Like every era, the Renaissance brims with stories. Fascinating,
scandalous, and at times seemingly unbelievable stories from the notable
lives of wily politicians, eccentric scientists, fiery rebels, and
stolid reactionaries, as well as an acrobat, an actress, a poetic
prostitute, a star comedian, and at least one very fretful mother are
revealed. Some names are famous--Da Vinci, Luther, Medici, and
Machiavelli--others are less well known, though no less remarkable.
New in paperback, Lives of the Renaissance is an engaging, witty, and
wonderfully illustrated compendium of one hundred notable men and women
throughout Italy, Germany, France, Iberia, Scandinavia, Russia, and
eastern Europe, who shaped and experienced one of the most creative and
inventive periods in human civilization. Lives of the Renaissance
reminds us that history is more than dates and abstract concepts: it is
also the compilation of countless individual lives and stories.