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The Raven King: Matthias Corvinus And The Fate Of His Lost Library
Seizing the Hungarian throne at the age of fifteen, Matthias Corvinus, the "Raven King,” was an effervescent presence on the fifteenth-century stage. A successful warrior and munificent art patron, he sought to leave as symbols of his strategic and humanist ambitions a strong, unified country, splendid palaces, and the most magnificent library in Christendom. But Hung
...moreHardcover, 288 pages
Published
July 1st 2008
by Yale University Press
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The Raven King tells the story of both Mattias Corvinus and his famous library and, in so doing, also tells part of the history of many of the people and some of the places involved. Tanner keeps the narrative interesting while still delivering interesting facts along the way. Not only did I learn more about the time period itself but I also discovered interesting tidbits about book making of the time, a subject I'm also interested in.
The only problem I have with this book is the a...more
The only problem I have with this book is the a...more
This book wasn't quite what I expected, not that I'm sure what that was, I had heard it recommended on PRI's "The World" and all I recalled from that piece was that this book was about a library, a monarch, and Hungary. While I married into a Hungarian family, my knowledge of the country and its history is quite limited. I suspect if I knew more, then that Tanner wrote more of the Italian influence (which makes sense as they produced the books and Matthias' wife) than of the library (s...more
An interesting history of Matthias Corvinus, a 15th century king of Hungary and his pursuit of collecting books at a time when they were still quite rare (the printing press was invented only 14 years before his death).
After he died, Hungary pretty much disappeared as an independent country, but in the 18th and 19th century he became a national hero for Hungarian nationalists.
His library consisted of over 3,000 books, most of which ended up in Istanbul after Hungary wa...more
After he died, Hungary pretty much disappeared as an independent country, but in the 18th and 19th century he became a national hero for Hungarian nationalists.
His library consisted of over 3,000 books, most of which ended up in Istanbul after Hungary wa...more
Very interesting subject and raw material. But the author is a journalist and it shows. He doesn't organize his mass of material in a coherent way.
I approached this book as a bibliophile and was disappointed to have to wade through 200 pages of fifteenth-century Hungarian history before getting to the material of interest ...
I approached this book as a bibliophile and was disappointed to have to wade through 200 pages of fifteenth-century Hungarian history before getting to the material of interest ...
I knew very little about this period, or this individual. The book contains a useful summary of the history, but the details on the library etc. are fascination (at least to a book lover). It is a shame that the Turks destroyed what was left of the library (not surprising, fairly typical) when they finally conquered what was left of Matthais' kingdom, although it appears that many of the books were long gone.
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