Renaissance Library

Why do some leaders maintain their power through every crisis while others fall at the first sign of conflict? In The Art of War, Niccolò Machiavelli reveals that the secret to lasting success lies in the cultivation of a disciplined citizenry. Structured as a dialogue between a seasoned commander and young aristocrats, this work critiques the reliance on mercenaries and advocates for a return to the strategic ideals of Rome. Unlike The Prince, this text focuses on the practical and philosophical organization required for a society to survive and thrive.

“[Beatrice] Grannò narrates like she’s letting listeners in on a secret, and it’s a particularly delightful choice for an audiobook full of political intrigue and plenty of romance. Grannò’s melodic narration immerses listeners in 15th-century Italy.” — Kirkus #1 New York Times...

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.

Are you ready to embark on a journey through the rich history of art? Discover the key movements and artists that have shaped the Western art tradition and gain a deeper understanding of how art reflects the world around us. With this book, you will: Expand your knowledge of art history in an easily digestible format. Engage with key facts and features from significant art movements. Delve into the Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Symbolism and other periods as well as lesser known but still highly ...

What if the Renaissance did not begin in Florence — but in the libraries Europe forgot? For centuries, the Renaissance has been remembered as Europe’s great awakening: the rebirth of science, philosophy, medicine, mathematics, and classical wisdom after a long age of darkness. But Europe did not awaken alone. Before the Renaissance became a European triumph, knowledge had already traveled through Baghdad, Córdoba, Toledo, Sicily, Salerno, and the great intellectual centers of the Islamic world. Greek philosophy, Persian medicine, Indian mathematics, Syriac scholarship, Jewish ...

Red Hugh was a true champion for Irish liberty from Queen Elizabeth's constricting reign in the late 1580's and beyond. Hugh's capture, imprisonment, and escape from the Dublin Castle; his triumph over a blizzard and frostbite; his dramatic rescue of his family's castle; his conflict with the evil Captain Leeds; and his inexhaustible love for Ireland make this a wonderful book for the entire family.

Discover all there is to know about the Renaissance, the period in history that took Europe from the Middle Ages to modern times! Beginning in Italy, the Renaissance was a cultural movement that spread throughout Europe and affected art, science, technology, politics, and thought. From the 1300s...

In this audiobook from the #1 New York Times bestselling series, learn how this vibrant Black neighborhood in upper Manhattan became home to the leading Black writers, artists, and musicians of the 1920s and 1930s. Travel back in time to the 1920s and 1930s to the sounds of jazz in nightclubs...

Most books about Florence tell you where to see Michelangelo’s David. This one gives you the story behind what you’re seeing. Backstory Atlas Florence: 10 Reasons We Can’t Stop Visiting The Renaissance City – A Guide to Its Travel History is a short, curated read that makes travel richer. It explores how a compact merchant republic became one of the most influential cities in cultural history — and why Florence still feels like a place where art, power, and everyday life are inseparable. This is not a guidebook or a long, heavy history lesson. It is a short, curated read for ...

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.

Renowned scholar Patrick Collinson is Regius Professor of Modern History, Emeritus, Cambridge. He states, "The Reformation (and Counter Reformation) was the blast furnace in which the modern state was forged." This engaging work offers a concise overview of the ecumenical revolution of the late medieval and Renaissance periods. Narrator John McDonough's presentation of the spiritual and the secular elements that led to religious reform will captivate listeners.

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.

At the heart of the extraordinary ferment of the High Renaissance stood a distinctive, strange and beguiling figure: the magus. An unstable mix of scientist, bibliophile, engineer, fabulist and fraud, the magus ushered in modern physics and chemistry while also working on everything from secret codes to siege engines to magic tricks. Anthony Grafton's wonderfully original book discusses the careers of men who somehow managed to be both figures of startling genius and - by some measures - credulous or worse.

This book is a thrilling historical fiction set in the 15th-century Renaissance Italy. It centers around Ilarion della stalla, who emerges as a formidable swordsman and a sword-for-hire to the infamous Cesare Borgia. His sword, a masterpiece crafted by none other than Leonardo Da Vinci, becomes a symbol of his prowess. Alongside Ilarion is his traveling companion, the artist Pietro Torrigiani. The story weaves through the intricacies of court intrigue and adventure, against the backdrop of a vibrant and tumultuous period in history. Ilarion's encounters with various Italian beauties add a ...

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

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. 

So the vampire Queen was behind all the disappearances after all. Will swears to me he had no idea what his mother was doing? But how can I trust him? How am I to believe anything he says after being confronted by...his fiancé? Apparently, just because he loves me doesn’t mean he feels the need to tell me the truth. His endless secrets have my head spinning.The only question is: when I kill the Queen with my newfound powers, will he be my side? ...Or hers?

IRON LOVER recounts the pageantry, the drama, the chivalry, the cruelty and passion of 14th Century Italy. But this was an era that carried memories of Dante and Beatrice, Héloise and Abélard—hence it was not so strange that a penniless young English adventurer should pursue his impossible dream of possessing an Italian princess. BLAZING - BAWDY - MAGNIFICENT This is the Stormy, heroic saga of Sir John Hawkwood who created the notorious White Company and became the most feared conqueror of 14th Century Europe-all because of a woman. From the moment young Hawkwood set eyes on the dark, ...

If ever a catharsis in Western European Civilization occurred, it had to have been the period we refer to as the Renaissance. After a thousand years of theocracy, manorialism, feudalism and narrow economic development, Europe was ripe for change. She got it with a vengeance.

The fifth in the new Naxos Audiobooks series "In a Nutshell", The Renaissance is a short and accessible introduction to the era that gave us Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Palestrina. The Renaissance swept across Europe between the 14th and 17th centuries, heralding intellectual revolutions in science, art, philosophy and politics, and marking a decisive shift towards modern thinking.