Ada Palmer
Historian of the Renaissance at the University of Chicago and science-fiction novelist, author of Terra Ignota and Inventing the Renaissance
Clerical Households in Late Medieval Italy by Roisin Cossar
Book cover of Roisin Cossar's brilliant book "Clerical Households in Late Medieval Italy." It's packed with fantastic stories about efforts to enforce clerical celibacy, and the myriad people who flouted them!
on exurbe.com · 14 Feb 2025 · Report
Forbidden Friendships: Homosexuality and Male Culture in Renaissance Florence by Michael Rocke
My friend Michael Roche's brilliant book "Forbidden Friendships" shows how 40% to 60% of Florence's male population was indicted for sodomy (a capital offense!) at some point in their lives, yet practically all indictments ended with a fine. I cannot recommend this book enough!!!!
on exurbe.com · 5 Feb 2025 · Report
The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini by Benvenuto Cellini
One of the most entertaining primary sources ever written.
on exurbe.com · 5 Jan 2022 · Report
The Bright Ages: A New History of Medieval Europe by Matthew Gabriele & David M. Perry
Matthew Gabriele & David M. Perry, The Bright Ages: A New History of Medieval Europe, freshly published 2021 and so so fun and so so brilliant!
on exurbe.com · 5 Jan 2022 · Report
The Enlightenment: The Rise of Modern Paganism by Peter Gay
Peter Gay has a beautifully warm and human way of writing about history that makes him a joy to read.
on exurbe.com · 5 Jan 2022 · Report
The Noisy Renaissance by Niall Atkinson
A terrific book about the soundscape of Renaissance Florence. This is well written, thorough, scholarly, and also a ton of fun.
on exurbe.com · 5 Jan 2022 · Report
The Reformation by Diarmaid MacCulloch
This particular Reformation overview is thorough, well written, comprehensive, and reliable.
on exurbe.com · 5 Jan 2022 · Report
The Renaissance in Italy: A Social and Cultural History of the Renaissance by Guido Ruggiero
It's hard to express how good this book is — comprehensive, well written, illuminating and thought provoking on both small and large points.
on exurbe.com · 5 Jan 2022 · Report
Virtue Politics: Soulcraft and Statecraft in Renaissance Italy by James Hankins
Giant comprehensive masterful examination of what Renaissance humanists & philosophers were really trying to achieve.
on exurbe.com · 5 Jan 2022 · Report
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