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The Bookseller of Florence: Vespasiano da Bisticci and the Manuscripts that Illuminated the Renaissance

The Bookseller of Florence: Vespasiano da Bisticci and the Manuscripts that Illuminated the Renaissance

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  • Create Date：2021-05-13 09:51:11
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Ross King
  • ISBN：178474266X
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Summary

A gripping story of ancient wisdom， new technology and 'the king of the world’s booksellers'， set in Renaissance Florence

In the mid-1400s， Vespasiano da Bisticci’s bookshop in Florence was said to contain all the wisdom of the world。 Vespasiano and his team of scribes and illuminators produced exquisite manuscripts for popes and princes across Europe， rediscovering and disseminating some of the most significant texts from classical antiquity。 At his shop， the most formidable minds of the city would gather to debate these old ideas of revolutionary power。

But in 1476 a new technology arrived in Florence。 The convent of San Jacopo di Ripoli， a community of Dominican nuns on the other side of the city， acquired a printing press from a bankrupt German printer。 Before long， with the enterprising nuns working tirelessly as typesetters， the Ripoli Press began printing a series of books and pamphlets that triggered an explosion of ideas in politics， philosophy and religion。

In The Bookseller of Florence Ross King， the internationally bestselling author of Brunelleschi’s Dome and Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling， uncovers the story of a local battle that would have far-reaching consequences。 The wave of radical thinking unleashed by printed books would alter the course of history， fuelling the Renaissance and the Reformation， and paving the way for the Enlightenment – and modernity as we know it today。

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Reviews

Virginia Van ，

A detailed history of the growth in Florence during the Renaissance of manuscript hunters， scribes， scholars， and booksellers， who through their discovery and diffusion of ancient works helped to create a new and enlightened world。 At the center of all this was a bookseller， Vespasiano da Bisticci， who， from humble beginning， became known as "the king of the world's booksellers。" His work shop produced hundreds of hand written and illustrated manuscripts to patrons such as Lorenzo di Medici and A detailed history of the growth in Florence during the Renaissance of manuscript hunters， scribes， scholars， and booksellers， who through their discovery and diffusion of ancient works helped to create a new and enlightened world。 At the center of all this was a bookseller， Vespasiano da Bisticci， who， from humble beginning， became known as "the king of the world's booksellers。" His work shop produced hundreds of hand written and illustrated manuscripts to patrons such as Lorenzo di Medici and the King of Naples， as well as other nobles across Europe。 But just as Vespasiano reached the summit of his influence， the printed book and， by 1480， has skills were becoming redundant。 Ross King looks at everything from the history of the book and printing to the rebirth of classical knowledge to the political turmoil in late 15th c。 Italy as these elements all affected the life of one unusual man。 。。。more

Denise ，

I put this on hold through the library without seeing it and thought it would be a cozy read of historical fiction。 It's actually a 400 page academic text about a real bookseller from the Italian Renaissance， with an extra fifty or sixty pages of notes， footnotes， and a bibliography。 I did a speed read through it。 Well researched， but not what I was looking for！ I put this on hold through the library without seeing it and thought it would be a cozy read of historical fiction。 It's actually a 400 page academic text about a real bookseller from the Italian Renaissance， with an extra fifty or sixty pages of notes， footnotes， and a bibliography。 I did a speed read through it。 Well researched， but not what I was looking for！ 。。。more

Aaron Akbar ，

Everything I never knew I wanted to know about the history of written language and its golden age in the Renaissance。 King manages to pack an insane amount of information into the pages， while still making the text fun and accessible。 There are a few times where information is repeated， but it serves to re-contextualize and remind rather than loop in on itself。 And， it's such a wonderful dive into a lesser-known hero of history。 Truly， it seems that Vespassiano might pass Leonardo as my all-time Everything I never knew I wanted to know about the history of written language and its golden age in the Renaissance。 King manages to pack an insane amount of information into the pages， while still making the text fun and accessible。 There are a few times where information is repeated， but it serves to re-contextualize and remind rather than loop in on itself。 And， it's such a wonderful dive into a lesser-known hero of history。 Truly， it seems that Vespassiano might pass Leonardo as my all-time favorite Renaissance man。 。。。more

Alex ，

Very fine biography of both a man and his political and intellectual times。

Linda Bond ，

Ross King loves art， and history and the human spirit。 He is， after all， the one who brought us Brunelleschi’s Dome， Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling （my favorite）， and many others。 Returning to the rich creative soil of Renaissance in Florence， he draws out attention to the contribution of someone not known as well as the great painters and sculptures: Vespasiano da Bisticci who was born into a world without the printing press， in 1422， and rose to become “the king of the world’s booksellers Ross King loves art， and history and the human spirit。 He is， after all， the one who brought us Brunelleschi’s Dome， Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling （my favorite）， and many others。 Returning to the rich creative soil of Renaissance in Florence， he draws out attention to the contribution of someone not known as well as the great painters and sculptures: Vespasiano da Bisticci who was born into a world without the printing press， in 1422， and rose to become “the king of the world’s booksellers。” Not only did he collect great works of illuminated manuscripts， he also sold books produced by copyists/miniaturists， which ended up on the shelves of the great – kings， popes and others who founded libraries。 Once the press came along， however， books were no longer in the purview of the wealthy （comparatively） and an age of literary heights soon passed away in favor of the masses （thank goodness）。 This is the story of those times and the man who stood out as The Bookseller of Florence。 Book clubs take note – you’ll want to include this in your future discussions。I met this book at Auntie's Bookstore in Spokane， WA 。。。more

Anne Morgan ，

A fascinating story of the rediscovery of Greek and Roman texts by scholars in the so-called "Dark Ages"， 'The Bookseller of Florence' proves to the reader that the time period was anything but dark。 Focusing around the bookseller Vespasiano， Ross King tells us of the rise of the medieval manuscript， parchment and vellum， and the philosophers and scholars who worked to translate Greek texts， to rediscover Plato and Aristotle， and lead to a great humanist revolution 。 King answers questions about A fascinating story of the rediscovery of Greek and Roman texts by scholars in the so-called "Dark Ages"， 'The Bookseller of Florence' proves to the reader that the time period was anything but dark。 Focusing around the bookseller Vespasiano， Ross King tells us of the rise of the medieval manuscript， parchment and vellum， and the philosophers and scholars who worked to translate Greek texts， to rediscover Plato and Aristotle， and lead to a great humanist revolution 。 King answers questions about how such texts could be "lost" in the first place and where and how they began to be rediscovered， which I found fascinating。 Covering such a large amount of history helped me by focusing on Vespasiano， a Florence bookseller who worked to build libraries of the rich and famous， to recruit scribes and illustrators and make beautiful manuscripts， and to make sure that the knowledge found within them was spread despite plagues or wars。 When Ross King expands his book to explore more political and far reaching aspects of the time， or philosophies of people Vespasiano knew and considered friends， I often thought the text dragged and I got lost in it sometimes before working my way back to Vespasiano。 It's obvious King wanted to do his best to provide a full picture of the life and times Vespasiano lived in and influenced， but sometimes it got a little much for me。 However， overall this was a book full of fascinating information and tidbits I loved reading， although far too many for me to remember in one sitting。 To fully absorb even a fraction of the knowledge King is passing on would take multiple readings and probably taking notes。 Highly dense and occasionally slow， but fascinating if you stay with it，I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 。。。more

Agnes ，

This book is an intellectual feast for all bibliophiles， written with expert knowledge and deep love of books。It's a book about booksellers and the book-making process， in the time of transition from handwritten and splendidly illuminated manuscripts bound in fabrics and jewels to the mass production of the printing。 It's a book as well about desperate and devoted searching of the Roman and Greek intellectual heritage during the early Renaissance in Florence， Italy， it's history， government， int This book is an intellectual feast for all bibliophiles， written with expert knowledge and deep love of books。It's a book about booksellers and the book-making process， in the time of transition from handwritten and splendidly illuminated manuscripts bound in fabrics and jewels to the mass production of the printing。 It's a book as well about desperate and devoted searching of the Roman and Greek intellectual heritage during the early Renaissance in Florence， Italy， it's history， government， intellectual influence。I would like to thank you the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free copy for a review。 。。。more

Doc Martin ，

A must read for bibliophiles。 Book and library Renaissance porn at its finest！ The story of a Florentine manuscript hunter and seller at the time of the introduction of the printing press。 A fascinating accounting of bookmaking during the shift from from hand copied scripts on vellum to printed words on paper。

Annarella ，

I love to read historical books about Italian Renaissance and I loved this one。There's plenty of interesting story and humor， an excellent way to learn something new and being entertained。It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last。Strongly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine I love to read historical books about Italian Renaissance and I loved this one。There's plenty of interesting story and humor， an excellent way to learn something new and being entertained。It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last。Strongly recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more

J Earl ，

The Bookseller of Florence by Ross King is an excellent example of how a history book can both inform and， broadly speaking， entertain。 If you like learning about people， places， cultures and technology of the past， there is a lot of information presented in these pages。 If you enjoy the narrative of history， how things can progress （or digress） from moment to moment and person to person， there are several narrative arcs here to keep you turning pages。 The wonderful part is that whichever of tho The Bookseller of Florence by Ross King is an excellent example of how a history book can both inform and， broadly speaking， entertain。 If you like learning about people， places， cultures and technology of the past， there is a lot of information presented in these pages。 If you enjoy the narrative of history， how things can progress （or digress） from moment to moment and person to person， there are several narrative arcs here to keep you turning pages。 The wonderful part is that whichever of those readers you happen to be， you will be experiencing the other almost without knowing it。 I love the story aspect of history and it was amazing how much I learned here， about an era and place I have read a fair bit about， without really realizing it。 For those who sometimes find the facts of history tedious， this will be a painless way to learn facts and observe life at that time。I highly recommend this to readers who enjoy history and want to read it in an engaging and thoughtful form。Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley。 。。。more

Allison ，

If you loved Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture by the same author you will revel in the scholarship and the love with which this book was crafted。 If， however， you were looking more for a human interest story with a backdrop of Florence you will be disappointed。 As a former librarian I confess I love the recent spate of stories about bookstores and libraries set all over the world， in both modern and historic times。 This work was not of that genre so be advise If you loved Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture by the same author you will revel in the scholarship and the love with which this book was crafted。 If， however， you were looking more for a human interest story with a backdrop of Florence you will be disappointed。 As a former librarian I confess I love the recent spate of stories about bookstores and libraries set all over the world， in both modern and historic times。 This work was not of that genre so be advised。 For the individual who wants to know how a time piece is made， this is right up your alley。 If you only want to know what time it is， I suggest looking elsewhere。 。。。more

Alexandra ，

I received this as an advance copy via NetGalley。 This is one of the best history books I've read in years。 It's written superbly。 The language is a delight - but not so clever or lyrical that it gets hard to read。 The pace is just right， and the level of detail is an absolute delight: the right balance of fascinating without getting into ridiculous minutiae。 It's wonderfully historical: it uses primary sources and historians to make arguments and illustrate points， and they're all woven within I received this as an advance copy via NetGalley。 This is one of the best history books I've read in years。 It's written superbly。 The language is a delight - but not so clever or lyrical that it gets hard to read。 The pace is just right， and the level of detail is an absolute delight: the right balance of fascinating without getting into ridiculous minutiae。 It's wonderfully historical: it uses primary sources and historians to make arguments and illustrate points， and they're all woven within the story seamlessly。 It uses endnotes， so you don't have footnotes cluttering the page but you still have the reassurance that the author has done the research！ It illuminates （heh） the context magnificently。 The Renaissance， Italy， and Florence are really not my scene， beyond knowing a few names （Medici， Borgia。 - and Sforza for some reason？）。 The author sets the general scene for all three so that I felt completely comfortable going in。 The book is ostensibly about Vespasiona， the "king of booksellers"， who started as a fairly uneducated boy working in a book binder's in Florence and became the man who could either track down a manuscript or have a beautiful new one made for you - where "you" could be a wealthy-enough person in Florence or， like， the Pope （a few of whom he knew by name， hello）。 Beyond being a biography， though （which would have been fascinating but not that long because info about his early life is lacking） this is almost a biography of TEXTS， as objects and sources of knowledge， in this crucial moment - the 15th century。 Why was it crucial？ Well， a bunch of ancient Greek texts were being rediscovered and translated - especially Plato， who was being brought into the Christian fold as Aristotle was two centuries before。 There were changes in the way knowledge itself was perceived， and an increase in the number of people （let's be honest， basically men， but still） who were chatting/arguing/ getting fiery about various bits of knowledge。 OH， and THEN， Gutenberg and his crazy weird moveable type （NOT first invented by him， of course， that was happening over in Asia already， and the author acknowledges that） comes along。 The way the author contextualises that， and discusses the stats about book publication （mss numbers rose when print came along - probably because of increasing literacy） - it's all just an absolute delight。 The book balances political history， social history， and a bit of economic history to make a thoroughly well-rounded examination of the period。 And it still manages to revolve around this one man， Vespasiano， who coordinated the production of beautiful books and magnificent libraries， who became an author himself in old age， and was probably a bit of a cranky old man about those new-fangled print books。 Gosh I loved this book。 。。。more

Kelly Roxanne ，

Ross King’s The Bookseller of Florence: The Story of Manuscripts that Illuminated the Renaissance is an exploration of the life and world of Vespasiano， a renown Italian collector and bookseller， who was an artisan of the handcrafted hand copied book for 40 years during the Renaissance time period。 He hunted down manuscripts to recreate and sell to fill the libraries of famous and powerful clients。 Additional details are provided about politics， religion， philosophy， and current events for that Ross King’s The Bookseller of Florence: The Story of Manuscripts that Illuminated the Renaissance is an exploration of the life and world of Vespasiano， a renown Italian collector and bookseller， who was an artisan of the handcrafted hand copied book for 40 years during the Renaissance time period。 He hunted down manuscripts to recreate and sell to fill the libraries of famous and powerful clients。 Additional details are provided about politics， religion， philosophy， and current events for that time。 Wonderfully researched and thoughtfully written。 For those interested in Renaissance， Italian history， booksellers and collectors， and the impact of the invention of the printing press。 Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book。 。。。more

Gia ，

Detailing the humble beginnings of and eventual rise to the stature of “the king of the world’s booksellers，” Vespasiano da Bistecci， The Bookseller of Florence is expertly researched and sophisticatedly presented。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Vespasiano， his history， and the esteemed artistry of the ancient scribes。Highly recommended。 Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic Atlantic Monthly Press for the read of Ross King’s， The Bookseller of Florence。

Kim ，

The rare book trade is not unique to the modern era。 It has， in fact， been a staple of society since there were books to trade， whether said books were in the form we know them as today， handwritten manuscripts， or scrolls。 Once something has been written down and declared to be valuable– either for the words written within or for its status as an artistic object。 In Florence in the mid-fifteenth century， the book trade was especially vibrant in the city that is often seen as the epitome of the The rare book trade is not unique to the modern era。 It has， in fact， been a staple of society since there were books to trade， whether said books were in the form we know them as today， handwritten manuscripts， or scrolls。 Once something has been written down and declared to be valuable– either for the words written within or for its status as an artistic object。 In Florence in the mid-fifteenth century， the book trade was especially vibrant in the city that is often seen as the epitome of the Italian Renaissance。 One man， Vespasiano da Bisticci， was at the heart of the Florentine book trade， and while his occupation did not bring him wealth， it brought him fame among the literary and artistic circles of the time。 His clients included artists， noblemen， poets， popes， and generations of the Medici family itself。 Even in the latter half of his career， with the Gutenberg moveable-type printing press made hand-copied books nearly obsolete， Vespasiano continued to have scribes copy texts by hand， creating beautiful editions of works by such luminaries as Plato and Petrarch long after most bookmakers had switched to using the printing press。Ross King’s latest popular history， The Bookseller of Florence， is more than a biography of a single man。 He uses Vespasiano’s life as an anchor point from which to expand his history of books， bookmakers， booksellers， and readers， and while the narrative roves from ancient Greek philosophers to the 1453 conquest of Constantinople by the Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire， it always finds a line back to Vespasiano and his bookshop in Florence。 Still， the scope of bookmaking is vast， and King doesn’t hesitate to go into detail about the history of bookmaking and the materials used， taking the reader back to Egypt and Rome to explain the origins of the materials and detail the process that took us from papyrus to vellum to paper， and from scrolls to the books we know today。 There is a good deal of discussion， too， about the Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato; their works were beloved and discussed by Renaissance philosophers and church officials who argued about the ancient philosophies about whether or not they were too pagan to be read by good Christian people， or whether they enhanced the teaching of the Bible and so were acceptable to be disseminated。Italian writers get a suitable page count， too， with Petrarch’s poetry， Dante’s Comedy， and Boccaccio’s Decameron。 King makes special note of Boccaccio， whose critics warned that the raunchy stories were not fit for ladies’ eyes （indicating that， contrary to common modern opinions， upper-class women， at least， were educated and prone to buying books）。And because art and literature are not separate from historical events– and because those events affected Vespasiano’s life and trade– King discusses the major events of the time， from the fall of Constantinople to the infamous Pazzi conspiracy of 1478， as well as the election of popes， the doings and deaths of poorly-behaved noblemen， and how monks and nuns got into the book industry themselves- and not just for religious texts。For readers lacking a solid foundation in the history of the Italian Renaissance， The Bookseller of Florence could be difficult to read。 King sketches out the backgrounds of most of the figures he mentions， but there are enough of them that the flood of names and places could be overwhelming。 Keeping a Wikipedia page open to look things up might be a good idea。But for those who have an interest and grounding in Renaissance history， The Bookseller of Florence provides a treasure trove of facts and insights about books， their history， and our ongoing fascination with them。 At times it feels elegiac， like when King discusses the lost works from Greece and Rome， but more often than not it lights up with the love of the written word that all readers feel when presented with a beautiful book。 。。。more

Claudia ，

I have read comfortably over 70% of this nonfiction book。 I may finish it or I may not， but I feel prepared to review it。 This is an academic work of nonfiction detailing the life and world of a man called Vespasiano， who was "the bookseller of Florence"。 He lived at the time of the Gutenberg printing press and personally experienced the transition from manuscript to printed books。 He knew all of the important people who lived in and around Florence， Italy at that time。As a biography， this book I have read comfortably over 70% of this nonfiction book。 I may finish it or I may not， but I feel prepared to review it。 This is an academic work of nonfiction detailing the life and world of a man called Vespasiano， who was "the bookseller of Florence"。 He lived at the time of the Gutenberg printing press and personally experienced the transition from manuscript to printed books。 He knew all of the important people who lived in and around Florence， Italy at that time。As a biography， this book is well researched and intelligently written。 It includes all of the details anyone could possibly want。 The author covered the subject very thoroughly。 Depending on your interests， all or parts of it can be fascinating。 Personally， I enjoyed the technical aspects of creating manuscripts and early printed texts。 I found the overlap between the two very interesting。 The book also provides a vivid picture of life in Florence at that time。In my opinion， this would make excellent reading for a senior or graduate level university course in library science， history， or any other course of study involving the importance of the printing press on European civilizationThank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Linden ，

Vespasiano， a bookseller in 15th century Florence， is the person referenced by the title of this history。 The author tells of how books were produced， which before the printing press， involved scribes hand copying the text。 The history of the printing press and movable type is also discussed。 He describes the intrigues of Florence， involving ecclesiastical figures and powerful men， wars， plagues， and murders， so there is a lot more involved than just Vespaciano and his book shop。 Thanks to the p Vespasiano， a bookseller in 15th century Florence， is the person referenced by the title of this history。 The author tells of how books were produced， which before the printing press， involved scribes hand copying the text。 The history of the printing press and movable type is also discussed。 He describes the intrigues of Florence， involving ecclesiastical figures and powerful men， wars， plagues， and murders， so there is a lot more involved than just Vespaciano and his book shop。 Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC。 。。。more

Dan ，

My thanks to NetGalley and the Atlantic Monthly Press for an advanced copy of this book。Ross King has written another exploration of Italian life during the Renaissance in his latest history The Bookseller of Florence: The Story of the Manuscripts That Illuminated the Renaissance。 Focusing on the trade of manuscript acquisition， with many a story of brave souls in bug and water filled monasteries， and the knowledge and riches that were gained by them。 The main protagonist is Vespasiano， a collec My thanks to NetGalley and the Atlantic Monthly Press for an advanced copy of this book。Ross King has written another exploration of Italian life during the Renaissance in his latest history The Bookseller of Florence: The Story of the Manuscripts That Illuminated the Renaissance。 Focusing on the trade of manuscript acquisition， with many a story of brave souls in bug and water filled monasteries， and the knowledge and riches that were gained by them。 The main protagonist is Vespasiano， a collector， dealer and ancient manuscript expert who knew of was familiar with many of the most powerful people in the city of Florence， with numerous biographical and historical sketches for all these only players。 The writing does not bog down or become to fact heavy or sluggish。 Mr。 King has a way of writing that makes it seem he is more sharing rather than telling， this is fun you should know this， isn't this great without this and this we would not have that。 For those interested in Italy， the Renaissance， or the importance of booksellers and collectors to history。 。。。more

Lynn ，

In Florence， Italy， in the 1430's， the Street of Booksellers [Via del Librai]， was home to an "assortment of tailors and cloth merchants， as well as a barrel maker， a barber， a butcher， a baker and a cheesemonger， several notaries， a manuscript illiinator， two painters who shared a workshop， and a pianellaio [maker of slippers]。 But it took its name from the shops of the many booksellers and stationers [cartolai] scattered along its narrow stretch"。 This wonderful book is a history of these book In Florence， Italy， in the 1430's， the Street of Booksellers [Via del Librai]， was home to an "assortment of tailors and cloth merchants， as well as a barrel maker， a barber， a butcher， a baker and a cheesemonger， several notaries， a manuscript illiinator， two painters who shared a workshop， and a pianellaio [maker of slippers]。 But it took its name from the shops of the many booksellers and stationers [cartolai] scattered along its narrow stretch"。 This wonderful book is a history of these booksellers， this street， Florence， and the developing world of the time。 I read this EARC courtesy of Edelweiss and Atlantic Monthly Press。 pub date 04/13/21 。。。more

Nancy ，

It was an age when scholars studied the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers in search of answers to contemporary concerns。 Book collectors scoured monasteries and abbeys across Italy and Europe seeking rare and neglected books。 Golden Age Florence was a a republic， a literate city that educated boys and girls， a place where both wealthy and tradesmen ordered volumes for their personal libraries。 It was also an age of cruel acts of vengeance， political intrigue and family wars， a time of plague， It was an age when scholars studied the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers in search of answers to contemporary concerns。 Book collectors scoured monasteries and abbeys across Italy and Europe seeking rare and neglected books。 Golden Age Florence was a a republic， a literate city that educated boys and girls， a place where both wealthy and tradesmen ordered volumes for their personal libraries。 It was also an age of cruel acts of vengeance， political intrigue and family wars， a time of plague， while the Ottoman empire threatened from the East。 The church was in turmoil， powerless girls were married off or sent to an abbey， either way locked away from the world。While some sought truth in Plato and Aristotle， others rejected anything but the Holy Bible and traditional Christian beliefs。 As one bookseller in Florence wrote，"All evil is born from ignorance， Yet writers have illuminated the world， chasing away the darkness。" He was Vespasiano da Bisticci。 He started life as an eleven-year-old assistant in a book shop， a stationer and bookbinder， doing manual work that required great strength。 He went on to be renowned as the "king of the world's booksellers"， a trusted friend to the wealthy and powerful and the scholar。 The Bookseller of Florence is the story of Vespasiano's career， set against the story of bookmaking during the shift from hand written and illuminated manuscripts bound in velvet and jewels to the mass production of the printing press。 And it is the history of Florence and Italy during the early Renaissance。Saving ancient manuscripts， copying them， and distributing them for scholarly study did not protect the texts。 Without libraries to store and protected them， many sat neglected or where destroyed by fire and warfare， or carried off to disappear。 King covers a lot of territory！ I was only vaguely familiar with Italian and Catholic history previously---and found it fascinating。 I will read more！ （Such as King's Brunelleschi’s Dome， on my Kindle TBR shelf。） I learned about every aspect of book making， the switch from papyrus to parchment to paper， the advances in writing fonts， how printing presses work。 Yes， the book is filled with a huge cast of historic people and events， but my interest never flagged。 I was swept up in this epic history。I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley。 My review is fair and unbiased。 。。。more

Marlene ，

Born in 1422 and after only five years of formal education Vespasiano da Bisticci began working in Florence's Street of Booksellers。 By the age of 20 he was a recognized expert on ancient classical manuscripts。 Popes， Kings， powerful families such as the Medici's sought him out to locate ancient texts and to create beautiful copies for their libraries。 Vespaisano was embraced by the group of intellectuals who recognized his talent and included him in their philosophical debates and discussions 。 Born in 1422 and after only five years of formal education Vespasiano da Bisticci began working in Florence's Street of Booksellers。 By the age of 20 he was a recognized expert on ancient classical manuscripts。 Popes， Kings， powerful families such as the Medici's sought him out to locate ancient texts and to create beautiful copies for their libraries。 Vespaisano was embraced by the group of intellectuals who recognized his talent and included him in their philosophical debates and discussions 。His days of glory began to diminish with the invention of the printing press in in 1440。King deftly weaves Vespasiano's biography into the broader framework of the classical world and the Golden Age of Florence during the Renaissance。 Details of 15th century book production and collecting are fascinating。 The work is meticulously researched and documented， accessibly written and a delight to read。Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to meet Vespasiano。 。。。more

Ari ，

An extensive account of fifteenth century Florence’s literary world。Familiar Italian history author Ross King sets his sights on fifteenth-century Florence， but especially pays attention to the role that manuscript copyists played during the Renaissance。 King focuses in part on a general biography of Vespasiano di Bisticci， a bookseller and manuscript hunter who worked for the most demanding clients and with the heaviest purse。 Throughout his forty years as a salesman of hand-copied manuscripts， An extensive account of fifteenth century Florence’s literary world。Familiar Italian history author Ross King sets his sights on fifteenth-century Florence， but especially pays attention to the role that manuscript copyists played during the Renaissance。 King focuses in part on a general biography of Vespasiano di Bisticci， a bookseller and manuscript hunter who worked for the most demanding clients and with the heaviest purse。 Throughout his forty years as a salesman of hand-copied manuscripts， he served popes， governors， and high-ranking people who sought the wisdom of the ancient Greeks and obscure religious writings which would enable them to win philosophical debates。 Vespasiano who ‘was the most accomplished， prolific， and influential producer of manuscripts during the fifteenth century’ lived during turbulent political times: from the conquest of Constantinople and through the Pazzi Conspiracy， he dedicated his life to learn and rediscover lost currents of thought。 He was the go-to guy for rare religious texts， new translations， and beautiful deluxe editions of already known philosophical works。 And Florence was also the place where all knowledge converged， it was — at that time — one of the most cultural places of all of Europe and Vespasiano took advantage of that。 It was thanks to the manuscripts that academics and theologians could prevail over their intellectual opponents since they had no longer to rely on memory or on suspicious translations。 But the process of copying manuscripts was an arduous and costly one。 Some editions costed more than entire farms or a year of one’s wages， and they took months to produce。 However， the end result was a beautiful piece of art which people like Cosimo di Medici were happy to pay for。 Author Ross not only outlines Vespasiano’s dealer trajectory， and not only does he give an extensive overview of Florence and its political events， but he also gives detailed accounts of some of the most important manuscripts of the day; when talking about a certain Cicero’s publication or one by Aristotle， he makes sure to inform the reader the contents of it and why people wanted them。 The time of Vespasiano was one in which the old Greek works were being rescued and ‘married’ to a catholic way of living， but it was not always a very successful attempt since most of them were perceived as pagan。 But it didn’t stop academics to learn the language and produce translations， and Vespasiano had a pivotal role in that。 But this famous cartolaio also lived in a risky period for his trade， which was in the advent of printing。 He was menaced by a machine by a certain Gutenberg guy which produced the same work as his but much faster and in larger quantities， and soon the office of copyist was no longer in great demand。 Even though Vespasiano never embraced this new invention， his legacy remains as one of the most — if not the most — renown bookseller of his time。This book will remain an authoritative work on the dissemination of manuscripts， and possible the one biography of Vespasiano da Bisticci that will be referred to for a long time。 ~ 。。。more

Haley ，

Thank you， NetGalley， for providing a free copy for review。 This is no way sways my final opinion。The Bookseller of Florence was a remarkable man in Florence， Italy， that before reading this book I knew next to little about。 Vespasiano da Bisticci had connections to Cosimo de' Medici， Pope Nicholas V， and many prominent scholars both in Florence and abroad， who worked on the "Street of Booksellers" in the bookshop of Michele Guarducci。 He influenced the works published for the "modest man"， with Thank you， NetGalley， for providing a free copy for review。 This is no way sways my final opinion。The Bookseller of Florence was a remarkable man in Florence， Italy， that before reading this book I knew next to little about。 Vespasiano da Bisticci had connections to Cosimo de' Medici， Pope Nicholas V， and many prominent scholars both in Florence and abroad， who worked on the "Street of Booksellers" in the bookshop of Michele Guarducci。 He influenced the works published for the "modest man"， without intricate scribe work and detail that had formerly kept books out of the hands of all but the uber-wealthy elite。 By his mid-twenties， he was the "king of booksellers"， with connections to people and libraries across Europe。This book， however， is much more than just the tale of Vespasiano。 As with Ross King's other works， The Bookseller of Florence blends Italian history and politics， and important figures that influenced art， culture， and writing far beyond just Italy's confines and who's decisions can still be felt all these centuries later。 King describes the process that developed from papyrus to scrolls to bookbinding， the creation of inks that copyists used， the long （and sometimes deadly） work that manuscript illuminators carried out to leave behind some of the most beautiful books in history。With all of this detail， it can be easily overwhelming to the casual reader， so it's advised to do little sips at a time to avoid the flood。 If you are anything like me， I would fall down the Internet rabbit hole researching individuals， places， and manuscripts mentioned in the book， easily losing hours of time。 Take your time， for this heavily researched delight is well worth it。 。。。more

Diane Ferbrache ，

By the author of Brunelleschi’s Dome and Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling， King now focuses on the beginnings of libraries and printing in the pre-Renaissance Florence。 This incredibly well researched book tells the story of Vespasiano who was a pre-eminent bookseller and collector。 As with his previous books， the story is not just about Vespasiano， but about Italian history and politics and about a multitude of characters who influenced art， writing， culture， and politics in Italy and beyond By the author of Brunelleschi’s Dome and Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling， King now focuses on the beginnings of libraries and printing in the pre-Renaissance Florence。 This incredibly well researched book tells the story of Vespasiano who was a pre-eminent bookseller and collector。 As with his previous books， the story is not just about Vespasiano， but about Italian history and politics and about a multitude of characters who influenced art， writing， culture， and politics in Italy and beyond。 I was fascinated by references to word origins and the stories of the development of book making throughout history。 I'm very interested in both books and history， so I was looking forward to reading this book。 I admit that I found parts of it utterly fascinating， but other parts were pretty tedious and boring and I found myself skimming occasionally。 This is less a reflection on the author or the quality of the text， but rather a reflection of the fact that I am a lukewarm student of history and philosophy。 This is a book that is thorough and detailed and a definite must read" for anyone who is interested in this period of history。 I this it would be of special interest to anyone with an interest in the humanities -- I will definitely recommend this to my teacher friends。 And I have every intention of reading more of Ross King's work。 My "4 star" rating is only a reflection of my belief that this is not a book for the casual reader， but for the history buff。 Thank you， NetGalley， for letting me read this wonderful bookl。 。。。more

Melisende ，

A new found kinship with a fellow collector。

Julia ，

I received a free copy from Edelweiss and the publisher

Ionia ，

This book is a true example of fine writing and dedicated scholarship。 For being a lengthier book， I had fears that it might get tiring， but that did not prove to be so。 This book is fascinating and educational from cover to cover。 The author not only gives details about the Florentine society and the book industry as it developed at the time， but so much more。 I was particularly interested in the way he described each part that went into book making both before and after moveable type came into This book is a true example of fine writing and dedicated scholarship。 For being a lengthier book， I had fears that it might get tiring， but that did not prove to be so。 This book is fascinating and educational from cover to cover。 The author not only gives details about the Florentine society and the book industry as it developed at the time， but so much more。 I was particularly interested in the way he described each part that went into book making both before and after moveable type came into play。 The different kinds of text that were used are shown in fine photographic examples and the descriptions of the different kinds of paper， parchment etc。， are explained in a way that easy is easy to understand even for the lay person with no knowledge of such things。 This is a fantastic book that helped me learn a lot and kept me interested along the way。 For any lover of books， you should definitely add this to your shelf。 This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher， provided through Netgalley。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Tyler ，

Absolutely incredible book。 The amount of detail and scholarship is astounding。 If you have any interest in books， book making， the birth of the printing press or 15th century Florence you will love this read。 I can't imagine the dedication the author put into the work。 Truly A+ and can't recommend the book enough。 Absolutely incredible book。 The amount of detail and scholarship is astounding。 If you have any interest in books， book making， the birth of the printing press or 15th century Florence you will love this read。 I can't imagine the dedication the author put into the work。 Truly A+ and can't recommend the book enough。 。。。more

Brenda ，

The Street of Booksellers in Florence was crucial to further learning in the Renaissance and not only selling books but also stocking parchment， binding manuscripts and illumination （decorated with stunning illustrations）。 The literacy rate in Florence was far higher than anywhere else。 Few people could afford books then as they were all created by hand which took painstaking work and many months， if not years to complete。 This meant only the wealthy and priests/churches/monasteries owned them a The Street of Booksellers in Florence was crucial to further learning in the Renaissance and not only selling books but also stocking parchment， binding manuscripts and illumination （decorated with stunning illustrations）。 The literacy rate in Florence was far higher than anywhere else。 Few people could afford books then as they were all created by hand which took painstaking work and many months， if not years to complete。 This meant only the wealthy and priests/churches/monasteries owned them at first。 I just cannot comprehend owning such a treasure but thankfully have been able to see a few on my travels。 I love that a group of intellectuals gathered to discuss philosophy and literature in Florence。。。what a sight that must have been！ This author has done meticulous and incredibly thorough research into the creating of and selling books in the 15th century。 It was met with opposition frequently and there were book bans and burning and worse。。 Others were lost to climatic conditions and bugs。 Such a shame。 But thanks to Vespasiano da Bisticci and colleagues and surviving manuscripts we have information into their world and know how things were done， what materials were used， who wanted books， esteemed customers and their creative wishes and who didn't want books around。 We learn about Bruni， writings of Petrarch and Pliny， Grammar and Rhetoric and contemporary events。 We also learn about the first printing including Gutenburg and others。 Though Vespasiano and his scribes created glorious manuscripts he was opposed to mass printing。 Mistakes were often made including confusing letters and some printers were more cautious than others。 So many things to love about this book。。。some of my favourite aspects include learning about illustrating， materials used for writing， the origin of words， not to mention imagining the gorgeous binding as well as people's reaction to book making and printing and how they affected the entire world。 I have been to some of the most magnificent libraries in the world and have stood in tears of awe， envisioning scribes at work。 Well， this book brought it to life for me。 What a time of enlightenment and preservation this must have been！ How glad I am that people had the foresight to do this for their generations and emphasize the need of books and learning。This is quite a niche book and would be particularly meaningful to historians， archivists， those who wish to learn more about the book creating process and about the need for books in general。 But it's also a wonderful book to learn more about the Renaissance period and books。 A fascinating read - I learned a great deal and am happy about that。My sincere thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this highly informative and fascinating look into book creating， selling and buying in the 15th century。 Much appreciated。 。。。more

Tony Stacey ，

This is a well researched and written popular history of both the Renaissance and as we begin to see AI entering our lives a timely reminder of the winners and losers of any technological change。 I left this book with a much better understanding of how manuscripts and books were made in the 15th century。 The quick biographical sketches of the likes of Plato and contemporary figures like Ficino were much appreciated and make this book useful to any fledgeling historians of the period and it's lit This is a well researched and written popular history of both the Renaissance and as we begin to see AI entering our lives a timely reminder of the winners and losers of any technological change。 I left this book with a much better understanding of how manuscripts and books were made in the 15th century。 The quick biographical sketches of the likes of Plato and contemporary figures like Ficino were much appreciated and make this book useful to any fledgeling historians of the period and it's literature。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Bookseller of Florence: Vespasiano da Bisticci and the Manuscripts that Illuminated the Renaissance

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Bookseller of Florence: Vespasiano da Bisticci and the Manuscripts that Illuminated the Renaissance&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Bookseller of Florence: Vespasiano da Bisticci and the Manuscripts that Illuminated the Renaissance&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0