The Madman's Gallery

Brought to light from the depths of libraries, museums, dealers, and galleries around the world, these forgotten artistic treasures include portraits of oddballs such as the British explorer with a penchant for riding crocodiles, and the Italian monk who levitated so often he's recognized as the patron saint of airplane passengers. Discover impossible medieval land yachts, floating churches, and eagle-powered airships. Encounter dog-headed holy men, armies of German giants, 18th-century stuntmen, human chessboards, screaming ghost heads, and more marvels of the human imagination. A captivating odditorium of obscure and engaging characters and works, each expertly brought to life by historian and curator of the strange Edward Brooke-Hitching, here is a richly illustrated and entertaining gallery for lovers of outré art and history.

Edward Brooke-Hitching is the author of beautifully illustrated non-fiction titles such as The Phantom Atlas, The Sky Atlas, The Devil's Atlas, and The Madman's Library. A writer for the hit BBC television show QI and a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, he lives in a dusty heap of old books and maps in London.