which plays a central role, and at times too overloaded with names and small turns of history, overall simply a good story well told.
July 16, 2025
5% of the book actually concerns the central focal point, diverting the Arno. The other 95% is sub-par biographies of Da Vinci and Machiavelli, with an (understandably) WIDE cast of characters that are difficult to keep straight.
June 21, 2022
interesting topic about the Arno, DaVInci and Machiavelli
September 4, 2014
The book focused heavily on the interactions of LDV and NM, it provided ample background on these individuals. Having said that, what disappointed me was that it seemed the Arno river story took a backseat most of the book...I feel the title was completely misleading seeing only half a chapter described the Arno project. I mustered as much strength as I could to complete this book and feel I should have dropped it and picked up something else instead. The majority of the content was about political relationships. Yes, this type of info is fascinating, however the author wrote like he was rambling on trying to cram in as much info as possible without allowing readers the time understand the significance. I would've much preferred if the author inserted comments or opinions of the happenings to highlight certain topics. Yes, everything was well researched, there was even examples of LDV drawings, various poems, and other artwork. In spite of those extras, I felt like I was reading a research project from Wikipedia, it was excruciating! The final chapter was the most engaging; I recommend simply reading that part, then you will enjoy the book much more.
June 30, 2014
This was a fun little romp through history. The book's title is something of a misnomer - it is not really the story of Da Vinci's and Machiavelli's attempt to reroute the Arno. I mean, that subject comes up and is handled in the middle of the book, but it is not given quite the depth of attention the title would suggest. That said, what you get instead is sort of a dual biography of Da Vinci and Machiavelli that is still quite a lot of fun. I wasn't previously aware they overlapped in quite this way and it is neat to pull their stories together.
The book is short and quick - the sort of fast-paced read that is perfect for a long flight, and I recommend it for exactly that!
The book is short and quick - the sort of fast-paced read that is perfect for a long flight, and I recommend it for exactly that!
decided-not-to-read
September 26, 2008Somehow, this just didn't seem exciting enough to invest the time in. But a similar book by the same author, which deals with the same subject from a larger political and temporal perspective, rather than on one unsuccessful engineering project, seems like it might be worthwhile. I may come back to this later, who knows.
January 2, 2016
When Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolo Machiavelli get together, the result must surely be technically brilliant and politically astute, right? Alas, no. Their one known collaboration was a dismal failure. Such a dismal failure, in fact, that it can dismissed in a single chapter, leaving this a book with a beginning and an end, but hardly any middle.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2016
Interesting history of the intersection of Niccolo Machiavelli and Leonardo Da Vinci in Italy in the early 1500's. Their work impacted much of European history years later, Da Vinci in engineering and art, and Machiavelli in politics, though the one project on which they collaborated did not come to fruition.
August 26, 2011
Da Vinci and Machiavelli cooperated on one project, diverting the Arno as part of a war with Pisa. The book traces the history of Florence, each of the two men, and then the project - which failed. Interesting book - but not one I'd recommend.
April 7, 2008
I really hadn't noticed that both Machiavelli and Da Vinci's lifespans had overlapped.
Intrigue and engineering is always a recipe I enjoy.
Intrigue and engineering is always a recipe I enjoy.
February 21, 2009
My review on LibraryThing.
November 7, 2012
I read this a long time ago but may re read it.
January 4, 2011
Interesting book, if you like a little bit of history on Leonardo Da Vinci. I enjoyed the book.
May 2, 2011
It's actually much more of a minibiography than an accounting of the project. The attempt at moving the river only takes up about half a chapter.
November 8, 2015
Two such interesting fellows. It is fascinating to learn that they probably worked and failed spectacularly together.
December 19, 2021
Fantastic!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews