Featured Book Review

'The Voynich Manuscript' by Gerry Kennedy and Rob Churchill © 2006 Inner Traditions ISBN1-59477-129-4 292 pages Includes Notes, Select Bibliography and Index Paperback $18.95 (U.S.)

Every year I review 50 or 60 books that have caught my interest for one reason or another. I normally also receive another dozen or so unsolicited books from various publishers. Depending on my schedule I may or may not add them to my review list. This was one of those books. I have always been interested in ciphers, and regularly work on cryptograms in the daily paper. If this was only a book about a cipher manuscript, there would be no need to review it here. Its speculated provenance (it may have been written by Roger Bacon) gives it a cachet and an interest which extends far beyond that narrow field.

This is a mystery story; one based on a document which has a physical, proven, and continuing existence. It is a mystery without a solution, since the Voynich manuscript has defied decipherment for almost 100 years since its existence came to the notice of the public. Did previous translations exist? We will never know with certainty. What is contained in this work? That is hard to answer without knowing what the text says. The illustrations also defy easy understanding. This COULD contain a wealth of scientific data. Equally, it could be a hoax, or it may even contain ramblings of a demented mind. Like many unsolved mysteries it is capable of generating multiple interpretations and fitting into dozens of scenarios.

One of the authors of this book, Gerry Kennedy, discovered his relationship to Wilfrid Voynich (who brought this manuscript to public notice early in the 20th century).through a chance remark at a family gathering. This was the impetus which led to research culminating in this book, which is not an attempt to decipher the "Voynich Manuscript," but rather a documentation of the attempts which have been made and the results they have produced to date.

It is possible to find things to quibble about in a book as wide-ranging as this one. The misidentification of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, familiar to many readers, as the "Rosicrucian Order of the Golden Dawn" is one such point. It is, however, easy to overlook such minor lapses, since they are easily made by the non-specialist. Overall, the intent of this book is to convey a broad understanding of a topic, and not a detailed explanation. In this intent, it succeeds admirably.

As the authors show, there have been numerous attempts made to "translate" or "decipher" the original document. Such attempts have been frustrated by the lack of specific knowledge connected to it. What is the approximate date of composition? Who was the author? What is the original language of composition? How many symbols make up the transcribed language? Ask a y of the people who have worked on it (or consult the published works) and you will find NO consensus.

Numerous possible explanations for the Voynich manuscript are advanced; from the "simple" cipher document containing a secret message or knowledge to a total hoax; from an "inspired" document to one produced as a result of mental illness; from the works of a genius to the jottings of an autistic savant. None of these suggestions have produced a solution to the riddle posed by this book. Is there an explanation? Possibly. Will we ever know for certain? Maybe.

If you enjoy the inexplicable, this book will give you lots of pleasure. This book is not, in any way shape or form a must have, but it is certainly a pleasure to read.

Reviewer: Mike Gleason

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