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Books : History : Europe : Italy : Medieval
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Marco Polo (1254-1324) spent the best part of 20 years globe-trotting from the Polar Sea to Java, from Zanzibar to Japan and probably travelled more extensively than anyone before him. His travels began in 1271 when he accompanied his father and uncle on their second visit to China. There he worked as a diplomat, undertaking numerous missions in the service of Kubilai Khan. A few years after his return to the West in 1295, Polo was captured as a prisoner of war in Genoa, and in prison met Rustichello of Pisa, a romance writer who became his enthusiastic collaborator in putting together this book. Despite piracy, shipwreck, brigandage and wild beasts, Polo moved in a world of highly organized commerce. He loved describing precious gems, spices and silks, but had an equally keen eye for exotic plants and especially birds; his grasp of history was rather less assured, but he was a superb human geographer.
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Marco Polo was seventeen when he set out for China . . . and forty-one when he came back! More than seven hundred years ago, Marco Polo traveled from the medieval city of Venice to the fabled kingdom of the great Kublai Khan, seeing new sights and riches that no Westerner had ever before witnessed. But did Marco Polo experience the things he wrote about . . . or was it all made-up? Young readers are presented with the facts in this entertaining, highly readable Who Was . . . ? biography with black-and-white artwork by John O’Brien.
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Was the fall of Rome a great catastrophe that cast the West into darkness for centuries to come? Or, as scholars argue today, was there no crisis at all, but simply a peaceful blending of barbarians into Roman culture, an essentially positive transformation?
In The Fall of Rome, eminent historian Bryan Ward-Perkins argues that the "peaceful" theory of Rome's "transformation" is badly in error. Indeed, he sees the fall of Rome as a time of horror and dislocation that destroyed a great civilization, throwing the inhabitants of the West back to a standard of living typical of prehistoric times. Attacking contemporary theories with relish and making use of modern archaeological evidence, he looks at both the wider explanations for the disintegration of the Roman world and also the consequences for the lives of everyday Romans, who were caught in a world of marauding barbarians, and economic collapse. The book recaptures the drama and violence of the last days of the Roman world, and reminds us of the very real terrors of barbarian occupation. Equally important, Ward-Perkins contends that a key problem with the new way of looking at the end of the ancient world is that all difficulty and awkwardness is smoothed out into a steady and positive transformation of society. Nothing ever goes badly wrong in this vision of the past. The evidence shows otherwise.
Up-to-date and brilliantly written, combining a lively narrative with the latest research and thirty illustrations, this superb volume reclaims the drama, the violence, and the tragedy of the fall of Rome.
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Matteo Ricci (1552-1616), an Italian Jesuit, entered China in 1583 to spread Catholicism in the largely Confucian country. In order to make a persuasive argument for the educated Chinese to abandon their traditional faith for the new one he was carrying, Ricci realized that he would have to prove the general superiority of Western culture. He did so by teaching young Confucian scholars tricks to increase their memory skills--an important advantage in a nation with countless laws and rituals that had to be learned by heart. Ricci attracted numerous students with this method; more important, Ricci came to have a sympathetic understanding for China that he communicated to Rome, and thence to the European nations at large. Spence's portrait of Ricci is a gem of historical writing. --Gregory MacNamee
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For nineteenth-century Swiss historian Jacob Burckhardt, the Italian Renaissance was nothing less than the beginning of the modern world - a world in which flourishing individualism and the competition for fame radically transformed science, the arts, and politics. In this landmark work he depicts the Italian city-states of Florence, Venice and Rome as providing the seeds of a new form of society, and traces the rise of the creative individual, from Dante to Michelangelo. A fascinating description of an era of cultural transition, this nineteenth-century masterpiece was to become the most influential interpretation of the Italian Renaissance, and anticipated ideas such as Nietzsche's concept of the 'Ubermensch' in its portrayal of an age of genius.
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"The Agricola" is both a portrait of Julius Agricola - the most famous governor of Roman Britain and Tacitus' well-loved and respected father-in-law - and the first detailed account of Britain that has come down to us. It offers fascinating descriptions of the geography, climate and peoples of the country, and a succinct account of the early stages of the Roman occupation, nearly fatally undermined by Boudicca's revolt in AD 61 but consolidated by campaigns that took Agricola as far as Anglesey and northern Scotland. The warlike German tribes are the focus of Tacitus' attention in the "Germania", which, like the "Agricola", often compares the behaviour of 'barbarian' peoples favourably with the decadence and corruption of Imperial Rome.
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The Medieval Kitchen is a delightful work in which historians Odile Redon, Françoise Sabban, and Silvano Serventi rescue from dark obscurity the glorious cuisine of the Middle Ages. Medieval gastronomy turns out to have been superb—a wonderful mélange of flavor, aroma, and color. Expertly reconstructed from fourteenth- and fifteenth-century sources and carefully adapted to suit the modern kitchen, these recipes present a veritable feast. The Medieval Kitchen vividly depicts the context and tradition of authentic medieval cookery.
"This book is a delight. It is not often that one has the privilege of working from a text this detailed and easy to use. It is living history, able to be practiced by novice and master alike, practical history which can be carried out in our own homes by those of us living in modern times."—Wanda Oram Miles, The Medieval Review
"The Medieval Kitchen, like other classic cookbooks, makes compulsive reading as well as providing a practical collection of recipes."—Heather O'Donoghue, Times Literary Supplement
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THE SWORDSMANS' COMPANION is a superb introduction to a modern system of self-defense based on the Italian medieval masters Fiore dei Liberi and Filippo Vadi.Intended for the beginner, the book approaches the art of swordsmanship from the perspective of a martial art, building the student's confidence through many drills, exercises, and explanations.
Guy Windsor, founder and director of The School For European Swordsmanship, Helsinki, brings his extensive experience to bear in creating was is surely the first modern treatise based on the medieval Italian treatises. The swordsmanship he offers is elegant and flashy, but it is also rooted in firm basics that include unarmoured wrestling techniques and throws.
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Is there a resemblance between the contemporary anorexic teenager counting every calorie in her single-minded pursuit of thinness, and an ascetic medieval saint examining her every desire? Rudolph M. Bell suggests that the answer is yes.
"Everyone interested in anorexia nervosa . . . should skim this book or study it. It will make you realize how dependent upon culture the definition of disease is. I will never look at an anorexic patient in the same way again."—Howard Spiro, M.D., Gastroenterology
"[This] book is a first-class social history and is well-documented both in its historical and scientific portions."—Vern L. Bullough, American Historical Review
"A significant contribution to revisionist history, which re-examines events in light of feminist thought. . . . Bell is particularly skillful in describing behavior within its time and culture, which would be bizarre by today's norms, without reducing it to the pathological."—Mary Lassance Parthun, Toronto Globe and Mail
"Bell is both enlightened and convincing. His book is impressively researched, easy to read, and utterly fascinating."—Sheila MacLeod, New Statesman
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Written by an eminent authority on the Renaissance, these classic essays deal not only with Paul Kristeller's specialty, Renaissance humanism and philosophy, but also with Renaissance theories of art. The focus of the collection is on topics such as humanist learning, humanist moral thought, the diffusion of humanism, Platonism, music and learning during the early Renaissance, and the modern system of arts in relation to the Renaissance. For this volume the author has written a new preface, a new essay, and an afterword.
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He claimed to have seen rocks burn, bandits command sandstorms, lions tamed with a look, and sorcerers charm sharks while divers gathered pearls on the ocean floor. Marco Polo shook Europe with descriptions of the world he'd seen on his epic journey to the court of Kublai Khan. But was Marco Polo the world's most accomplished explorer? Had he really seen the "Roof of the World" in Central Asia, and the "City of Heaven" in far-off China? Or was he a charlatan who saw nothing more than the conjurings of his inventive mind? Join Russell Freedman as he tackles a centuries-old mystery.
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In this history of Florence, distinguished historian John Najemy discusses all the major developments in Florentine history from 1200 to 1575.- Captures Florence’s transformation from a medieval commune into an aristocratic republic, territorial state, and monarchy
- Weaves together intellectual, cultural, social, economic, religious, and political developments
- Academically rigorous yet accessible and appealing to the general reader
- Likely to become the standard work on Renaissance Florence for years to come
- Captures Florence’s transformation from a medieval commune into an aristocratic republic, territorial state, and monarchy
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Sword in Two Hands is a full-color modern training guide based on the 14th & 15th century Italian swordmaster, Fiore dei Liberi. In the sumptuous volume, Brian R. Price, Principale and co-founder of the Schola Saint George, presents a detailed curriculem designed to guide novice and intermediate combatants through the efficient and powerful swordsmanship based on Fiore's three surviving books. Translations of the Fior di Battaglia are included for the sections covered alongside transcriptions of the original text and neverbefore seen color images from the Getty edition of the Fior. Hundreds of full-color photographs accompany Mr. Price's interpretation of Fiore's work in what is sure to become a classic of the field. This book is a perfect guide for anyone interested in one of Europe's pinnacle systems of swordsmanship.
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Asking how social, religious, and cultural change effect visual imagery and style. Judith Steinhoff demonstrates that Siena's artistic culture of the mid- and late fourteenth century was intentionally pluralistic, and not conservative as is often claimed. She demonstrates that Sienese art both before and after the Black Death was the material expression of an artistically sophisticated population that consciously and carefully integrated tradition and change. Promoting both iconographic and stylistic pluralism, Sienese patrons furthered their own goals as well as addressed the culture's changing needs.
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The innovative work in design, typography, and content of music printer and publisher Ottaviano Petrucci (1446-1539) became the standard by which all following printers measured themselves. He created the defining moment when Italy took the lead in book printing in the Renaissance.
This book is a bibliographic study of the output of the Petrucci presses, laying emphasis on the professional career of Petrucci. It includes a detailed study of technique and house-style, examining the market forces that drove Petrucci's publishing decisions, and provides a detailed catalogue of editions and copies.
Stanley Boorman has made a study of the output of Petrucci's presses for 25 years. This long-awaited contribution to the field of bibliography will have an audience both in music and in rare book bibliography.
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Livy's great history of Rome contains, in Books 21 to 30, the definitive ancient account of Hannibal's invasion of Italy in 218 BC, and the war he fought with the Romans over the following sixteen years.
Livy's gripping storytelling vividly conveys the drama of the great battles, and individuals as well as events are brought powerfully to slife.
This new translation captures the brilliance of Livy's style, and is accompanied by a fascinating introduction and notes. The comprehensive introduction examines Livy, his work, his historical accuracy, his sources, and the course of Hannibal's campaign by a scholar well known for his work on Hannibal and his times. The edition includes a glossary of Roman and Carthaginian terms, a chronological table, an index, a series of detailed maps, and a discussion of the route of Hannibal from the south of Spain over the Alps to Italy. This wonderfully complete edition is perfect for lovers of classical literature, those with an interest in ancient or military history, and students in an array of classes.
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Over the centuries many thousands of visitors have journeyed to Florence to admire the city's great beauty and to marvel at its unique history. In this century Gene Brucker has been one of the city's most knowledgeable admirers. With the historian's ability to uncover the past, he skillfully relates the story of Florence's Golden Age and the conjoined forces that transformed the city on the Arno into one of the most glorious civilizations the world has known. Brucker's story of the premier city of the Italian Renaissance tells of great families and common people, wars and economic dislocations, natural catastrophes and religious turmoil, and extraordinary artistic and literary achievement.
The creative growth of the city of Dante, Giotto, Brunelleschi, and Michelangelo was made possible through Florence's role as an economic center, the zeal of its small manufacturing industries, and the enterprise of the merchants who spread Florentine influence well beyond the city's walls and territories. The pages of Florence are enlivened with the voices of historical protagonists, and their words richly convey the tenor of the times. Brucker's accessible writing is complimented by a wealth of paintings and drawings, 200 of them in full color. Also included are a chronology of important historical events, a listing of noted Florentine families, and a genealogy of the famed Medici family. Historians and students will find much of value here; so too will anyone who is in love with--or who plans to fall in love with--the shining city of Florence.
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