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Lois 's Reviews > The Medici: Power, Money, and Ambition in the Italian Renaissance
The Medici: Power, Money, and Ambition in the Italian Renaissance
by
by
Lois 's review
bookshelves: audio-book, books-i-own-digital-copy, historical, non-fiction, all-things-european-history, biography, books-i-read-in-2018, kindle-unlimited-or-scribd
Nov 05, 2018
bookshelves: audio-book, books-i-own-digital-copy, historical, non-fiction, all-things-european-history, biography, books-i-read-in-2018, kindle-unlimited-or-scribd
This is well researched and extremely readable. My only complaint is that the author is unable to keep his personal bias out of this research based body of work. The language used is jarring and disrespectful.
That said the history gives a really good overview of the politics, political characters/families and so many politics with so many varying European powers. Shew. You add in the 2 Popes and 2 Queens of France complex and yet smoothly handled.
Still the homophobia and sexism prevent a truly high score. This is worth reading for a general overview of the family, politics and such of the eras involved.
That said the history gives a really good overview of the politics, political characters/families and so many politics with so many varying European powers. Shew. You add in the 2 Popes and 2 Queens of France complex and yet smoothly handled.
Still the homophobia and sexism prevent a truly high score. This is worth reading for a general overview of the family, politics and such of the eras involved.
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Reading Progress
March 27, 2017
– Shelved
March 27, 2017
– Shelved as:
to-read
March 27, 2017
– Shelved as:
audio-book
March 27, 2017
– Shelved as:
books-i-own-digital-copy
March 27, 2017
– Shelved as:
historical
March 27, 2017
– Shelved as:
non-fiction
October 31, 2018
–
Started Reading
October 31, 2018
– Shelved as:
kindle-unlimited-or-scribd
October 31, 2018
– Shelved as:
books-i-read-in-2018
October 31, 2018
– Shelved as:
biography
October 31, 2018
– Shelved as:
all-things-european-history
October 31, 2018
–
0%
"The author awkwardly phrases Muslim North Africa's colonization of Europe, good portions of the Iberian Peninsula, part of Italy and even parts of France. They held the Iberian peninsula for longer than Europe has colonized the modern world and with much less brutality. Also rather than burn books they kept them which reintroduced Europe to much of it's lost history. If Europe had colonized with the same respect."
October 31, 2018
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0%
"'young Caucasian slave girl whom he had purchased in Venice, where she had been adjudged ‘a sound virgin, free from disease and aged about twenty-one’. The girl was employed'
Why is the author like this?
First, a 21 yr old is an adult in modern times, certainly 21 was not considered a girl in the 1400's.
Secondly, slaves aren't 'employed'. The whole point of slavery is to steal labor not pay for it.
Yikes author"
Why is the author like this?
First, a 21 yr old is an adult in modern times, certainly 21 was not considered a girl in the 1400's.
Secondly, slaves aren't 'employed'. The whole point of slavery is to steal labor not pay for it.
Yikes author"
October 31, 2018
–
0%
"'Inevitably there were cases of maltreatment, but these appear to have been the exception; less unusual was the occurrence of slave-girl pregnancy.'
Slaves can't consent to sex with those who hold them in captivity. It sounds like the rape of these women was standard and that is maltreatment by any standard of the definition.
The author of this has some serious biases that impact his interpretation of history."
Slaves can't consent to sex with those who hold them in captivity. It sounds like the rape of these women was standard and that is maltreatment by any standard of the definition.
The author of this has some serious biases that impact his interpretation of history."
October 31, 2018
–
0%
"'According to Vespasiano, the delegates included ‘certain Armenians, Jacobites [a heretical Monophysite sect from Macedonia], and Ethiopians were sent by Prester John [the legendary Christian ruler in the East]’. There were certainly Ukrainians and Russians with Tartar servants, and other entourages included Moorish, Berber and black African attendants.' The Ecumenical Council in 1439"
October 31, 2018
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0%
"'Attitudes to homosexuality in Florence appear to have been ambiguous. All this meant that sodomy amongst young men was covertly tolerated. A number of licensed bordellos were opened around the Mercato Vecchio (Old Market),'
The author is homophobic to the extent that coerced sex workers ostracized socially, probably slaves, is morally superior to sex between consenting men.
Sigh.
Sigh.
Sigh."
The author is homophobic to the extent that coerced sex workers ostracized socially, probably slaves, is morally superior to sex between consenting men.
Sigh.
Sigh.
Sigh."
November 2, 2018
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0%
"Interesting but horribly homophobic in discussion of art and artists. The author kept describing a statue as overtly homophobic but it's just a naked man like all other naked men statues. Nothing homosexual about nudity, sigh. The author seems to forget that same sex relationships weren't taboo in ancient Rome and Greece which is the basis of The Renaissance exploration in art. Sigh fucking sigh"
November 4, 2018
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0%
"The author's homophobia is getting ridiculous.
How can a historian be surprised that men had sex with other men in Rome? How much of a historian can he be if he's shocked that gay men were over represented as priests and artists during the homophobic eras of the Renaissance.
Hey author, people like to fuck, sometimes the people they fuck are the same gender as them.
Sometimes not.
Can we return to the story now?"
How can a historian be surprised that men had sex with other men in Rome? How much of a historian can he be if he's shocked that gay men were over represented as priests and artists during the homophobic eras of the Renaissance.
Hey author, people like to fuck, sometimes the people they fuck are the same gender as them.
Sometimes not.
Can we return to the story now?"
November 5, 2018
–
0%
"This includes tons of info about the confusing politics of the Italian city states, papal states and the kingdom of naples. I appreciate the additional information because Italian politics of this period are complex and complicated"
November 5, 2018
–
Finished Reading
