The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance [Import] [Paperback]

Paul Strathern (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 6, 2009

Vivid and dramatic, this is a dazzling history of the modest family which rose to become one
of the most powerful in Europe.

The Medici is a remarkably modern story of power, money and ambition. Against the background of an age which saw the rebirth of ancient and classical learning, Paul Strathern explores the intensely dramatic rise and fall of the Medici family in Florence, as well as the Italian Renaissance which they did so much to sponsor and encourage. Interwoven into the narrative are the lives of many of the great Renaissance artists with whom the Medici had dealings, including Leonardo, Michelangelo and Donatello, as well as scientists like Galileo and Pico della Mirandola, both of whom clashed with the religious authorities.

In his enthralling study, Strathern also follows the fortunes of those members of the Medici family who achieved success away from Florence, including the two Medici popes and Catherine de Medici, who became Queen of France and played a major role in that country through three turbulent reigns.

Vivid and accessible, the book ends with the gloriously decadent decline of the Medici family in Florence as they strove to be recognized as European princes.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Paul Strathern is a Somerset Maugham Prize–winning novelist, the author of two series of books — Philosophers in 90 Minutes and The Big Idea: Scientists Who Changed the World; and most recently, Mendeleyevs’s Dream and Dr. Strangelove’s Game: A History of Economic Genius.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Vintage Books (January 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0099522977
• ISBN-13: 978-0099522973
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 1 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #935,075 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars a piece of useless junk, blatently misinformed., May 23, 2008

By 

P. Griffith "historybuff" (DC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Medici (Paperback)

This book is so poorly researched it makes fantasy fiction look real. Strathern makes leaps and jumps from out of nowhere, using incorrect dates and facts. The first thing that comes to mind for me is his claim that Eleonora di Toledo and Cosimo de Medici had 6 kids and cloistered the girls up like nuns...... Uhh no they didn't, they had 11 kids that we know of for a fact, and any reputable source will tell you she was a very active caring mother, strict yes, but only by today's standards. There was also a claim that lions in the backyard kept Eleonora up and frightened at night? WTF? where is your reference for that one dude? Stick to your philosophy Strathern, history is clearly not your strength.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Read for Starters, September 27, 2010

By 

Bradley100 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Medici (Paperback)

On a return trip from Florence, I bought this book at the airport because I wanted to learn more about the Medici family. Not being a historian, the book deserves great credit because it kept my attention for the long flight home and over the next few days. I wish I had read it before I went to Florence. It provides a great overview of the Medici influence, both in Florence and in Europe. The book serves as a great grand overview for someone who has never studied the history of Florence. My only problem with the book is it's pervasive homophobia. Over and over again, the author portrays certain members of the Medici family as deviant, identifying their weakness or "profligate" lifestyle as problematic. The book does not identify or explore the implications of being homosexual in a deeply Catholic and heterosexist culture. It simply judges members of the Medici as not being "normal." In every instance, gay members of the family or artists are portrayed negatively.

3 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice narrative introduction into the world of Renaissance, January 17, 2006

By 

M. Krauze - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Medici (Paperback)

The book is written in a narrative style telling the story of the entire Medici Dynasty. Paul Strathern understands to put his main charakters into the appropriate historical background. I liked the crosslinks to many historically important charakters and their achievements. The end of the book loses a bit of it's flavour due to the disperse stories told about europe's nobility.