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And one recommendation I'll make here and now is Thomas Paine's common sense.

Now reading it is best of course, so that you can feel it the same way that those who first

read it did back in January of 1776. But if you're never going to read it,

listening to it is the next best thing. Everyone needs to be exposed to this

masterpiece at some point in their lives. Again, visit audibletrial.com forward slash history and download it free today.

Giants of History presents Leonardo da Vin, episode number six.

Welcome to Giants of History, thank you for joining us. When I thought I was learning to live, I was also learning to die, Leonardo da Vinci.

Thinking about the incredible history of the Mona Lisa, humor me for a moment and try and

imagine this. You are immortal, invisible, and microscopic.

And for approximately the last 500 years, your home has been a pinhole in the top right-hand corner of the Mona Lisa.

Here is what you would have seen over time as you looked out from your home into the world at various points throughout that 500 year history.

You would have of course first seen Leonardo himself looking back at you, initially as a 50 year old

man, and then you would have watched him age for the next

17 years, the gray in his hair and beard filling in as the years passed.

You would have then potentially seen Salai, the little devil who Leonardo

took under his wing as a studio hand and to whom the painting was possibly later bequeathed,

walking back and forth past you as he managed his small

vineyard in Milan.

You might have even looked out at one point to watch Salai die in his home from the crossbow wound he received in a duel in 1524.

After that, you would have one day looked out to suddenly see the face of King Francis I of France looking back at you

...