Death in Florence: The Medici, Savonarola and the Battle for the Soul of Man

(Paperback)

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The bloody and dramatic story of the battle for the soul of Renaissance Florence, one of the defining moments in Western history. Lorenzo de' Medici- The embodiment of Florence's most powerful family, a brutal man who ruled the city with an iron fist, whilst protecting it from the shifting mire of Italian politics. Fra Girolamo Savonarola- An unprepossessing provincial monk whose sermons, filled with Old Testament fury, resonated with the disenfranchised population of the city. The battle between these two men would be a fight to the death, a series of sensational events - including a mighty foreign invasion, trial by fire, the 'Bonfire of the Vanities', terrible executions and mysterious deaths - featuring a cast of the most important and charismatic Renaissance figures.

Reviews

Strathern combines diligent archival research with an exemplary narrative verve and keeps the pages turning -- Ian Thomson * Financial Times *
Grips the reader from the first page... it is an arresting and horrifying tale and Strathern tells it with immense skill and verve * New Statesman *

Author Bio

Paul Strathern studied philosophy at Trinity College, Dublin. He has lectured in philosophy and mathematics. He is a Somerset Maugham Prize-winning novelist; author of two series of books - Philosophers in 90 Minutes and The Big Idea- Scientists who Changed the World; Mendeleyev's Dream (shortlisted for the Aventis Science Book Prize); Dr. Strangelove's Game- A History of Economic Genius, The Medici- Godfathers of the Renaissance; The Artist, the Philosopher and the Warrior and Spirit of Venice- From Marco Polo to Casanova.