Myriad, Microscopic and Marvellous - The World of Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek

The fascinating life and legacy of a pioneering seventeenth-century microbiologist.

The pioneering Dutch microbiologist Antoni van Leeuwenhoek uncovered hidden worlds of minuscule life. With his ingenious, self-made microscopes, he observed inconceivably tiny creatures and structures everywhere--in well water, sperm, pimples, and many other unlikely things besides. In the seventeenth century, his discoveries opened the door to realms previously unseen, making him a renowned researcher. Myriad, Microscopic and Marvellous explores van Leeuwenhoek's brilliant and sometimes peculiar ideas, setting them in the context of his time. Geertje Dekkers reveals how van Leeuwenhoek's curiosity and inventions propelled the study of nature in surprising new directions, leaving a legacy that is still admired three centuries later.

About the author

Geertje Dekkers is a historian and journalist who works for the Centraal Museum in Utrecht as well as Historisch Nieuwsblad and de Volkskrant.

Product details

• Authors: Geertje Dekkers, Geertje Dekkers
• Publisher: Reaktion Books
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.08.2025
• EAN: 9781836390978
• ISBN: 978-1-83639-097-8
• No. of pages: 240
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Natural sciences (general); Non-fiction book > Nature, technology > Biographies, autobiographies; Microbiology (non-medical), SCIENCE / History, Microscopy, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Science & Technology, SCIENCE / Microscopes & Microscopy, History of Science, Biography: science, technology & medicine, Biography: science, technology and medicine