History of the Florentine People, Volume 2: Books V–VIII

by Leonardo Bruni, James Hankins (Translator)

Leonardo Bruni (1370-1444), the leading civic humanist of the Italian Renaissance, served as apostolic secretary to four popes (1405-1414) and chancellor of Florence (1427-1444). He was famous in his day as a translator, orator, and historian, and was the best-selling author of the fifteenth century. Bruni's History of the Florentine People in twelve books is generally considered the first modern work of history, and was widely imitated by humanist historians for two centuries after its official publication by the Florentine Signoria in 1442. This edition makes it available for the first time in English translation.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

608 pages, Hardcover

First published November 30, 2004

About the author

Leonardo Bruni was an Italian humanist, historian and statesman, often recognized as the most important humanist historian of the early Renaissance. He has been called the first modern historian.

Reviews

[Hannah Trower · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing on from volume 1, this covers 1311-1378. Bruni continues to be as skilled a rhetorician as ever, though this volume is drier and denser with battles (did Florence have a second of true peace in this entire time? If they did, I missed it) than the previous volume. The speeches are stirring, especially the speech near the end to the pope decrying the policy of refusing to allow Florence to buy grain, and of attempting to burn their crops so they had to assent to an overlord to feed their families (stopped by the expedient measures of paying the enemy's mercenaries to not do that). Interesting stuff in here, informative, but dry.