The Bookseller of Florence - by Ross King

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Review Quotes

Praise for The Bookseller of Florence:

"If you want to celebrate the place that bookmaking and bookselling still have in our lives, notwithstanding all those hours captive to the digital glimmer, you could do a lot worse than immerse yourself in Ross King's rich history of Vespasiano da Bisticci, 'the king of the world's booksellers, ' in 15th-century Florence . . . Though Vespasiano himself was the author of a collection of biographies of 'illustrious men, ' the real pleasure of King's book is its detailed evocation of the physical grind of bookmaking . . . What you will find in abundance here is a historical celebration of the Greek humanist Cardinal Bessarion's belief that books 'live, they converse and speak with us, they teach us, educate us, console us.' Painfully deprived as we have been of the immediate joys of friendly chatter and animated argument, have we ever valued the company of books more dearly?"-Simon Schama, New York Times Book Review

"A marvel of storytelling and a master class in the history of the book, explaining sometimes arcane bookmaking processes in clear and coherent language while lending an easy touch to otherwise confounding historical turmoil . . . A dazzling, instructive and highly entertaining book, worthy of the great bookseller it celebrates."--Ernest Hilbert, Wall Street Journal

"[A] delightful, immersive history of books and bookselling in the heart of the Renaissance . . . Engrossing and meticulously researched . . . As this is a book about books, Ross wrangles myriad details about their creation, including producing parchment, inks, illuminations, bindings, movable type and paper (sometimes from the wardrobes of Black Death victims!), as well as innovations in typography and layout. And for bibliophiles who are also word nerds, there's lots of juicy etymology."--Cory Oldweiler, Minneapolis Star Tribune

"This fascinating, richly immersive book introduces us to Vespasiano da Bisticci, known as 'the king of the world's booksellers' at a time of great intellectual and literary ferment in 15th-century Europe. His timing was great until it wasn't; the printing press loomed. A vivid, expansive read."--Kate Tuttle, Boston Globe

"The scope of King's knowledge is staggering and his book bulges with facts. They are at their most enticing when they relate to physical processes such as the details of Vespasiano's manuscript production . . . The author is equally circumstantial when describing the rival process of printing. Anyone who has set up a page using moveable metal type will be impressed by the vividness and precision of his account . . . Remarkable as these feats of factual exposition are, King's supreme ability is to imagine himself into the past . . . Spectacular."--John Carey, Times (UK)

"Excellent . . . The difficulties of the 15th-century book trade, though, are precisely what make The Bookseller of Florence such a fascinating read: they link pursuits as seemingly minor as sheep farming to plague, politics, and papal crusades. Though ostensibly a biography of Vespasiano, he is less the book's subject than its method: a window on to the intellectual, political and technological developments of a time in radical ferment. It is an astute choice by King, just as King--entertaining, witty and expert--is a fortunate fate for Vespasiano. It is a book I will be keeping on my shelves, despite the crowding."--Tim Smith-Laing, Telegraph (UK)

"King's curiosity for his subject is insatiable . . . A lavish banquet of stories and facts . . . A delight, a popular history that makes t

About the Author

Ross King is the award-winning and bestselling author of Brunelleschi's Dome, Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling, The Judgment of Paris, Mad Enchantment, Leonardo and the Last Supper, and Machiavelli: Philosopher of Power, among other books. He and his wife live in Woodstock, Great Britain.