Out
now!History of The Slave Trade
Between 1500 and 1900 it’s estimated that around 12 million
African men, women and children were stolen from their homes
by Europeans, before being forcefully transported across the
Atlantic. In this special, we seek to tell that story – from its origins
to its abolition. We also look to explore the legacies of slavery
and how the effects are still being felt in the modern world.
Buy the History of The Slave Trade in shops or online at
magazinesdirect.com
Price: £12.99Out
now!The Crimes Of The Gestapo
Author Andrew Cook Price £20 Publisher AmberleyRECOMMENDS...
Andrew Cook brings to light the inner workings of the Gestapo
he unearthed from the closed files of MI14, the wartime
intelligence department created on Churchill’s orders shortly
after his appointment as prime minister. As Cook points out in
this meticulously researched book, most people are probably
as unaware of MI14 and the critical intelligence role it played in
the war as they are universally aware of the name and sinister
reputation of the Gestapo.THE FLORENTINES:
FROM DANTE TO GALILEO
Author Paul Strathern Publisher Pegasus Books Price £20 Released Out Now
The sweeping story of a changing city
“A page-turner that presents a
fascinating new perspective on the
stories and people of Florence”
I
n his new book The Florentines:
From Dante to Galileo, novelist Paul
Strathern tells a true story that has
as many twists and turns as any
work of fiction. It is an epic journey
through four centuries of Florentine
history, and one that tells the story not
only of the city, but of the people who
lived there. In doing so, Strathern brings
to life the events that led to the birth of
the Renaissance.
Beginning with the birth of Dante
in 1265 and ending with the death of
Galileo nearly 400 years later, Strathern
presents the history of a city that
changed Western culture forever. In
Florence, he posits, science, art and
architecture underwent such a ground-
breaking change and such an important
series of discoveries, that its impact
is still felt today. It was a city where
great minds came together in pursuit of
discovery, and one driven by a concept
that came to be known as humanism,
rather than a spirituality that found its
roots in the heavens.
In Strathern’s capable hands, what
could be an unwieldy narrative is
eminently readable. He brings both
the city and its inhabitants vividly
to life, and in doing so makes a
persuasive case for Florence’s unique
role in the Renaissance. It was a city
in which some of the greatest minds
of the era were born, and characters
including Machiavelli and Leonardo
da Vinci will be familiar to readers
with even just a passing interest in
history. Yet Strathern recognises that
Florence was not in a vacuum, and he
contextualises the events there withinthe wider world, focussing on how its
geographic position made it a hub to
which travellers from across the globe
flocked. In this melting pot, it was
inevitable that new and innovative ideas
would flourish in every field from art to
technology to business and beyond.
Strathern’s previous experience
as both a historian and a novelist
is evident in this well-written and
exhaustively researched book. Despite
the enormous sweep of the text and
the large cast of characters Strathern
never loses focus or lets the pace flag.
It is a page-turner, and one that presents
a fascinating new perspective on the
stories and people of Florence.
The Florentines: From Dante to
Galileo is a book that will appeal to
a wide range of readers. Those who are
already an expert on the subject will
likely find some of the material familiar,
but they will also find Strathern’s
perspective on the city intriguing.
For those who are casually interested
or simply curious to know more, the
book will no doubt be as eye-opening
as it is impressive.
The text is illustrated throughout,
and Strathern has provided a wealth of
additional information to guide readers
through the narrative. From family trees
to further reading, Strathern’s extensive
research is evident on every page.
His analysis of Florence’s importance
in the wider world is persuasive and
fascinating, and The Florentines: From
Dante to Galileo, is a book that more
than does it justice. CC