The Bookseller of Florence: The Story of the Manuscripts That Illuminated the Renaissance
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- Author：Ross King
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Summary
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 bestselling 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。
Vespasiano reached the summit of his powers as Europe's most prolific merchant of knowledge when a new invention appeared: the printed book。 By 1480， the king of the world's booksellers was swept away by this epic technological disruption， whereby cheaply produced books reached readers who never could have afforded one of Vespasiano's elegant manuscripts。
A thrilling chronicle of intellectual ferment set against the dramatic political and religious turmoil of the era， Ross King's brilliant The Bookseller of Florence is also an ode to books and bookmaking that charts the world-changing shift from script to print through the life of an extraordinary man long lost to history--one of the true titans of the Renaissance。
Vespasiano reached the summit of his powers as Europe's most prolific merchant of knowledge when a new invention appeared: the printed book。 By 1480， the king of the world's booksellers was swept away by this epic technological disruption， whereby cheaply produced books reached readers who never could have afforded one of Vespasiano's elegant manuscripts。
A thrilling chronicle of intellectual ferment set against the dramatic political and religious turmoil of the era， Ross King's brilliant The Bookseller of Florence is also an ode to books and bookmaking that charts the world-changing shift from script to print through the life of an extraordinary man long lost to history--one of the true titans of the Renaissance。
Reviews
Rosann
，
This well researched， clearly written book ties together the history of book creation， philosophy， religion， marketing and selling of books by featuring at its center the bookseller Vespasiano a Renaissance man in many senses of the word。 Author Ross King draws in the reader with just enough political background， introducing the leading scholars， artists， military minds， and merchants in Florence and around Europe during the 15th century。 As the world of scholarly pursuit， dissemination of histo This well researched， clearly written book ties together the history of book creation， philosophy， religion， marketing and selling of books by featuring at its center the bookseller Vespasiano a Renaissance man in many senses of the word。 Author Ross King draws in the reader with just enough political background， introducing the leading scholars， artists， military minds， and merchants in Florence and around Europe during the 15th century。 As the world of scholarly pursuit， dissemination of historical/philosophical thought， and evolving technology combine， the written word becomes available to the masses。 The only thing truly missing here are examples of the illuminated texts that are at the center of the story。 Once I finished Ross' work I immediately sought out other sources to complete the picture。 。。。more
John W。
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Excellent。 Focuses on one bookseller in Florence in the 1500s but manages to give a view of the Renaissance in Florence and makes me want to read more of this period。
Jan
，
I recognize that this is a personal interest Publish or Perish for Dr Ross King， but I really enjoyed it anyway。 This is despite a few pages that I felt I was slogging through。 This is because there was so much interesting stuff that was new to me or explained so much better than what I'd learned before。 And I did learn a lot from his meticulous research and easy presentation。 Just learning more about the development of the written and/or printed word made the whole zillion pages （of which 14% i I recognize that this is a personal interest Publish or Perish for Dr Ross King， but I really enjoyed it anyway。 This is despite a few pages that I felt I was slogging through。 This is because there was so much interesting stuff that was new to me or explained so much better than what I'd learned before。 And I did learn a lot from his meticulous research and easy presentation。 Just learning more about the development of the written and/or printed word made the whole zillion pages （of which 14% is acknowledgements and credits）。 I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley。 Thank you！Too bad that I missed the Zoom at the Cuyahoga Library yesterday！ 。。。more
Deb
，
This tremendous addition to the Ross King collection of art/social history explorations concerns the booksellers of fifteenth century Florence， birthplace of the Renaissance。 A remarkable man named Vespasiano da Bisticci is at the heart of the story。 At a time when all books were produced by hand， Vespasiano published and sold many hundreds of volumes from his bookshop， which also served as a gathering space for discussion and debate of the newly re-discovered manuscripts of ancient Greek and Ro This tremendous addition to the Ross King collection of art/social history explorations concerns the booksellers of fifteenth century Florence， birthplace of the Renaissance。 A remarkable man named Vespasiano da Bisticci is at the heart of the story。 At a time when all books were produced by hand， Vespasiano published and sold many hundreds of volumes from his bookshop， which also served as a gathering space for discussion and debate of the newly re-discovered manuscripts of ancient Greek and Roman writers。 Besides disseminating ancient authors like Plato， Aristotle and Cicero， Vespasiano's books were works of art in themselves。 These manuscripts were copied by the most talented scribes and illustrated by the finest miniaturists of the day。 Their seller's clients included， popes， kings and princes from all across Europe。 Vespasiano had reached the height of his profession and was considered the "king of booksellers" when a new technology out of Germany shook the intellectual world: the printed book。 Suddenly books could be purchased by people who could never have afforded even one of Vespasiano's elegant manuscripts。 By 1480， the world of knowledge was becoming democratic and Bisticci's influence was swept away。 。。。more
Ellen Woodoff
，
This was an interesting and informative book， but it was a bit dry reading。 In addition to people interested in the Florence Medieval and Renaissance culture， those interested in the history of printing and typography will find the history of it in this book。 The book focused on Vespasiano， a well-regarded book seller， scholar， and finder of manuscripts that lived in Florence during the time of Lorenzo， il Magnifico， Medici and other Humanists。
Megan Easley-Walsh
，
The art of the Renaissance is often celebrated， but the books？ Oh the books！ Magnificent works from centuries prior returned to greatness， as the production of manuscripts rose， and the world was poised for the printing press。 This book examines not only Vespasiano da Bisticci， the "king of booksellers" but also Florence， surrounding areas， and a host of characters （some famous and familiar， some less so）。 For anyone interested in history， books， or the Renaissance， this shines。 （Warning， some p The art of the Renaissance is often celebrated， but the books？ Oh the books！ Magnificent works from centuries prior returned to greatness， as the production of manuscripts rose， and the world was poised for the printing press。 This book examines not only Vespasiano da Bisticci， the "king of booksellers" but also Florence， surrounding areas， and a host of characters （some famous and familiar， some less so）。 For anyone interested in history， books， or the Renaissance， this shines。 （Warning， some parts， in keeping with historical facts， are a bit graphic/gruesome。） 。。。more
Virginia Van
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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