Sexual Astrology - Books : Fire in the City: Savonarola and the Struggle for the Soul of Renaissance Florence

All ProductsApparelBabyBeautyBooksDVDDigital MusicHealth & Personal CareJewelryKitchen & HousewaresMagazinesMiscellaneousMusicMusic TracksPhotoSoftwareToysVHSVideo (DVD & VHS)Video Games

 View Shopping Cart or Checkout 

Rating: - Another view
I had read enough about Savonarola to have a vague idea as to what he was about, but this book gave me a very different perspective. Savonarola was much more complicated, and less a mad man than I had thought. The destuction of the "vanities", which was the most lamentable of all his actions from our perspective, is better understood after reading this book. Obviously, the value of the destroyed art in Savanarola's context is quite different than it is in ours, and Mr Martines made the point very well. It is a great read, full of history, and I enjoyed it very much.

---

Rating: - Florence Comes Alive
This is a must read for anyone planning a vacation to Florence, or for those wanting to experience the place and time without the expense, as Martines reaches far beyond the story of a single man and into Renassiance Florence. Readers will find this gripping and complex historical drama impossible to put down. "April Blood" (the Pazzi conspiracy against the Medici) sets the stage for this great book, and Martines combines expert scholarship with dramatic narrative skill in both works.

---

Rating: - Very Strange
I was interested in learning more about Savonarola because "The Palace" by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro is set in Renaissance Florence at the time of Savonarola, who plays a part in the novel. Now I love history and read a lot of history books, unfortunately, this book was a big dissapointment. Contrary to the blurb on the back cover this book is hardly riveting nor is it much of a thriller. It only covers the last few years of Savonarola's life but it is more about the political history of Florence than on Savonarola himself. Actually the book does not really seem to have a direction or a point and I could not figure out why the author wrote this.

I would suggest that if you are interested in this book that you find a copy in a book store and read it before you buy otherwise you risk being dissapointed.

---

Rating: - A burning in Florence
This is an excellent, well-written book about Savonarola and the Medici era in Florence. It presents the Friar in a different light from the perception of him that I was taught in parochial school. Here we have a deeply religious reformer, who tried to change the government type of a city that had been under the thumb of the Medici family for many years. His sermons attracted huge crowds, but he also acquired many enemies, not only in Florence, but more importantly, in the Roman Curia. Eventually his enemies won out and he and two of his fellow monks were hanged and burned. This is definitely a sympathetic look at a man who, in some ways, foreshadowed Luther and his attempts at Church reform. It's a book well worth reading by everyone.

---

Rating: - A Fabulous Historical Biography
I've been a Common Reader for over 40 years and have read literally hundreds of books including many histories and biographies. This is one of the best books I've ever read. Lauro Martines has created an artful, compelling, and illuminating biography of Savonarola that is strongly tied to the political and historical context of Florence, Italy at the close of the 14th century. By establishing the people, events, and issues of the time, Savonarola's life is made incredibly more interesting and compelling than a simple biography often portrays. If you simply think of Savonarola and the infamous bonfire of the vanities, you really need to read this book. Martines clearly demonstrates that this Catholic friar was not the intolerant moralist, but rather a defender of a much broader definition of democracy and a Church critic with more in common with Luther. This biography also illustrates the perils anyone may face when one combines a reformer's zeal with both religion and politics.

If you like history and biography, read this book. It is worth anyone's time and effort.