Quicksilver - (Baroque Cycle) by Neal Stephenson (Paperback)

About the Book

Set against the backdrop of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, "Quicksilver" brings to life a cast of unforgettable characters in a time of breathtaking genius and discovery, men and women whose exploits defined an age.

From the Back Cover

Quicksilver 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 it is the tale of Eliza, rescued by Jack from a Turkish harem to become spy, confidante, and pawn of royals in order to reinvent Europe 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, Quicksilver is an extraordinary achievement from one of the most original and important literary talents of our time.

And it's just the beginning ...

Review Quotes

"Genius . . . You'll wish it were longer." - Time magazine
"Neal Stephenson rewrites history--for the dark prince of hacker fiction, looking backward is another way of seeing the future." - Wired
"[QUICKSILVER] is a rare thing: a 1,000-page book that you don't want to end. - San Antonio Express-News
"[O]ften brilliant and occassionally astonishing ...[QUICKSILVER] has wit, ambition and ... moments of real genius." - Book World
"[A]n awe-inspiring book, stuffed with heart-stopping action scenes ... and a treasure trove of forgotten historical lore." - Book
"Dense, witty, erudite ... and gripping ... a far more impressive literary endeavor than most so-called "serious" fiction." - Independent
"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
"Historical fiction driven by the history of ideas...rollicking good fun....Mr. Stephenson is a magnificent chronicler of the Information Age." - Wall Street Journal
"Sprawling, irreverent, and ultimately profound." - Newsweek
"A sprawling, engrossing tale." - Seattle Times
"Stephenson's new machine is a wonderment to behold. A-" - Entertainment Weekly