Customer Reviews

History of the Florentine People, Volume 1: Books I-IV (I Tatti Renaissance Library)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was very pleased with this three volume history of Florence. First, the stories in here are interesting and well-told. Bruni carefully weighs his sources like a modern historian, but he has an eye for the color and drama which make the best history books so enjoyable. Second, this is an excellent background for the general study of medieval and Renaissance literature, especially for Dante enthusiasts. Third and finally, the I Tatti Renaissance Library have once again produced a handsome book with solid binding and a beautiful blue cover. Plus, you get the original Latin text along with an elegant English translation by Harvard's James Hankins. If you like history generally, history written in the idiom of Livy, good anecdotes, or are curious about the Florentine world that lies behind many great artists and thinkers, then you can't go wrong with this book.