Short Renaissance

Like many well-to-do Upper East Siders over the age of 65, esteemed art appraiser Percival Skinner had planned to spend his retirement living off his savings. But a market correction has left him living below his prior means. One day he’s visited by a dapper fixer in search of a famous work by a Renaissance master. Skinner knows the work well: The original was owned by his ancestor, and was passed down through his family over the generations. If, as an intermediary, he can coordinate a sale, a small fortune awaits. Problem is, he might not be the only one on the make.

More than ever before, the Renaissance stands out as one of the defining moments in world history. Between 1400 and 1600, European perceptions of society, culture, politics, and even humanity itself emerged in ways that continue to affect not only Europe but the entire world. In this wide-ranging exploration of the Renaissance, Jerry Brotton shows the period as a time of unprecedented intellectual excitement, cultural experimentation, and interaction on a global scale, alongside a darker side of religion, intolerance, slavery, and massive inequality of wealth and status. 

In this masterful work, listeners will encounter: the poets Petrarch and Boccaccio, the fathers of the Renaissance; the paintings, sculptures, and architecture of Milan, Florence, and Venice; the life and accomplishments of Leonardo DaVinci; the Catholic church and the popes of Avignon and Rome; the politicians and philosophers of Italy, including the Borgia family, Julius II, and Machiavelli; the Italian Wars, the conflicts with France, and the country's decline.

Brought to you by Penguin. This Penguin Classic is performed by Rory Alexander. René Descartes was a central figure in the scientific revolution of the seventeenth century. In his Discourse on Method he outlined the contrast between mathematics and experimental sciences, and the extent to which...

A Waterstones Best History Book 2025 A BBC History Magazine Book of the Year 2025 ‘Learned, entertaining and highly approachable’ BOB MORTIMER ‘A treat’ ALICE LOXTON ‘Five stars from me…’ AL MURRAY An unmissable collaboration between two comedy legends – an irresistible...

Zora Neale Hurston is best remembered today for her work as a novelist, but she was also an accomplished dramatist, short story writer, and folklorist. That range of interests and styles is on full display in this collection.

As the dust settles from the devastating Battle of Flodden, the fragile peace between Scotland and England hangs by a thread. In the shadows of political unrest, Lady Abigall of Scotland and Prince Everald of England cling to a secret love that defies centuries of hatred between their nations. But their passion has not gone unnoticed. When a misplaced letter reveals their affair, enemies from both courts seize the opportunity to strike. Everald’s betrothed, the calculating Adelena, will do anything to keep her crown—even as she hides a devastating secret of her own. With betrayal ...

Lady Abigall McLeod has spent her life bound by duty, her fate sealed in an arranged marriage to the stoic and ambitious Gotherum. But after the devastating loss of her brother, she longs for something more—something that feels like freedom. One fateful night, while fleeing an unexpected pursuer, she collides with a mysterious stranger in the dark. Their connection is immediate, electric, and all-consuming. What she doesn’t know is that he is Prince Everald of England—the very enemy her people are sworn to fight. Neither Abigall nor Everald reveal their true identities, and in the ...

Secrets deepen, alliances shift—and love is no longer the only risk. As Lady Abigall’s secret romance with Prince Everald grows more serious, she dares to introduce him to the one person she trusts most: her loyal friend and maid, Mairi. But in the shadows, Alisa—driven by ambition and unrelenting desire—schemes to use their forbidden love for her own gain. When Abigall falls unexpectedly ill, a shocking revelation threatens to shatter the fragile world she’s built. As she struggles to hold her secrets together, Mairi finds herself caught up in a budding romance of her own—one ...

Their love defied two nations. Now, it must survive betrayal, sacrifice—and a crown. Deep in the forest, Abigall and Everald live in hiding, their love sheltered but not safe. With their child on the way, they cling to hope, surviving in secret alongside James. But peace is fleeting. When word comes that the English king is dying and the queen is in mourning, Everald faces a heartbreaking decision: stay with the woman he loves—or return home to claim the throne and protect their future. But fate has other plans. Abigall is captured, imprisoned, and held under strict guard. Alone, ...

Henry Dumas' fiction is a masterful synthesis of myth and religion, culture and nature, mask and identity. From the Deep South to the simmering streets of Harlem, his characters embark on surreal and mythic quests armed only with wit, words, and wisdom. Championed by Toni Morrison, Walter Mosley, and Quincy Troupe, Dumas' books have long been out of print. All of his short fiction is collected here, for the first time, and includes several previously unpublished stories.

Eric Walrond was a singular voice of the Harlem Renaissance, and Tropic Death is his most famous work - a collection that highlights his particular strength as a writer of short fiction. Over the course of these ten stories, Walrond vividly details the punishing realities of life and labor across the Caribbean, and yet the overall effect is far from grim. These are unsentimental yet startlingly beautiful portraits of the migrant experience, full of distinctive voices striving for an audience in a seemingly implacable world.

Their love defied kingdoms. Now, it must defy fate itself. Haunted by the memory of his forbidden love, Prince Everald risks everything to escape the suffocating grip of the English crown. With war looming and betrayal lurking in every corner, he flees the palace in disguise, shedding his title to search for the only woman who ever truly knew his heart—Abigall. Enduring grueling labor in a foreign court’s kitchen, Everald becomes a shadow among the servants, following whispers that may lead him back to her. Lady Abigall, bound to Scottish royalty and torn between loyalty and love, ...

Power has its price. Love demands even more. With his father’s strength fading, Gotherum seizes control of Scotland—but the crown brings him little comfort. Haunted by loss and betrayal, he finds himself surrounded by shadows, including the revelation that Aliya’s treachery runs deeper than he ever imagined. Now King of England, Everald defies court expectations and the pressure of war, risking everything to save Abigall and their unborn child. Their long-awaited reunion is tender—but not without heartbreak, as a new threat rises just as they glimpse peace. As loyalties fracture and...

Cesare Borgia, former cardinal, Duke of Valentinois and Romagna, has been a figure of awe and scorn for generations. Seemingly compelled to explore this fascinating historical figure's true nature, Rafael Sabatini brought Borgia life as no one had before. Drawn to the passion, suspicion, betrayal, and ambition of Borgia's brief but exciting life, Sabatini penned seven short stories set during the Italian Renaissance: "The Honour of Varano", "The Test", "Ferrante's Jest", "Gisimondi's Wage", "The Snare", "The Lust of Conquest", and "The Pasquinade". These stories are collected here.

Published to great acclaim in 1873, Walter Pater’s compendium of idiosyncratic, impressionistic essays on the Renaissance gained him a reputation as a daring modern philosopher. Oscar Wilde called it the “holy writ of beauty.” It was Pater’s cry of “art for art’s sake” that became the manifesto for the aesthetic movement. He believed that art should be sensual and that beauty should rank as the highest ideal. Marked by elegant fluency, Pater’s essays discuss Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and other artists who, for him, embodied the spirit of the Renaissance.

If so, you are already somewhat familiar with the Renaissance, which saw a rebirth in the arts and science. Great strides were made in several fields, and many men made a name for themselves by creating masterpieces or developing new theories, even if some people found them controversial. This comprehensive guide digs into some of the most famous figures of the period and includes some who might not be as well known.

Spain, 1507. Cesare Borgia, the eldest son of Pope Alexander VI, former Duke of the Romagna, has fallen from power in Italy and has been imprisoned in Castille. His prospects seem bleak, but with the help of a meddling Spanish nobleman he escapes and sets off for Navarre, where he hopes to resurrect his fortunes and engineer a return to Italy, accompanied by a single servant who has been reluctantly recruited to the whole adventure. In this novella, Anthony Wildman recreates the last few months of the life of one of history's most fascinating and ambiguous figures, a man both charismatic ...

If you want to discover the captivating history of the Renaissance, then pay attention.

Step into a world of rogue screen readers, Braille in fantasy worlds, a friend meeting an acquaintance after several years, and more. This #OwnVoices anthology features fiction by blind and visually impaired authors showing readers how they thrive, hurt, get revenge, outsmart bullies, or go on epic adventures. Artificial Divide is an own-voices story collection that captures the many layers of blindness and, for once, puts visually impaired protagonists in the driver’s seat, letting us glimpse their lives. When we think about it, we're not really divided.