Books : The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici

Rating: - Polaroid View of History
This book focuses on a fascinating period, but the camera (i.e. Historian Christopher Hibbert) is a polaroid camera, so the image is not particularly sharp and enchanting.
As I read this book I realised that it could have been written by almost anyone in a university history department. It didn't have a disntinctive style or anything particular to say. It just ran through the gamut of the subject in an entirely predicatable way -- the rise of the city state, trade more important than before, new ways of thinking but respect for the ways of the Church, the rise of the 'new man' and the threat this posed to the putative democracy of the city state, the fate of the Medici tied to the varying abilities of different members, an interest in the arts, the gradual co-opting of the Medici to the old nobility, etc. etc.

The phrase 'scissors and paste attempt' kept running through my mind as I turned the pages, a thought further emphasised by the poor quality of the paper on which the book was printed and the cover, which soon curled up even though I had read it quickly and only once.

---

Rating: - Not a very intellectual book
As an A-level history student I waited for this book to arrive. After beginning to read it I was deeply disappointed. The language is completely descriptive, not very good for a text book; and has no kind of counter argument to it. Lorenzo de Medici is praised, but his bad points are not shown. The descriptive language is overtly, almost offensively flowery and there is very little actual evidence to back up Mr. Hibbert's views. Mr Hibbert relies on hearsay and public events, none of which was properly established and offends the intellect with his set piece scenarios. I also get the feeling he makes things up for his sensationalist ideas. All in all this book is a waste of time if you are looking for anything with historical value at all.

---

Rating: - Brilliant! One of the best books I've ever read.
Why has it taken me over 20 years to discover this book? Erudite, factual, witty, entertaining, this is a must for anyone with the slightest interest in Florence, the Renaissance, art, history. Better than any guidebook, Chapter 10 should be read by every tourist who wants to understand the very convoluted history of Florence.

---

Rating: - strong, readable treatment of the Medici
Hibbert's treatment of the Medici is superb. He brings individual figures to life with well-chosen detail without losing sight of the "big picture" of social change in Medici Florence.

---

Rating: - Readable history
I read this book when I was writing my dissertation around the subject. It was a pleasant surprise after absorbing so many dry text books - it reads like a story. The carnivals, artists and daily trials of life in Renaissance Florence are vividly described in this book. A detailed history and a fascinating insight into one of the richest areas of Italian history.