
The Bookseller of Florence
The Story of the Manuscripts That Illuminated the Renaissance
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Narrated by:
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James Cameron Stewart
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By:
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Ross King
The Renaissance in Florence conjures images of beautiful frescoes and elegant buildings - the dazzling handiwork of the city's skilled artists and architects. But equally important for the centuries to follow were geniuses of a different sort: Florence's manuscript hunters, scribes, scholars, and booksellers, who blew the dust off a thousand years of history and, through the discovery and diffusion of ancient knowledge, imagined a new and enlightened world.
At the heart of this activity, which best-selling author Ross King relates in his exhilarating new book, was a remarkable man: Vespasiano da Bisticci. Born in 1422, he became what a friend called "the king of the world's booksellers". At a time when all books were made by hand, over four decades Vespasiano produced and sold many hundreds of volumes from his bookshop, which also became a gathering spot for debate and discussion. Besides repositories of ancient wisdom by the likes of Plato, Aristotle, and Quintilian, his books were works of art in their own right, copied by talented scribes and illuminated by the finest miniaturists. His clients included a roll call of popes, kings, and princes across Europe who wished to burnish their reputations by founding magnificent libraries.
©2021 Ross King (P)2021 TantorListeners also enjoyed...




















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Integration of history, culture and the arts of the renaissance
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Great history
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The narrator aside, it was a great book.
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Narrator Ruined Book
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Excellent book, terribly read
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Wanting to increase the reading experience by also listening to the book, I also purchased the Audible version. Honestly, I usually only respond when it is a good experience and stay away from giving a bad review. But, as another reviewer said, the narration by Mr. Stewart came across as pompous. It’s as if he has disdain for the reader and is bored by the experience. Sometimes it just takes time to get used to a person’s style. For me, over time, it just became more grating so I switched back to reading the book, which is a delightful experience.
This is one of those rare situations where listening to the book did not enhance the experience. Other Ross King audible books are the opposite: very worth listening to or reading. I highly recommend reading any book this author has written.
Book vs Audible
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Torture to get through
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Horrible Narrator
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A sweeping story told with verve.
Bringing the past to light
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I found parts too technical such as the manner printing presses were set up and worked.
I loved the narrator.
A Bird’s Eye View of Renaissance Florence and it’s Relationship with Naples, Urbino, Milan, and the Papacy
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