1: Dante and Florence 2: Wealth, Freedom and Talent 3: A Clear Eye Amidst Troubled Times 4: Boccaccio and Petrarch 5: War and Peace 6: The Dome 7: The Mathematical Artists 8: Those Who Paid the Bills 9: The Renaissance Spreads Its Wings 10: Medici Rising 11: A Medici Artist 12: Il Magnifico 13: Leonardo 14: Shifting Ground 15: Undercurrents 16: The Bonfire of the Vanities 17: Machiavelli 18: Michelangelo 19: Galileo 20: Epilogue
Paul Strathern studied philosophy at Trinity College, Dublin. He is a Somerset Maugham Award-winning novelist; author of two series of books - Philosophers in 90 Minutes and The Big Idea: Scientists who Changed the World - and several works of non-fiction, including The Medici, The Artist, the Philosopher and the Warrior, Spirit of Venice, Death in Florence and The Borgias.
A thought-provoking re-examination of the great Florentine artists,
scientists and business wizards of the Renaissance... Strathern has
an engaging habit of dwelling on the close connection in the
Florentine cultural sphere between art and money, matters seldom so
intimately juxtaposed...His prose glimmers with the spark of
rekindled discovery.
*Wall Street Journal*
Strathern keeps readers engaged throughout with a sprinkling of
colourful anecdotes, often taken from contemporary (or slightly
later) sources... Those coming to the period for the first time
will be able to sense the flavour of the social, political and
cultural life that shaped a city that still attracts so many
tourists.
*BBC History Magazine*
[Strathern] has a knack for conveying in pleasing prose, spiced
with anecdotes, the essentials of an argument, an interesting
juxtaposition, or the importance of an episode or person.
*Times Literary Supplement*
Vivid biographical sketches cast famous Florentines in a more
dynamic light than most modern portrayals... Buoyed by incisive
details and a brisk pace, this is a welcome introduction to the
city and the personalities behind the Renaissance.
*Publishers Weekly*
If Vanity Fair magazine had existed during the Renaissance, every
issue might have brought tales of Florentine A-listers and their
power plays, artistic triumphs, sexual exploits, and financial
chicanery. Strathern aims to show how such Florentines paved the
way for a global humanism focused on people's lives on Earth
instead of on the medieval view that existence was only preparation
for an afterlife. Strathern is an intellectually agile writer who
covers four centuries briskly - and serves up occasional
surprises.
*Kirkus Reviews*
Strathern meticulously guides readers through the lives of famous
Renaissance visionaries... this book doesn't just describe each
individuals' accomplishments, but also shows how their lives full
of shared experiences and unique circumstances were intricately
intertwined in a way which positioned them to lead Europe into the
Renaissance. Bringing the Renaissance into better focus, this
well-researched work is highly recommended for readers with an
interest in the era, art history, and Italian history.
*Library Journal*
Very occasionally we are offered an entirely new perspective on a
body of detail with which we already seem entirely familiar but
which has the effect of transforming our understanding. Paul
Strathern's The Florentines is such a work... Powerfully argued and
very carefully researched... A major commentary on the development
and evolution of the Renaissance.
*Historical Association*
A marvelous, wide-ranging, and accessible history of Florence and
the historical giants from the city that have influenced the course
of western civilization. There should be more history books like
The Florentines to delve in specific time periods and geographic
locations. It is not just the intrinsically interesting period that
Strathern delves into that makes this a truly excellent book, but
his skill at understanding and connecting the people and ideas of
the time.
*The Interim, ‘Book of the Week’*
Well-written and exhaustively researched... It is a page-turner,
and on that presents a fascinating new perspective on the stories
and people of Florence.
*All About History*
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