Leonardo da Vinci lived at a time when people did not specialize in a particular area, like we tend to do today, and his life showed that trend clearly. May this book introduce you to this incredible "Renaissance man".

What makes this book different from others about Leonardo? Why take on a project like this, when so many others have already been written about him? Because, most books I read that were geared for kids had very little information, and those geared for adults generally had too much. I have tried to make this book complete enough to give a good picture of who Leonardo was and what he accomplished, without overwhelming my readers. I have tried to make it interesting for those who may know nothing about Leonardo, and yet still interesting for those who already know quite a bit! I have also attempted to make it interesting enough for a wide range of ages -- from kids of all ages through adults.

And I have attempted to place Leonardo in a framework of history and geography, so that we can more easily understand his accomplishments. The books I read about him often referred in passing to where he was and what was going on around him - without giving sufficient information to understand how those locations and events affected him. I have attempted to fill those gaps.

May we ponder the man, the works, and the accomplishments behind the stories of Leonardo da Vinci. May we be touched in some small way by this "Renaissance Man". And may we gain a better understanding of the times in which he lived.