Dark Brilliance - by Paul Strathern (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

During the 1600s--between the end of the Renaissance and the start of the Enlightenment--Europe lived through an era known as The Age of Reason. This was a revolutionary period that saw great advances in areas such as art, science, philosophy, political theory, and economics. However, all this was accomplished against a background of extreme political turbulence on a continental scale, in the form of internal conflicts and international wars. Indeed, the Age of Reason itself was born at the same time as the Thirty Years' War, which would devastate central Europe to an extent that would not be experienced again until World War I. This period also saw the development of European empires across the world, as well as a lucrative new transatlantic commerce that brought transformative riches to Western European society. However, there was a dark underside to this brilliant wealth: it was dependent upon human slavery. By exploring all the key events and bringing to life some of the most influential characters of the era--including Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Newton, Descartes, Spinoza, Louis XIV, and Charles I--acclaimed historian Paul Strathern tells the vivid story of this paradoxical age, while also exploring the painful cost of creating the progress and modernity upon which the Western world was built.

Review Quotes

"An enlightening and fascinating study. Mr. Strathern's canvas is immense, yet the picture he paints is never less than pellucid, and packed with lively detail and fascinating facts." -- "The Wall Street Journal"

Praise for The Medici and The Borgias:

"Highlights [the family's] literary accomplishments in detail, as well as the story of how the Medici became the Renaissance's most influential family." -- "The New York Times Book Review"

"First-rate accounts of events and geniuses from past centuries. A good read."-- "Kirkus Reviews"

"Following the great minds of the [Renaissance] period in insightful biographical chapters, Strathern's book sets the record straight on this second revival." -- "The New Criterion"

"From art and astronomy to medicine and exploration. The author's biographical style is invariably engaging. Lively and wide-ranging." -- "Financial Times"

"Strathern believes that historians of the Renaissance have focused on Southern Europe to the detriment of the many technical, artistic, and intellectual advances that occurred north of the Alps. To rebalance this history, he describes the contributions of those who lived outside the Mediterranean world. The lives portrayed are deeply fascinating... A docent-style stroll through the pantheon of Renaissance thinkers of Northern Europe." -- "Kirkus Reviews"

"Strathern's entertaining cast of often garrulous northerners, their origins ranging from Paris to rainy London, discovered things that made us what we are today. He describes their contributions in clear-sighted and effective prose, making complex ideas instantly intelligible. Full of pleasing anecdotes, and myths are duly dispatched along the way." -- "The Times (London)"

"The 'age of reason' that kicked off the Enlightenment was really 'an age of unreason' so chaotic it prompted exceptional minds to seek out order amid the disorder, according to this panoramic account. An enlightening perspective on a not very enlightened era." -- "Publishers Weekly"

"The prolific author continues to do what he does best--bring history to wondrous life--with this thorough history of the Medici family. A fantastically comprehensive history covering the breadth of the great learning, art, politics, and religion of the period." -- "Kirkus Reviews (starred)"