The Burning of the Vanities

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Well written and dramatic - Rated
For those who want a good general knowledge of Savonarola this is the best English language book to date. Forget all the others, and don't struggle with Villari, get hold of this work. The narrative is well written and constructed, resulting in a book which is a very easy read, without lacking substantial scholarship. It's subject is brought to life as are the issues which motivated him and the forces that defeated him. Recomended!

Never a Dull Moment - Rated
If you think that the life of a dominican friar living in Florence on the cusp of the renaissance doesn't sound much like the stuff of thrillers,think again. This particular friar took on the Borgias and the Medici. Throw in a hefty dose of 15th century power politics and you have a fast moving tale of plots, counter plots and general skulduggery.

At the heart of all this is Savonarola himself. To some, the architypal puritan killjoy. To Dominicans, a saint. To Victorian England, a Protestant martyr. Savonarola challenged everybody and everything: the lifestyles of the super rich who tolerated appalling poverty under their noses; power hungry churchmen; corrupt and self seeking political structures.

This is a fascinating and highy readable account of the impact of one person on a world that is both very different from our own and, at times, worryingly familiar.